ConArg: a Tool to Solve (Weighted) Abstract Argumentation Frameworks with (Soft) Constraints

ConArg is a Constraint Programming-based tool that can be used to model and solve different problems related to Abstract Argumentation Frameworks (AFs). To implement this tool we have used JaCoP, a Java library that provides the user with a Finite Domain Constraint Programming paradigm. ConArg is able to randomly generate networks with small-world properties in order to find conflict-free, admissible, complete, stable grounded, preferred, semi-stable, stage and ideal extensions on such interaction graphs. We present the main features of ConArg and we report the performance in time, showing also a comparison with ASPARTIX [1], a similar tool using Answer Set Programming. The use of techniques for constraint solving can tackle the complexity of the problems presented in [2]. Moreover we suggest semiring-based soft constraints as a mean to parametrically represent and solve Weighted Argumentation Frameworks: different kinds of preference levels related to attacks, e.g., a score representing a "fuzziness", a "cost" or a probability, can be represented by choosing different instantiation of the semiring algebraic structure. The basic idea is to provide a common computational and quantitative framework. Keywords: Abstract Argumentation Frameworks,, Constraint Satisfaction Problems, Weighted Attacks, Tool for Argumentation. 1. Introduction Argumentation [3] is based on the exchange and the evaluation of interacting arguments which may represent information of various kinds, especially beliefs or goals. Argumentation can be used for modeling some aspects of reasoning, decision making, and dialogue.