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Reviewer: Mirjana K. Ivanović

New ideas in the theory and implementation of dynamical systems models are covered in this book. The author presents situation calculus (a dialect of first-order logic), extended by many features for dynamical system modeling, such as time, processes, concurrency, exogenous events, reactivity, sensing and knowledge, probabilistic uncertainty, and decision theory. The author presents both theoretical and representational foundations and necessary implementation. The topics covered play important roles in various fields of computer science, including artificial intelligence, decision and control theory, software agents, simulation, robotics, animation, and databases. The book is interesting for graduate students and researchers who specify and implement systems that evolve over time. Although a solid grounding in computer science is a prerequisite, it could also be useful for ambitious students who want to learn more about the design of autonomous dynamical systems. The material is divided into 13 chapters and three appendices. Each chapter begins with a short introduction giving an outline, and finishes with appropriate exercises and bibliographic notes. At the end of the book, there is an impressive list of references. A rather short but sufficient index is also supplied. In the first four chapters, basic notions and elements of first-order logic, second-order logic, and situation calculus are introduced. Chapter 5 presents a method for implementation of basic theories. For that purpose, the well-known programming language Prolog is used. In chapter 6, Golog, a novel programming language for modeling complex behaviors, is introduced and used for complex actions and procedures. Chapter 7 is devoted to the extension of situation calculus ontology and axiomatization that is necessary for real actions that evolve fundamental properties: time, concurrency, and processes. Reactive behavior and interaction with the environment are very important features in dynamical systems. To accommodate exogenous actions and reactivity, Golog is extended, and its full power is explained in chapter 8. Chapter 9 covers progression operation, and offers some important examples that lead to interesting connections between progression and planning mechanisms in artificial intelligence. This chapter also explains the relationship between STRIPS and situation calculus. The next chapter is devoted to the design and implementation of some situation calculus planning systems, including a simple breadth-first planner, planning with concurrent actions, a multi-handed block world agent, and open world planning. In chapter 11, situation calculus is further extended to accommodate knowledge-reducing actions and their effects on an agent’s mental state. Several interesting examples are given that could be useful in intelligent agents and softbots applications. Chapter 12 presents one way of mixing logic and probability theory for the purpose of modeling dynamical systems. Using interesting examples, the author shows that t he purely logical approach to modeling dynamical systems can be seamlessly integrated with the numerical and state-based paradigms of probability and decision theory. The final chapter provides some conclusions, addresses what has and has not been achieved in the book, and offers some possibilities for further work in this field. The appendices provide some useful first-order inference rules, the qualification and ramification problems, and information on downloading all the programs mentioned in the book. Throughout the book, there are interesting examples that emphasize implementation. The author made good choice in selecting Prolog as the programming language for implementation. Prolog is very logical, and thus the code is elegant and quite compact. Physically and technically, the book is perfectly prepared and printed. However, in spite of the numerous examples, the book will not be easy to follow for inexperienced readers. This outstanding book belongs in the library of anyone concerned with formalization, specification, and implementation of dynamical systems. Online Computing Reviews Service