Argumentation schemes for collaborative planning

Postprin

Analysis of Dialogical Argumentation via Finite State Machines

Dialogical argumentation is an important cognitive activity by which agents exchange arguments and counterarguments as part of some process such as discussion, debate, persuasion and negotiation. Whilst numerous formal systems have been proposed, there is a lack of frameworks for implementing and evaluating these proposals. First-order executable logic has been proposed as a general framework for specifying and analysing dialogical argumentation. In this paper, we investigate how we can implement systems for dialogical argumentation using propositional executable logic. Our approach is to present and evaluate an algorithm that generates a finite state machine that reflects a propositional executable logic specification for a dialogical argumentation together with an initial state. We also consider how the finite state machines can be analysed, with the minimax strategy being used as an illustration of the kinds of empirical analysis that can be undertaken.Comment: 10 page

High speed electrodeposition using fluidised beds

The relevant literature, relating to electrochemical cells, mass transfer, fluidised beds and mass transfer in fluidised beds, has been reviewed. Extensive experimental data for the cathodic reduction of copper fron acid CuSO4 electrolytes, in fluidised beds of copper powder, demonstrated the effectiveness of the cell at removing copper from the electrolytes. For a given bed weight the cell only acted efficiently below 25% bed expansion. Above this the operation of the cell changed to that of acting as a turbulent promoter for the feeder electrode. Two modes of cell operation were investigated. The electrolyte flow was either parallel or perpendicular to current flow. Of the two, electrolyte flow perpendicular to current flow was more effective overall, as it was more amenable to scale-up of the cell. When electrolyte flow and current flow were parallel particles in the bed had to be within a radius of one centimetre for the cell to act efficiently Potential. gradients within the bed caused many problems and prevented limiting currents from being observed because of secondary reactions increasing the total current from the bed. Preferential polarization. of the bed during potentiodynamic sweeps of the cathode caused reactions-to occur at low 'apparent' overvoltages. This was more noticeable in concentrated electrolytes or when larger beds were used

Arguing and negotiating in the presence of social influences

Postprin

Pricing Options with Portfolio-based Option Trading Agents in Direct Double Auction

Options constitute integral part of modern financial trades, and are priced according to the risk associated with buying or selling certain asset in future. Financial literature mostly concentrates on risk-neutral methods of pricing options such as Black- Scholes model. However, using trading agents with utility function to determine the option’s potential payoff is an emerging field in option pricing theory. In this paper, we use one of such methodologies developed by Othman and Sandholm to design portfolioholding agents that are endowed with popular option portfolios such as bullish spread, bearish spread, butterfly spread, straddle, etc to price options. Agents use their portfolios to evaluate how buying or selling certain option would change their current payoff structure. We also develop a multi-unit direct double auction which preserves the atomicity of orders at the expense of budget balance. Agents are simulated in this mechanism and the emerging prices are compared to risk-neutral prices under different market conditions. Through an appropriate allocation of option portfolios to trading agents, we can simulate market conditions where the population of agents are bearish, bullish, neutral or non-neutral in their beliefs