Reasoning about Knowledge: A Response by the Authors RONALD FAGIN IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120-6099, U.S.A. ([email protected]) JOSEPH Y. HALPERN Department of Computer Science, Cornell University, 4144 Upson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A. ([email protected]) YORAM MOSES Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel ([email protected]) MOSHE Y. VARDI Department of Computer Science, Rice University, 6100 S. Main Street, Houston, TX 77005-1892, U.S.A. ([email protected]) We thank Henry Kyburg for his detailed and scholarly review of our book, and the many complimentary remarks. While we do not agree with all the points he raised, he has already mentioned many of the points of disagreement in his review; there seems little point in discussing these issues further. There is, however, one addition point that we’d like to make. In our opinion, the review gives a somewhat misleading impression of the focus of the book. A considerable part of the review is devoted to matters of terminology (e.g., ‘material implication’ vs. ‘conditionals’) and the issue of logical omniscience. While we do not mean to downplay the terminological issues, and we certainly feel that logical omniscience is an important topic, most of the specific issues that Kyburg discusses concern (relatively few pages of) one of the eleven chapters in the book. We feel that the main contribution of the book is a concrete framework for knowledge in multi-agent systems, which is applicable to a number of fields such as distributed systems, AI, and economics, and which should also be of interest to philosophers and linguists. The framework should ultimately be judged both on its scientific appeal and its applicability. We hope that this point will not get lost amidst secondary concerns. Minds and Machines 7: 113, 1997. c 1997 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

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Reasoning about Knowledge:A Response by the Authors

RONALD FAGINIBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120-6099, U.S.A.([email protected])

JOSEPH Y. HALPERNDepartment of Computer Science, Cornell University, 4144 Upson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A.([email protected])

YORAM MOSESWeizmann Institute of Science, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, 76100Rehovot, Israel ([email protected])

MOSHE Y. VARDIDepartment of Computer Science, Rice University, 6100 S. Main Street, Houston, TX 77005-1892,U.S.A. ([email protected])

We thank Henry Kyburg for his detailed and scholarly review of our book, and themany complimentary remarks. While we do not agree with all the points he raised,he has already mentioned many of the points of disagreement in his review; thereseems little point in discussing these issues further.

There is, however, one addition point that we’d like to make. In our opinion,the review gives a somewhat misleading impression of the focus of the book. Aconsiderable part of the review is devoted to matters of terminology (e.g., ‘materialimplication’ vs. ‘conditionals’) and the issue of logical omniscience. While wedo not mean to downplay the terminological issues, and we certainly feel thatlogical omniscience is an important topic, most of the specific issues that Kyburgdiscusses concern (relatively few pages of) one of the eleven chapters in thebook. We feel that the main contribution of the book is a concrete framework forknowledge in multi-agent systems, which is applicable to a number of fields suchas distributed systems, AI, and economics, and which should also be of interestto philosophers and linguists. The framework should ultimately be judged both onits scientific appeal and its applicability. We hope that this point will not get lostamidst secondary concerns.

Minds and Machines 7: 113, 1997.c 1997 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

code JS; PIPS: No.: 134506 MATHKAP

134506 mind226a.tex; 23/05/1997; 14:58; v.7; p.1