Conflict Resolution by Random Estimated Costs

Conflict resolution is an important part of many intelligent systems such as production systems, planning tools and cognitive architectures. For example, the ACT–R cognitive architectire [Anderson and Lebiere, 1998] uses a powerful conflict resolution theory that allowed for modelling many characteristics of human decision making. The results of more recent works, however, pointed to the need of revisiting the conflict resolution theory of ACT–R to incorporate more dynamics. In the proposed theory the conflict is resolved using the estimates of the expected costs of production rules. The method has been implemented as a stand alone search program as well as an add–on to the ACT–R architecture replacing the standard mechanism. The method expresses more dynamic and adaptive behaviour. The performance of the algorithm shows that it can be successfully used as a search and optimisation technique. keywods: conflict resolution, decision making, search, optimisation, rule–based systems, cognitive modelling.