CBR with Commonsense Reasoning and Structure Mapping: An Application to Mediation

Abstract

Abstract. Mediation is an important method in dispute resolution. We implement a case based reasoning approach to mediation integrating analogical and commonsense reasoning components that allow an artificial mediation agent to satisfy requirements expected from a human mediator, in particular: utilizing experience with cases in different domains; and structurally transforming the set of issues for a better solution. We utilize a case structure based on ontologies reflecting the perceptions of the parties in dispute. The analogical reasoning component, employing the Structure Mapping Theory from psychology, provides a flexibility to respond innovatively in unusual circumstances, in contrast with conventional approaches confined into specialized problem domains. We aim to build a mediation case base incorporating real world instances ranging from interpersonal or intergroup disputes to international conflicts.

A Survey of Artificial Intelligence Research at IIIA

“…We have played a key international role in the definition and development of mathematical fuzzy logic and we have obtained important results in the following topics: (1) General and deep results for completeness of fuzzy logics either propositional or first order with respect to different semantics (real, hyper‐real, rational, and finite) that cover and significantly extend previous results in the field. Our results have been possible as a consequence of a fruitful collaboration with researchers from different leading institutions on the topic; (2) Formalization of t‐normbased logics dealing with partial degrees of truth, with algebraic semantics, and axiomatization and completeness results, both for propositional and first‐order languages (Esteva, Godo, and Noguera 2009; Cintula et al 2009), which have high applicability in modeling graded notions (Casali, Godo, and Sierra 2011); (3) Development of different systems of fuzzy modal logic (Bou et al 2011), with applications to reasoning under different forms to uncertainty on non‐Boolean algebras of events (Flaminio, Godo, and Marchioni 2013); and (4) Development of a new hierarchy of fuzzy description logics, along with new complexity results based on results of mathematical fuzzy logic (Cerami, Garcia‐Cerdaña, and Esteva 2014).…”

“…The analogical reasoning component employs the structure mapping engine (Falkenhainer, Forbus, and Gentner 1989) that allows computing similarities between semantically different, but structurally similar, cases from different domains represented by means of semantic networks. We have successfully applied this approach to the automatic mediation of disputes in conflict resolution applications (Baydin et al 2011).…”

“…Norms, as declarations of permissions, prohibitions, and obligations, may be used to achieve intended behavior of autonomous agents, with the advantage of using logic to reason about compliance and enforcement of conventions in multiagent systems, both at design and at run time. IIIA has contributed formalisms and tools for norm synthesis (Morales et al 2013), norm and convention emergence (Garcia‐Camino et al 2009), and norm‐based programming (Villatoro, Sabater‐Mir, and Sen 2011).…”