5.2 - STRIPS and Goal Stack Planning
Enroll to start learning
Youβve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Introduction to STRIPS
π Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Today, we are going to discuss STRIPS, which stands for Stanford Research Institute Problem Solver. Can anyone tell me what they think STRIPS might do?
Does it help in making decisions in AI?
Exactly! STRIPS provides a structured way to represent planning problems. It breaks actions into preconditions, an add list, and a delete list. Remember the acronym 'PAD'? It stands for Preconditions, Add, and Delete.
Can you give an example of how it works?
Sure! For instance, consider the action to move from location x to y. The precondition would be to be at x and that x is connected to y. After moving, you would add being at y to the add list and remove being at x from the delete list.
So it essentially tracks changes in states?
Exactly! STRIPS simplifies the reasoning about actions in a clear way. Letβs now summarize: STRIPS uses the 'PAD' structure to manage actions in AI planning.
Goal Stack Planning
π Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Now let's move to Goal Stack Planning. This method takes a top-down approach. What do you think that means?
Does it mean we start with the end goal and work backwards?
Exactly! We start with the goal on a stack. Can anyone outline the main steps of this process?
First, you pop the goal and check if it's satisfied?
Right! And if it isnβt satisfied, what do we do next?
We find an action that can achieve it and push its preconditions onto the stack?
Exactly! This repetitive process continues until all conditions are satisfied. Remember, one advantage of this approach is that it handles complex, multi-step problems efficiently. However, it does assume a deterministic environment.
So if something is uncertain, how does it handle that?
Good question! It becomes challenging because Goal Stack Planning relies on clear preconditions to work effectively. Let's summarize: Goal Stack Planning uses a backward-chaining method and is efficient but has its limitations when facing uncertainties.
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
The section covers STRIPS as a structured way to define planning actions via preconditions, add lists, and delete lists, alongside Goal Stack Planning as a backward-chaining method that organizes goals systematically. The advantages and limitations of each approach are also discussed.
Detailed
STRIPS and Goal Stack Planning
Overview
In artificial intelligence (AI), planning involves generating a sequence of actions to transition an agent from its starting point to a desired goal state. This section focuses on two key elements in AI planning: STRIPS and Goal Stack Planning.
STRIPS (Stanford Research Institute Problem Solver)
STRIPS is a formal language designed to represent planning problems succinctly. It decomposes actions into three main components:
- Preconditions: Conditions that must be satisfied before an action can be executed.
- Add List: The set of facts that become true as a result of executing the action.
- Delete List: Facts that become false when the action is performed.
For example, an action to move from location x to location y can be defined as:
- Action: Move(x, y)
- Preconditions: At(x) β§ Connected(x, y)
- Add: At(y)
- Delete: At(x)
This formal representation allows for better reasoning about the effects of actions on a logical level, making planning more efficient.
Goal Stack Planning
Goal Stack Planning is characterized by its top-down approach where the planning process starts with the goal and works backward to define how to achieve it. The steps involved include:
1. Placing the goal on a stack.
2. Popping the goal to check if it has been satisfied.
3. If unsatisfied, finding an action to achieve the goal, then pushing the preconditions onto the stack.
4. Repeating the process until all conditions are satisfied.
Advantages and Limitations
While Goal Stack Planning is effective for handling complex, multi-step problems and allows for the reuse of actions and subgoals, it has limitations:
- It may struggle in non-deterministic or uncertain environments, as it assumes a deterministic and fully observable world.
Understanding these two planning approaches is crucial when developing intelligent agents that can effectively navigate and make decisions in dynamic environments.
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
STRIPS Overview
Chapter 1 of 7
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
STRIPS is a formal language used to represent planning problems. It breaks down actions into:
β Preconditions: What must be true before the action.
β Add list: Facts made true by the action.
β Delete list: Facts made false by the action.
Detailed Explanation
STRIPS stands for Stanford Research Institute Problem Solver. It provides a structured way to describe actions in planning. Each action has a set of preconditions that must be true for the action to occur. For example, if an agent wants to move from one location to another, it needs to ensure it's currently at the starting location and that the locations are connected. The Add list specifies what new facts become true after the action, while the Delete list states which facts are no longer true after the action is performed.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a robot trying to deliver an item. The Preconditions would be that the robot is at the correct location and the desired location is reachable. The Add list would include the fact that the robot has now reached the desired location, while the Delete list would update the robot's previous location to show it is no longer there.
Example of an Action in STRIPS
Chapter 2 of 7
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Example: Move(x, y)
β Preconditions: At(x) β§ Connected(x, y)
β Add: At(y)
β Delete: At(x)
Detailed Explanation
In the example of the Move action, we have an agent trying to move from location x to location y. The Preconditions state that the agent must be at location x and that these two locations must be connected for the move to occur. After the action is executed, the Add list tells us that now the agent is at location y, while the Delete list indicates that the agent is no longer at location x.
Examples & Analogies
Think of driving a car. You can only drive from one location to another if you are already at the starting location and the roads are connected. Once you drive successfully, the Add list updates to show your new location, while the Delete list reflects that you are no longer at the starting point.
Simplification through STRIPS
Chapter 3 of 7
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
STRIPS simplifies planning into symbolic manipulation of logical statements, making it easier to reason about actions and outcomes.
