Ensuring Logic in the Fog: Sound POMDP Synthesis with LTL Objectives
Ensuring Logic in the Fog: Sound POMDP Synthesis with LTL Objectives
Can Zhou, Yulong Gao, Pian Yu
Proceedings of the Thirty-Fifth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence
Main Track. Pages 4097-4105.
https://doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2026/456
Synthesising autonomous agents that can navigate uncertain environments while adhering to complex temporal constraints remains a fundamental challenge. While Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) provides a rigorous language for specifying such tasks, the inherent undecidability of qualitatively verifying LTL satisfaction in partially observable Markov decision processes renders quantitative synthesis difficult, especially when designing reliable reward signals for approximate solvers. In this paper, we bridge this gap with a novel, sound reward-shaping mechanism that dynamically generates belief-dependent rewards grounded in certified LTL satisfaction. By integrating this mechanism into an enhanced Monte Carlo Planning framework, we empower agents to navigate the `fog' of partial observability with a search process focused on maximising verifiable success. Our experiments demonstrate that this approach not only thrives in scenarios where existing solvers fail but also maintains effectiveness and scalability across diverse benchmark domains.
Keywords:
Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Reasoning about actions
Planning and Scheduling: Planning under uncertainty
Planning and Scheduling: Planning with Incomplete Information
Planning and Scheduling: POMDPs
Uncertainty in AI: Sequential decision making
