Item

Abstract

In a mixed-initiative dialogue between multiple interlocutors, the ability to
construct, to maintain, and to exploit an explicit model of the dialogue
partners' beliefs, goals, and plans is indispensable. An {\em agent model\/} is
required for identifying the objects which the dialogue partner is talking
about, for planning the appropriate dialogue contributions towards achieving
the own goals, and for determining the effects of planned dialogue
contributions on the dialogue partner. If we assume that we have no access to
existing models of the dialogue partners, then we have to solve the problem of
constructing the initial agent model at the beginning of the dialogue. The
approach I propose here is in line with the {\em modal logic approach\/} to
agent and stereotype modeling of Allgayer, Ohlbach, and Reddig (1992). The
basic idea is to enhance a decidable fragment of first-order logic with modal
operators modeling the notions of belief, knowledge, and desire. To provide
reasoning capabilities we follow
the translation approach of Nonnengart (1992). This amounts to manipulating
modal logic formulas by a certain set of transformation rules so that
classical, i.e.\ first-order, proof methods can be applied.