Cooperative Resolution of Over-Constrained Information Requests

In this paper, we present a constraint-based model of cooperative agents for information systems dialogues, with an emphasis on how the agents detect and resolve situations in which the user's information needs have been over-constrained. The constraint-based model of the information agents integrates and extends the AI techniques of constraint satisfaction, solution synthesis and constraint hierarchy, providing an incremental computational mechanism for constructing and maintaining partial parallel solutions. Such a mechanism supports immediate detection of over-constrained situations. In addition, we explore using the knowledge in the solution synthesis network to support different relaxation strategies to support cooperative dialogue behaviors.