Common knowledge revisited

摘要

The TARK series of conferences was started in 1986, to explore formal models of of knowledge and common knowledge as they arise in a number of disciplines, such as computer science (including artificial intelligence and distributed systems), economics and game theory, philosophy, and others. The conferences soon evolved to cover other topics in formal modeling of common interest to the various disciplines. This broad charter motivated the recent change in name of the conference and its parent not-for-profit corporation, from theoretical aspects of reasoning about knowledge to theoretical aspects of rationality and knowledge. >The TARK conferences have consistently proven to be most stimulating, due to their high quality and unique interdisciplionary nature. TARK VI promises to be no exception. As in the past, the program committee applied high standards of quality and interdisciplionary relevance in the selection process. The result is that sixteen papers were selected out of ninetyone submissions, many of them organized thematically. Of particular note are the special sessions on knowledge-based programs (that is, high-level programs that can invoke tests of the sort "If you know Φ then do Ia/I"), the impact of having less-than-perfect memory, belief change (which, this year, attracted the largest number of submissions to TARK), and revisiting the paradox of common knowledge (early seminal results proved the impossiblity of achieving common knowledge, and yet the sky hasn''t fallen; either the theory or the sky need fixing). >Important ingredients in the TARK conferences have been the opportunity for informal interaction, and the invited talks (many of which are not captured in a proceedings paper). In TARK VI we are fortunate to have seven outstanding invited speakers - Christos Papadimitriou (computer science), Judea Pearl (artificial intelligence), Ariel Rubinstein (economics and game theory), Frank Veltman (logic), Peter Ggrdenfors (cognitive science), Ehud Kalai (economics and game theory), and Ghran Sundholm (philosophy). And so, if you find yourself enjoying these proceedings and were not at the conference, imagine how much more you''d have enjoyed the real thing and join us in future TARKs; after all, it''s only rational.