Tractable approximate knowledge fusion using the Horn fragment of serial propositional dynamic logic Original Research Article

In this paper we investigate a technique for fusing approximate knowledge obtained from distributed, heterogeneous information sources. This issue is substantial, e.g., in modeling multiagent systems, where a group of loosely coupled heterogeneous agents cooperate in achieving a common goal. Information exchange, leading ultimately to knowledge fusion, is a natural and vital ingredient of this process. We use a generalization of rough sets and relations , which depends on allowing arbitrary similarity relations. The starting point of this research is , where a framework for knowledge fusion in multiagent systems is introduced. Agents’ individual perceptual capabilities are represented by similarity relations, further aggregated to express joint capabilities of teams. This aggregation, expressing a shift from individual to social level of agents’ activity, has been formalized by means of dynamic logic. The approach of Doherty et al. (2007) uses the full propositional dynamic logic, which does not guarantee tractability of reasoning. Our idea is to adapt the techniques of Nguyen to provide an engine for tractable approximate database querying restricted to a Horn fragment of serial dynamic logic. We also show that the obtained formalism is quite powerful in applications.