Argumentation framework for merging stratified belief bases

Abstract

This paper introduces a new approach for belief merging by using argumentation technique. The key idea is to organize each belief merging process as a game in which participating agents use argumentation technique to debate on their own belief bases to achieve consensus i.e. a common belief base. To this end, we introduce a framework for merging belief by argumentation in which an argumentation-based belief merging protocol is proposed and a set of intuitive and rational postulates to characterize the merging results is introduced. Several logical properties of the family of argumentation-based belief merging operators are also pointed out and discussed.