Forgetting in the ASPIC+ framework

Abstract

In computational argumentation, removing irrelevant information from an argumentation framework can reduce its complexity, enabling more efficient reasoning without altering the core structure of the argumentation. Forgetting, as a formalism, examines the effects of removing elements from frameworks. Although it has been extensively explored in classical logic and abstract argumentation, its application to structured argumentation frameworks has only recently gained attention.

This thesis investigates the process of forgetting in ASPIC+, a structured argumentation framework. We define the desired behaviour for forgetting information in ASPIC+, drawing from both practical considerations and existing research on forgetting in other frameworks. Furthermore, we introduce two forgetting operators, one of which preserves the frameworks structure after the removal of an element. By establishing desiderata and demonstrating the properties of these operators within ASPIC+, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of dynamic processes in structured argumentation.