Change, Choice and Inference: A Study of Belief Revision and Nonmonotonic Reasoning (Oxford Logic Guides)

Change, Choice and Inference develops logical theories that are necessary both for the understanding of adaptable human reasoning and for the design of intelligent systems. The book shows that reasoning processes - the drawing on inferences and changing one's beliefs - can be viewed as belonging to the realm of practical reason by embedding logical theories into the broader context of the theory of rational choice. The book unifies lively and significant strands of research in logic, philosophy, economics and artificial intelligence. It elaborates on the relevant theories and provides a mathematically precise foundation for the thesis that large parts of theoretical reason can be subsumed under practical reason.

With philosophers interested in general conceptual analysis and specialized logicians or AI researchers as his intended audience, Rott analyzes the notion of rationality in terms of various concepts of coherence. Topics include incoherent versus coherent systems of belief, the interconnection of problems of belief change and epistemology, a critique of the theory of K. Lehrer, a description of vertical and horizontal perspectives to analyze belief change processes, the connections between belief revision and nonmonotonic reasoning, analysis of rationality postulates, a critique of the general theory of rational choice, and an analysis of the theory of revealed preferences.

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__Change, Choice and Inference__ develops logical theories that are necessary both for the understanding of adaptable human reasoning and for the design of intelligent systems. The book shows that reasoning processes - the drawing on inferences and changing one's beliefs - can be viewed as belonging to the realm of practical reason by embedding logical theories into the broader context of the theory of rational choice. The book unifies lively and significant strands of research in logic, philosophy, economics and artificial intelligence. It elaborates on the relevant theories and provides a mathematically precise foundation for the thesis that large parts of theoretical reason can be subsumed under practical reason. This work develops logical theories necessary to understand adaptable human reasoning & the design ofintelligent systems. It unifies lively & significant strands of research in logic, philosophy, economics & artificial intelligence