Reasoning about Actions with Temporal Answer Sets

In this paper we combine Answer Set Programming (ASP) with Dynamic Linear Time Temporal Logic (DLTL) to define a temporal logic programming language for reasoning about complex actions and infinite computations. DLTL extends propositional temporal logic of linear time with regular programs of propositional dynamic logic, which are used for indexing temporal modalities. The action language allows general DLTL formulas to be included in domain descriptions to constrain the space of possible extensions. We introduce a notion of Temporal Answer Set for domain descriptions, based on the usual notion of Answer Set. Also, we provide a translation of domain descriptions into standard ASP and we use Bounded Model Checking techniques for the verification of DLTL constraints.Comment: To appear in Theory and Practice of Logic Programmin

A Strategy for Implementing description Temporal Dynamic Algorithms in Dynamic Knowledge Graphs by SPIN

Planning and reasoning about actions and processes, in addition to reasoning about propositions, are important issues in recent logical and computer science studies. The widespread use of actions in everyday life such as IoT, semantic web services, etc., and the limitations and issues in the action formalisms are two factors that lead us to study how actions are represented. Since 2007, there have been some ideas to integrate Description Logic (DL) and action formalisms for representing both static and dynamic knowledge. Meanwhile, time is an important factor in dynamic situations, and actions change states over time. In this study, on the one hand, we examined related logical structures such as extensions of description logics (DLs), temporal formalisms, and action formalisms. On the other hand, we analyzed possible tools for designing and developing the Knowledge and Action Base (KAB). For representation and reasoning about actions, we embedded actions into DLs (such as Dynamic-ALC and its extensions). We propose a terminable algorithm for action projection, planning, checking the satisfiability, consistency, realizability, and executability, and also querying from KAB. Actions in this framework were modeled with SPIN and added to state space. This framework has also been implemented as a plugin for the Prot\'eg\'e ontology editor. During the last two decades, various algorithms have been presented, but due to the high computational complexity, we face many problems in implementing dynamic ontologies. In addition, an algorithm to detect the inconsistency of actions' effects was not explicitly stated. In the proposed strategy, the interactions of actions with other parts of modeled knowledge, and a method to check consistency between the effects of actions are presented. With this framework, the ramification problem can be well handled in future works

Past-present temporal programs over finite traces

Extensions of Answer Set Programming with language constructs from temporal logics, such as temporal equilibrium logic over finite traces (TELf), provide an expressive computational framework for modeling dynamic applications. In this paper, we study the so-called past-present syntactic subclass, which consists of a set of logic programming rules whose body references to the past and head to the present. Such restriction ensures that the past remains independent of the future, which is the case in most dynamic domains. We extend the definitions of completion and loop formulas to the case of past-present formulas, which allows capturing the temporal stable models of a set of past-present temporal programs by means of an LTLf expression

