Distributed Structure Verification in Multiply Sectioned Bayesian Networks

Multiply sectioned Bayesian networks (MSBNs) provide a framework for probabilistic reasoning in a single user oriented system in a large problem domain or in a cooperative multi-agent distributed interpretation system. During the construction or dynamic formation of a MSBN, an automatic verification of the acyclicity of the overall structure is desired. Although algorithms for testing acyclicity are well known, they assume a centralized storage of the graphical structure to be tested. We discuss why a centralized representation of the overall structure is undesirable. We then propose a set of distributed operations that are performed by individual subnets/agents in the system to cooperatively verify the acyclicity of the overall structure.