Detailed Explanation
STRIPS assists in simplifying complex planning tasks by using a logical framework. Instead of dealing with the various details and states of the world, it abstracts the actions and their implications into symbolic representations. This makes reasoning about actions more straightforward, as planners can focus on the logical conditions of actions rather than the full complexity of the world.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a game like chess, where you can represent each possible move mathematically. By breaking down the moves into conditions and consequences (like capturing pieces or achieving checkmate), players can evaluate potential strategies more efficiently, much like STRIPS enables planners to assess actions.
Goal Stack Planning Overview
Chapter 4 of 7
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Goal Stack Planning is a top-down, backward-chaining approach that starts from the goal and works backward to the initial state.
Detailed Explanation
Goal Stack Planning is a strategy used in artificial intelligence to solve problems by starting from the desired goal and determining how to reach it. This backward-chaining method means that you first identify what you ultimately want to achieve. From there, you figure out the necessary actions by breaking them down into smaller subgoals, placing them on a stack to process them in order of priority.
Examples & Analogies
Consider planning a trip. You start with your ultimate goal, like arriving at a holiday destination. Working backward, you make a checklist of what needs to be done to make that happenβreserving flights, booking hotels, and packing. Each task can be thought of as a goal leading to the final destination.
Process of Goal Stack Planning
Chapter 5 of 7
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Process:
1. Place the goal on a stack.
2. Pop the goal and determine if it's satisfied.
3. If not, find an action that achieves it and push its preconditions.
4. Repeat until all conditions are satisfied.
Detailed Explanation
In Goal Stack Planning, the process begins by adding the desired goal onto a stack. The planner then 'pops' the goal to check if it is satisfied. If it is not satisfied, the planner identifies which action can achieve it, then pushes the necessary preconditions onto the stack. This process continues until every condition for reaching the goal is fulfilled.
Examples & Analogies
Think of it like a programmer troubleshooting code. They load the end goal of making the program work into their mind. Each time they encounter an issue, they 'pop' the problem, see what's needed to resolve it, and then push the necessary fixes back onto their list of tasks, continuing until the program runs smoothly.
Advantages of Goal Stack Planning
Chapter 6 of 7
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Advantages:
β Handles complex, multi-step problems.
β Reuses actions and subgoals.
Detailed Explanation
Goal Stack Planning has significant advantages, particularly its ability to manage complex problems that require multiple steps to solve. By breaking down large tasks into manageable actions and subgoals, this method allows planners to apply previously used solutions to new subgoals, increasing efficiency in planning.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine planning a group project in school. You could break down the final presentation into tasks grouped by topic. If someone already completed a similar project, they can reuse their strategies or steps to fulfill the new project's requirements, enhancing productivity.
Limitations of Goal Stack Planning
Chapter 7 of 7
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Limitations:
β Struggles with nondeterministic or uncertain environments.
β Assumes a deterministic, fully observable world.
Detailed Explanation
While Goal Stack Planning is powerful, it has limitations. It assumes that all factors affecting the planning process are known and that actions produce predictable results. In real-world scenarios where outcomes can be uncertain or where not all information is available, this approach may face challenges.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a weather forecasting system. If forecasters make predictions based only on clear data, they may struggle when unexpected weather changes occur, leading to inaccuracies. Similarly, Goal Stack Planning might fail if the environment is not fully known or if outcomes cannot be predicted with certainty.
Key Concepts
-
STRIPS: A structured way to represent planning problems using preconditions, add lists, and delete lists.
-
Goal Stack Planning: A backward-chaining approach to achieving goals by starting with the goal and working backward.
-
Preconditions: Conditions required to execute an action in the context of STRIPS.
-
Add List: Outcomes that become true after an action is taken in STRIPS.
-
Delete List: Facts that are negated when an action is performed in STRIPS.
Examples & Applications
An action to move from location x to location y can be structured in STRIPS as follows: Precondition: At(x) β§ Connected(x, y), Add: At(y), Delete: At(x).
Goal Stack Planning can be illustrated with a simplified task: If the goal is to 'make a sandwich,' the goal would be pushed onto the stack, then we would check what tasks need to be done (e.g., get bread, get filling) and push those tasks onto the stack.
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
To plan with STRIPS, remember the mix: Preconditions, Add, and Delete β that's the fix!
Stories
Imagine a chef who has a recipe (the goal) on her table. Each step to make the dish represents a precondition, the ingredients she adds when following the recipe form the add list, and the ingredients she removes from her counter form the delete list.
Memory Tools
PAD helps remember the structure of STRIPS: 'P' for Preconditions, 'A' for Add List, 'D' for Delete List.
Acronyms
GSP for Goal Stack Planning
for Goal
for Stack
for Push and Pop.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- STRIPS
A formal language used to represent planning problems in AI, breaking down actions into preconditions, add lists, and delete lists.
- Goal Stack Planning
A planning method that uses a top-down, backward-chaining approach to achieve goals by working from the goal to the initial state.
- Preconditions
Conditions that must be true before an action can be executed in STRIPS.
- Add List
The facts that become true as a result of executing a given action in STRIPS.
- Delete List
The facts that become false after executing an action in STRIPS.
Reference links
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.