MODALITY, SI! MODAL LOGIC, NO!
Abstract:
Modality is important for logical AI. An agent must reason about
what it or other agents know, believe, want, intend or owe [him] a
choice. Referentially opaque modalities are needed and must be
formalized correctly. Modal logics are sometimes decideable---an
important virtue. Unfortunately, modal logics seem too limited for
many important purposes. This article contains examples of uses of
modality for which modal logic seems inadequate.
I have no proof that modal logic is inadequate, so I hope modal
logicians will take the examples as challenges.
There are
.html,
.dvi,
.pdf and
.ps versions.
The paper will appear in a special issue of Studia Logica devoted
to the combination of logics.
Up to: McCarthy home page
I welcome comments, and you can send them by clicking on
jmc@cs.stanford.edu
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