In this paper we present mental state abduction, a technique for inferring the mental states (beliefs, goals) of BDI-based agents from observations of their actions. Abduced mental states are considered to be explanations of observed behavior, which is assumed to be part of a (goal-directed) plan. The observer, who attempts to explain an agent's behavior, is assumed to know all of the agent's behavioral rules that can account for observed actions. Three explanatory strategies are introduced, based on different presumptions regarding perceptory conditions.
Michal P. Sindlar, Mehdi Dastani, Frank Dignum, Jo