Synthese (2008) 165:179–202
Knowledge, Rationality & Action 143–166
DOI 10.1007/s11229-008-9369-8
Probabilistic dynamic belief revision
Alexandru Baltag · Sonja Smets
Received: 14 January 2008 / Accepted: 8 July 2008 / Published online: 8 October 2008
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008
Abstract We investigate the discrete (finite) case of the Popper–Renyi theory of
conditional probability, introducing discrete conditional probabilistic models for
knowledge and conditional belief, and comparing them with the more standard plau-
sibility models. We also consider a related notion, that of safe belief, which is a weak
(non-negatively introspective) type of “knowledge”. We develop a probabilistic version
of this concept (“degree of safety”) and we analyze its role in games. We completely
axiomatize the logic of conditional belief, knowledge and safe belief over conditional
probabilistic models. We develop a theory of probabilistic dynamic belief revision,
introducing probabilistic “action models” and proposing a notion of probabilistic
update product, that comes together with appropriate reduction laws.
Keywords Belief revision · Conditional belief · Dynamic-epistemic logic ·
Popper functions
A. Baltag
Oxford University Computing Laboratory, University of Oxford,
Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
e-mail: alexandru.baltag@comlab.ox.ac.uk
A. Baltag
GPI, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
S. Smets (B )
Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science, Vrije Universiteit Brussel,
Brussels, Belgium
e-mail: sonsmets@vub.ac.be
S. Smets
IEG, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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