Time-Dependent Utility and Action Under Uncertainty
Eric Horvitz and Geoffrey Rutledge
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Abstract:
We discuss representing and reasoning with knowledge about
the time-dependent utility of an agent's actions.
Time-dependent utility plays a crucial role in the
interaction between computation and
action under bounded resources. We present a semantics for
time-dependent utility and describe the use of
time-dependent information in decision contexts. We
illustrate our discussion with examples of
time-pressured reasoning in Protos, a system constructed to
explore the ideal control of inference by
reasoners that have limited abilities.
Keywords: Time-critical decisions, rationality, bounded
resources, bounded optimality, decision theory,
real-time reasoning.
In: Proceedings of the Seventh Conference
on Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence, Los Angeles, CA, pages
151-158. Morgan Kaufmann, San Mateo, CA, July 1991. Also Stanford
CS Technical Report KSL-91-33.
Author Email:
horvitz@microsoft.com