STRIPS is a problem solver which operates with world models represented by sets of formulas of first-order logic. A STRIPS system describes the effect of an action by a rule which defines how the current world model should be changed when the action is performed. The explanations of the meaning of these descriptions in the literature are very informal, and it is not obvious how to make them more precise. Moreover, it has been observed that minor and seemingly harmless modifications in standard examples of STRIPS systems cause STRIPS to produce incorrect results. In this paper we study the difficulties with interpreting STRIPS operator descriptions and define a semantics which draws a clear line between good" and bad" uses of the language of STRIPS.

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In Reasoning about Actions and Plans, Georgeff, Michael and Lansky, Amy (Eds.), pp. 1-9, San Mateo, CA 1987. Morgan Kaufmann.

@incollection{lif87c, title={On the Semantics of STRIPS}, author={Vladimir Lifschitz}, booktitle={Reasoning about Actions and Plans}, editor={Georgeff, Michael and Lansky and Amy}, address={San Mateo, CA}, publisher={Morgan Kaufmann}, pages={1-9}, url="http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/ai-lab?lif87c", year={1987} }