•  240
    Bridging learning theory and dynamic epistemic logic
    Synthese 169 (2): 371-384. 2009.
    This paper discusses the possibility of modelling inductive inference (Gold 1967) in dynamic epistemic logic (see e.g. van Ditmarsch et al. 2007). The general purpose is to propose a semantic basis for designing a modal logic for learning in the limit. First, we analyze a variety of epistemological notions involved in identification in the limit and match it with traditional epistemic and doxastic logic approaches. Then, we provide a comparison of learning by erasing (Lange et al. 1996) and iter…Read more
  •  138
    Branching Quantification v. Two-way Quantification
    Journal of Semantics 26 (4): 329-366. 2009.
    Next SectionWe discuss the thesis formulated by Hintikka (1973) that certain natural language sentences require non-linear quantification to express their meaning. We investigate sentences with combinations of quantifiers similar to Hintikka's examples and propose a novel alternative reading expressible by linear formulae. This interpretation is based on linguistic and logical observations. We report on our experiments showing that people tend to interpret sentences similar to Hintikka sentence …Read more
  •  80
    Hintikka's thesis revisited
    Bulletin of Symbolic Logic 13 273. 2007.
    We discuss Hintikka’s Thesis [Hintikka 1973] that there exist natural language sentences which require non–linear quantification to express their logical form.
  •  74
    An Analytic Tableaux Model for Deductive Mastermind Empirically Tested with a Massively Used Online Learning System
    with Han L. J. van der Maas and Maartje E. J. Raijmakers
    Journal of Logic, Language and Information 22 (3): 297-314. 2013.
    The paper is concerned with the psychological relevance of a logical model for deductive reasoning. We propose a new way to analyze logical reasoning in a deductive version of the Mastermind game implemented within a popular Dutch online educational learning system (Math Garden). Our main goal is to derive predictions about the difficulty of Deductive Mastermind tasks. By means of a logical analysis we derive the number of steps needed for solving these tasks (a proxy for working memory load). O…Read more
  •  60
    We study a generalization of the Muddy Children puzzle by allowing public announcements with arbitrary generalized quantifiers. We propose a new concise logical modeling of the puzzle based on the number triangle representation of quantifiers. Our general aim is to discuss the possibility of epistemic modeling that is cut for specific informational dynamics. Moreover, we show that the puzzle is solvable for any number of agents if and only if the quantifier in the announcement is positively acti…Read more
  •  49
    The paper presents two case studies of multi-agent information exchange involving generalized quantifiers. We focus on scenarios in which agents successfully converge to knowledge on the basis of the information about the knowledge of others, so-called Muddy Children puzzle and Top Hat puzzle. We investigate the relationship between certain invariance properties of quantifiers and the successful convergence to knowledge in such situations. We generalize the scenarios to account for public announce…Read more
  •  36
    Finite identification from the viewpoint of epistemic update
    with Cédric Dégremont
    Information And Computation 209 (3): 383-396. 2011.
    Formal learning theory constitutes an attempt to describe and explain the phenomenon of learning, in particular of language acquisition. The considerations in this domain are also applicable in philosophy of science, where it can be interpreted as a description of the process of scientific inquiry. The theory focuses on various properties of the process of hypothesis change over time. Treating conjectures as informational states, we link the process of conjecture-change to epistemic update. We r…Read more
  •  33
    Truth-Tracking by Belief Revision
    Studia Logica 107 (5): 917-947. 2019.
    We study the learning power of iterated belief revision methods. Successful learning is understood as convergence to correct, i.e., true, beliefs. We focus on the issue of universality: whether or not a particular belief revision method is able to learn everything that in principle is learnable. We provide a general framework for interpreting belief revision policies as learning methods. We focus on three popular cases: conditioning, lexicographic revision, and minimal revision. Our main result …Read more
  •  15
    Interactive Semantic Alignment Model: Social Influence and Local Transmission Bottleneck
    Journal of Logic, Language and Information 27 (3): 225-253. 2018.
    We provide a computational model of semantic alignment among communicating agents constrained by social and cognitive pressures. We use our model to analyze the effects of social stratification and a local transmission bottleneck on the coordination of meaning in isolated dyads. The analysis suggests that the traditional approach to learning—understood as inferring prescribed meaning from observations—can be viewed as a special case of semantic alignment, manifesting itself in the behaviour of s…Read more
  •  14
    Branching Quantification v. Two-way Quantification: Articles
    Journal of Semantics 26 (4): 367-392. 2009.
    We discuss the thesis formulated by Hintikka that certain natural language sentences require non-linear quantification to express their meaning. We investigate sentences with combinations of quantifiers similar to Hintikka's examples and propose a novel alternative reading expressible by linear formulae. This interpretation is based on linguistic and logical observations. We report on our experiments showing that people tend to interpret sentences similar to Hintikka sentence in a way consistent…Read more
  •  7
    Natural languages vary in their quantity expressions, but the variation seems to be constrained by general properties, so-calleduniversals. Their explanations have been sought among constraints of human cognition, communication, complexity, and pragmatics. In this article, we apply a state-of-the-art language coordination model to the semantic domain of quantities to examine whether two quantity universals—monotonicity and convexity—arise as a result of coordination. Assuming precise number perc…Read more