Reasoning about Rational Agents (Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents) [Hardcover]

Michael Wooldridge (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262232138 | ISBN-13: 978-0262232135 | Publication Date: July 14, 2000 | Edition: 1st

One goal of modern computer science is to engineer computer programs that can act as autonomous, rational agents; software that can independently make good decisions about what actions to perform on our behalf and execute those actions. Applications range from small programs that intelligently search the Web buying and selling goods via electronic commerce, to autonomous space probes. This book focuses on the belief-desire-intention (BDI) model of rational agents, which recognizes the primacy of beliefs, desires, and intentions in rational action. The BDI model has three distinct strengths: an underlying philosophy based on practical reasoning in humans, a software architecture that is implementable in real systems, and a family of logics that support a formal theory of rational agency.The book introduces a BDI logic called LORA (Logic of Rational Agents). In addition to the BDI component, LORA contains a temporal component, which allows one to represent the dynamics of how agents and their environments change over time, and an action component, which allows one to represent the actions that agents perform and the effects of the actions. The book shows how LORA can be used to capture many components of a theory of rational agency, including such notions as communication and cooperation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Wooldridge is Professor of Computer Science and Head of the Agent s Research Group at the University of Liverpool.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 241 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1st edition (July 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262232138
• ISBN-13: 978-0262232135
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,696,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rarity - a user-friendly book of formalism, September 6, 2000

By 

G. M. Arnold "Geoff, that is" (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reasoning about Rational Agents (Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents) (Hardcover)

An excellent treatment of the formal modelling of what Mike calls Rational Agents and others have (more provocatively) usually termed Intelligent Agents. What sets this apart from other books on the subject are Mike's refreshingly direct, no-nonsense writing, and his recognition that his audience may not have all of the formal tools at their fingertips. The Appendix "Formal Foundations" would be a good choice for anyone who wanted to understand modal logics, especially as they apply to time and intention. Even software engineers who would rather hack code than grapple with formalism will find this accesible, stimulating and useful.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Both Enjoyable and Thorough, April 24, 2003

By 

Dino "nada" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reasoning about Rational Agents (Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents) (Hardcover)

You simply cannot choose a better overview of intelligent agent modeling. Wooldridge brings the reader from an extremely non-threatening, non-technical treatment of the basics to formal modeling of individual agent properties and multi-agent interaction using (essentially) constructions of formal logic.
This book is clearly intended to communicate a particular theory in a very effective manner. However, it does not (nor does it pretend to) provide a path to implementing any of the theory, so dilettantes beware.