Temporal Answer Set Programming

[Abstract] Commonsense temporal reasoning is full of situations that require drawing default conclusions, since we rarely have all the information available. Unfortunately, most modal temporal logics cannot accommodate default reasoning, since they typically deal with a monotonic inference relation. On the other hand, non-monotonic approaches are very expensive and their treatment of time is not so well delimited and studied as in modal logic. Temporal Equilibrium Logic (TEL) is the first non-monotonic temporal logic which fully covers the syntax of some standard modal temporal approach without requiring further constructions. TEL shares the syntax of Linear-time Temporal Logic (LTL) (first proposed by Arthur Prior and later extended by Hans Kamp) which has become one of the simplest, most used and best known temporal logics in Theoretical Computer Science. Although TEL had been already defined, few results were known about its fundamental properties and nothing at all on potential computational methods that could be applied for practical purposes. This situation unfavourably contrasted with the huge body of knowledge available for LTL, both in well-known formal properties and in computing methods with practical implementations. In this thesis we have mostly filled this gap, following a research program that has systematically analysed different essential properties of TEL and, simultaneously, built computational tools for its practical application. As an overall, this thesis collects a corpus of results that constitutes a significant breakthrough in the knowledge about TEL.[Resumen] El razonamiento temporal del sentido común está lleno de situaciones que requieren suponer conclusiones por defecto, puesto que raramente contamos con toda la información disponible. Lamentablemente, la mayoría de lógicas modales temporales no permiten modelar este tipo de razonamiento por defecto debido a que, típicamente, se definen por medio de relaciones de inferencia monótonas. Por el contrario, las aproximaciones no monótonas existentes son típicamente muy costosas pero su manejo del tiempo no está tan bien delimitado como en lógica modal. Temporal Equilibrium Logic (TEL) es la primera lógica temporal no monótona que cubre totalmente la sintaxis de alguna de las lógicas modales tradicionales sin requerir el uso de más construcciones. TEL comparte la sintaxis de Linear-time Temporal Logic (LTL) (formalismo propuesto por Arthur Prior y posteriormente extendido por Hans Kamp), que es una de las lógicas más simples, utilizadas y mejor conocidas en Teoría de la Computación. Aunque TEL había sido definido, muy pocas propiedades eran conocidas, lo que contrastaba con el vasto conocimiento de LTL que está presente en el estado del arte. En esta tesis hemos estudiado diferentes aspectos de TEL, una novedosa combinación de lógica modal temporal y un formalismo no monótono. A grandes rasgos, esta tesis recoge un conjunto de resultados, tanto desde el punto de vista teórico como práctico, que constituye un gran avance en lo relativo al conocimiento sobre TEL.[Resumo] O razoamento do sentido común aplicado ao caso temporal está cheo de situacións que requiren supoñer conclusións por defecto, posto que raramente contamos con toda a información dispoñible. Lamentablemente a maioría de lóxicas modais temporáis non permiten modelar este tipo de razoamento por defecto debido a que, típicamente, están definidas por medio de relacións de inferencia monótonas. Pola contra, as aproximacións non monótonas existentes son moi costosos e o seu tratamento do tempo non está ben tan delimitado nin estudiado como nas lóxicas modais. Temporal Equilibrium Logic (TEL) é a primeira aproximación non monótona que cubre totalmente a sintaxe dalgunha das lóxicas modais traidicionáis sen requerir o uso de máis construccións. TEL comparte a sintaxe de Lineartime Temporal Logic (LTL) (formalismo proposto por Arthur Prior e extendido posteriormente por Hans Kamp), que é considerada unha das lóxicas modais máis simples, utilizadas e coñecidas dentro da Teoría da Computación. Aínda que TEL xa fora definido previamente, moi poucas das súas propiedades eran coñecidas, dato que contrasta co vasto coñecemento de LTL existente no estado da arte. Nesta tese, estudiamos diferentes aspectos de TEL, unha novidosa combinación de lóxica modal temporal e un formalimo non monótono. A grandes rasgos, esta tese recolle un conxunto de resultados, tanto dende o punto de vista teórico como práctico, que constitúe un gran avance no relativo ó coñecemento sobre o formalismo TEL

Linear-Time Temporal Answer Set Programming

[Abstract]: In this survey, we present an overview on (Modal) Temporal Logic Programming in view of its application to Knowledge Representation and Declarative Problem Solving. The syntax of this extension of logic programs is the result of combining usual rules with temporal modal operators, as in Linear-time Temporal Logic (LTL). In the paper, we focus on the main recent results of the non-monotonic formalism called Temporal Equilibrium Logic (TEL) that is defined for the full syntax of LTL but involves a model selection criterion based on Equilibrium Logic, a well known logical characterization of Answer Set Programming (ASP). As a result, we obtain a proper extension of the stable models semantics for the general case of temporal formulas in the syntax of LTL. We recall the basic definitions for TEL and its monotonic basis, the temporal logic of Here-and-There (THT), and study the differences between finite and infinite trace length. We also provide further useful results, such as the translation into other formalisms like Quantified Equilibrium Logic and Second-order LTL, and some techniques for computing temporal stable models based on automata constructions. In the remainder of the paper, we focus on practical aspects, defining a syntactic fragment called (modal) temporal logic programs closer to ASP, and explaining how this has been exploited in the construction of the solver telingo, a temporal extension of the well-known ASP solver clingo that uses its incremental solving capabilities.Xunta de Galicia; ED431B 2019/03We are thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their thorough work and their useful suggestions that have helped to improve the paper. A special thanks goes to Mirosaw Truszczy´nski for his support in improving the quality of our paper. We are especially grateful to David Pearce, whose help and collaboration on Equilibrium Logic was the seed for a great part of the current paper. This work was partially supported by MICINN, Spain, grant PID2020-116201GB-I00, Xunta de Galicia, Spain (GPC ED431B 2019/03), R´egion Pays de la Loire, France, (projects EL4HC and etoiles montantes CTASP), European Union COST action CA-17124, and DFG grants SCHA 550/11 and 15, Germany