Logical Theory of Nonmonotonic Inference and Belief Change

From the reviews: "This text provides a broad overview of topics related to non-classical consequence operators, nonmonotonic inference and belief change. The presentation is abstract and precise, and is grounded in a formal setting of logic." (Miroslav Truszezynski, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2002 b) "The author does not merely present a digest of work that has already entered the mainstream. He gives the subject an individual shape based on concepts that he has himself developed in a series of recent papers. ... In brief, the book is based on a novel and coherent vision, developed according to a definite overall plan to yield non-trivial results ... ." (David Makinson, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 977, 2002)

• 1 Introduction.- 2 Consequence Relations.- 3 Epistemic States.- 4 Similarity and Decomposition.- 5 Epistemic Entrenchment.- 6 The Basic Inference Relation.- 7 Skeptical Inference Relations.- 8 Defeasible Entailment.- 9 Credulous Nonmonotonic Inference.- 10 Contraction Inference.- 11 Belief Change and Its Problems.- 12 Contractions of Epistemic States.- 13 Merge and Expansion.- 14 Compound and Derived Changes.- References.