Thursday, 19 November 2020
Johann van Benthem (University of Amsterdam, Stanford, Tsinghua)
Zoom Levels at the Interface of Logic and Games
Abstract: Logic and games meet in many ways. Logic can be used to analyze games, games can also be used to analyze logic, logic can help design new games, and so on. After presenting a whirlwind overview, we will discuss just one pervasive thread across the current landscape: viz. the existence of different natural “zoom levels” in looking at game structure, linked to different notions of structural invariance between games. Our first example is Backward Induction: once in terms of a fine-grained fixed-point logic of computation, and next, in terms of a coarse-grained deontic logic of “best action”. Our second example is strategic action in games of imperfect information, first in terms of rich dynamic-epistemic logics of agency, and then in terms of global logics reasoning in terms of powers and dependence. We conclude by highlighting the importance of zoom levels in logic generally, as a way of seeing coherence, despite the growing diversity in logical systems.
The meeting will be held online, using Webex. The link to participate will be released soon.