On Angels and Demons: Strategic (De)Construction of Dynamic Models

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Authors: Davide Catta, Rustam Galimullin, Munyque Mittelmann
Cited by: 0

Abstract

In recent years, there has been growing interest in logics that formalise strategic reasoning about agents capable of modifying the structure of a given model. This line of research has been motivated by applications where a modelled system evolves over time, such as communication networks, security protocols, and multi-agent planning. In this paper, we introduce three logics for reasoning about strategies that modify the topology of weighted graphs. In Strategic Deconstruction Logic, a destructive agent (the demon) removes edges up to a certain cost. In Strategic Construction Logic, a constructive agent (the angel) adds edges within a cost bound. Finally, Strategic Update Logic combines both agents, who may cooperate or compete. We study the expressive power of these logics and the complexity of their model checking problems.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Logic Reasoning and Knowledge Multi-Agent Systems and Negotiation Formal Methods in Verification

Publication details

Journal / source
arXiv (Cornell University)
Publication date
12 January 2026
Document type
Preprint