Information processing, rational beliefs and social interaction (10w2133)

The Banff International Research Station will host the "Information processing, rational beliefs and social interaction" workshop from August 27 to 29, 2010.

The study of the mathematical aspects of belief formation, information processing and rational belief change is of central importance in a number of different fields. The most important question in Game Theory is how to rationally form a belief about other players' behavior and how to rationally revise those beliefs in light of observed actions. A new branch of logic, called Dynamic Epistemic Logic, has emerged that investigates the foundations of game theory from the point of view of formal logic. Another, related, new field of research, called Social Software, maintains that mathematical models developed to reason about the knowledge and beliefs of a group of agents can be used to deepen our understanding of social interaction and aid in the design of successful social institutions. This five-day workshop will bring together researchers in three broad areas: philosophy and formal logic, computer science and artificial intelligence, economics and game theory. It will provide
them with a unique opportunity for the dissemination of ideas and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACYT).