We introduce a general framework for constraint satisfaction and optimization where classical CSPs, fuzzy CSPs, weighted CSPs, partial constraint satisfaction, and others can be easily cast. The framework is based on a semiring structure, where the set of the semiring specifies the values to be associated with each tuple of values of the variable domain, and the two semiring operations (1 and 3) model constraint projection and combination respectively. Local consistency algorithms, as usually used for classical CSPs, can be exploited in this general framework as well, provided that certain conditions on the semiring operations are satisfied. We then show how this framework can be used to model both old and new constraint solving and optimization schemes, thus allowing one to both formally justify many informally taken choices in existing schemes, and to prove that local consistency techniques can be used also in newly defined schemes.

Of all scientific investigations into reasoning with uncertainty and chance, probability theory is perhaps the best understood paradigm. Nevertheless, all studies conducted thus far into the semantics of quantitative logic programming (cf. van Emden [51], Fitting [18, 19, 20], Blair and Subrahmanian [5, 6, 49, 50], Kifer et al [29, 30, 31]) have restricted themselves to non-probabilistic semantical characterizations. In this paper, we take a few steps towards rectifying this situation. We define a logic programming language that is syntactically similar to the annotated logics of [5, 6], but in which the truth values are interpreted probabilistically. A probabilistic model theory and fixpoint theory is developed for such programs. This probabilistic model theory satisfies the requirements proposed by Fenstad [16] for a function to be called probabilistic. The logical treatment of probabilities is complicated by two facts: first, that the connectives cannot be interpreted truth function...

Fundamental and advanced developments in neuro-fuzzy synergisms for modeling and control are reviewed. The essential part of neuro-fuzzy synergisms comes from a common framework called adaptive networks, which unifies both neural networks and fuzzy models. The fuzzy models under the framework of adaptive networks is called ANFIS (Adaptive-Network-based Fuzzy Inference System), which possess certain advantages over neural networks. We introduce the design methods for ANFIS in both modeling and control applications. Current problems and future directions for neuro-fuzzy approaches are also addressed.

There are essential differences between multimedia databases (which may contain complicated objects, such as images), and traditional databases. These differences lead to interesting new issues, and in particular cause us to consider new types of queries. For example, in a multimedia database it is reasonable and natural to ask for images that are somehow "similar to" some fixed image. Furthermore, there are different ways of obtaining and accessing information in a multimedia database than information in a traditional database. For example, in a multimedia database, it might be reasonable to have a query that asks for, say, the top 10 images that are similar to a fixed image. This is in contrast to a relational database, where the answer to a query is simply a set. (Of course, in a relational database, the result to a query may be sorted in some way for convenience in presentation, such as sorting department members by salary, but logically speaking, the result is still simply a set, ...

This paper addresses the problem of evaluating ranked top- queries with expensive predicates. As major DBMSs now all support expensive user-defined predicates for Boolean queries, we believe such support for ranked queries will be even more important: First, ranked queries often need to model user-specific concepts of preference, relevance, or similarity, which call for dynamic user-defined functions. Second, middleware systems must incorporate external predicates for integrating autonomous sources typically accessible only by per-object queries. Third, fuzzy joins are inherently expensive, as they are essentially user-defined operations that dynamically associate multiple relations. These predicates, being dynamically defined or externally accessed, cannot rely on index mechanisms to provide zero-time sorted output, and must instead require per-object probe to evaluate. The current standard sort-merge framework for ranked queries cannot efficiently handle such predicates because it must completely probe all objects, before sorting and merging them to produce top- answers. To minimize expensive probes, we thus develop the formal principle of "necessary probes," which determines if a probe is absolutely required. We then propose Algorithm MPro which, by implementing the principle, is provably optimal with minimal probe cost. Further, we show that MPro can scale well and can be easily parallelized. Our experiments using both a real-estate benchmark database and synthetic datasets show that MPro enables significant probe reduction, which can be orders of magnitude faster than the standard scheme using complete probing.

Intelligent agents embedded in a dynamic, uncertain environment should incorporate capabilities for both planned and reactive behavior. Many current solutions to this dual need focus on one aspect, and treat the other one as secondary. We propose an approach for integrating planning and control based on behavior schemas, which link physical movements to abstract action descriptions. Behavior schemas describe behaviors of an agent, expressed as trajectories of control actions in an environment, and goals can be defined as predicates on these trajectories. Goals and behaviors can be combined to produce conjoint goals and complex controls. The ability of multivalued logics to represent graded preferences allows us to formulate tradeoffs in the combination. Two composition theorems relate complex controls to complex goals, and provide the key to using standard knowledge-based deliberation techniques to generate complex controllers. We report experiments in planning and execution on a mobi...

nd (universal child.Human 7 . is given in terms of an the domain (a non-empty set) an interpretation function that maps: (class) a (property) a an element of Interpretation extended to concept expressions: = = = = = \ = {x = {x 8 and . mapping to FOL: introduce unary an atomic binary a . Translate follows x) = x) = false t(A, x) ## A(x) x) = x) x) ## x) t(C, x) = t(#R.C, x) = y) t(#R.C, x) = 9 Knowledge . DL Knowledge Base is a A#, a TBox containing general inclusion axioms of the ("concept C"), i# definitions are of the (equiv A) concept definitions are of the Sometimes, a TBox can contain primitive and concept definitions only, where no atom can be defined more than once and no recursion is allowed complexity changes dramatically a ABox containing assertions of the

Logic programming provides a model for rule-based reasoning in expert systems. The advantage of this formal model is that it makes available many results from the semantics and proof theory of rst-order predicate logic.

Abstract—The aim of this paper is to model the processes of the aggregation of weighted information in a linguistic framework. Three aggregation operators of weighted linguistic information are presented: linguistic weighted disjunction (LWD) operator, linguistic weighted conjunction (LWC) operator, and linguistic weighted averaging (LWA) operator. A study of their axiomatics is presented to demonstrate their rational aggregation. Index Terms — Aggregation operators, fuzzy linguistic quantifier, linguistic modeling. I.

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