text_combined: joseph halpern ppjmcgncscornelledu responded privately lotfi regarding causality questions asked post response mailing list somewhat edited version response lotfi hi lotfi problems handled approach howver answer depends model detail 1 manufacturer raincoats would like increase sales end increased advertising budget 20 six moths later sales went 10 increase sales caused increase advertising budget degree according definitions judea pearl give whether increase sales caused increase advertising budget depends structural model english description give enough details strutural model answer question course variable affects sales advertising budget answer yes otherwise answer depends variables else happened call context paper similarly dgree increase cause depends structural model according definition hana chockler gave degree cause 1k1 k smallest number things changed order make increase advertising critical critical advertising would result incrase advertising results increase note answer questions structural model example wins election 65 every voter voted cause victory one degree responsibility 1 wins 110 voter still cause victory one degree responsibiltiy 16 since change 5 votesmaking vote 65before someones vote critical 2 listening business news stock market sharp drop analysts cite primary reason drop 2 increase unemployment b 3 dollar barrel increase price oil degrees b cause sharp drop cant answer question framework without structural model equations straightforward 3 shot killed b based information concluded caused bs death additional information hired c kill b c wanted b killed b raped murdered cs tenyear old daughter kill b borrowed gun suspected sure gun would used kill someone degrees death b caused b c problem concepts causality responsibility closely linked answer others obvious causal model would say c cause death degree responsibility 1 assuming wouldnt able kill b hadnt loaned gun c wouldnt able hire someone else structural equations make clear whether assumptions true theyre gain questions causality degree responsibility depends alternatives would captured structural model hope clarifies things little regards joe thu 07 aug 2008 033952 0400 uai causality