Towards a general theory of action and time
Artificial IntelligencePublished 1 July 1984
James F. Allen
Citations2,562
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.84
SNIP3.30
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TL;DR
A formalism for reasoning about actions that is based on a temporal logic allows a much wider range of actions to be described than with previous approaches such as the situation calculus and a framework for planning in a dynamic world with external events and multiple agents is suggested.
Abstract
A formalism for reasoning about actions is proposed that is based on a temporal logic. It allows a much wider range of actions to be described than with previous approaches such as the situation calculus. This formalism is then used to characterize the different types of events, processes, actions, and properties that can be described in simple English sentences. In addressing this problem, we consider actions that involve non-activity as well as actions that can only be defined in terms of the beliefs and intentions of the actors. Finally, a framework for planning in a dynamic world with external events and multiple agents is suggested.
Keywords
Computer Science
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