Subject: From: AIList Moderator Kenneth Laws <AIList-REQUEST%sri-ai.arpa@CSNET-RELAY>

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 86 12:30:45 est

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Subject: AIList Digest   V3 #175
To: AIList%sri-ai.arpa@CSNET-RELAY
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AIList Digest            Friday, 22 Nov 1985      Volume 3 : Issue 175

Today's Topics:
  Seminars - Unification Revisited (SRI) &
    Expanding the Horizons of Expert Systems (SRI) &
    CYC Commonsense Knowledge Project (GTE) &
    A Multimodal Perceptual System (UPenn) &
    ANALOGICA '85 (Rutgers),
  Conference - Foundations of AI

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue 19 Nov 85 10:02:51-PST
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Seminar - Unification Revisited (SRI)

    DATE:  Monday, November 25, 1985
LOCATION:  EJ242

                        UNIFICATION REVISITED

                          Jean-Louis Lassez
                 IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center

There are three main approaches to finitely represent sets of
solutions of equations in the Herbrand Universe.  In Robinson's
classical approach the set of solutions is represented by an mgu which
is computed from the set of equations.  We introduce a dual approach,
based on Plotkin's and Reynold's concept of anti-unification in which
the finite representation (mgs) is now "lifted" from the set of
solutions.  A third approach proposed by Colmerauer is based on the
concept of eliminable variables.

The relationships between these three approaches are established.

This study provides an appropriate setting to address the problem of
solving systems of equations and inequations which arises in recent
extensions to Prolog.  A key result is that the meta-equation

                        E = E1 v E2 v ... v En

admits solutions only in trivial cases.  Two important corollaries
follow naturally.  The first is Colmerauer's property of independences
of inequations.  This means that deciding whether a system of
equations and inequations has solutions can be done in parallel.  The
other corollary is a negative result; the set of solutions of a system
of equations and inequations can be finitely represented by mgu's only
in trivial cases.  Consequently, one cannot obtain a simplified system
which is in "solved" form.  This is unlike the case when only
equations are considered.  Similar properties hold in inductive
inference when one attempts to generalize from sets of examples and
counter-examples.

------------------------------

Date: Tue 19 Nov 85 15:25:48-PST
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Seminar - Expanding the Horizons of Expert Systems (SRI)

                EXPANDING THE HORIZONS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS

                Piero P. Bonissone and Allen L. Brown, Jr.
                      General Electric Corp. R&D

                        Conference Room EK242
              Thursday, November 21, 1985 (10:00 - 11:00a.m.)

Abstract: In this paper we analyze the complexity of problem domains,
such as maintenance problems, typically handled by first generation
expert systems.  DELTA/CATS-1, an expert system for troubleshooting
diesel electric locomotives, is described as a typical example of such
systems.  More complex domains of expertise involving time-varying,
partial and uncertain information cannot be addressed by the
techniques common to first generation expert systems.  LOTTA, a
symbolic simulator of battlefield situations, illustrates some of the
requirements of such an intricate domain.  We discuss the new
inference techniques required to address the problem of managing
battlefield strategies and tactics.  These techniques include
capabilities for reasoning with uncertain and incomplete information.
The state of the art and current research thrusts are discussed.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 85 11:16:19 EST
From: Bernard Silver <[email-masked]>
Subject: Seminar - CYC Commonsense Knowledge Project (GTE)

              GTE Laboratories AI  Seminar

                   Monday, November 25, 3 pm
                         Room 8-2335
                      GTE Laboratories
                 40 Sylvan Rd.,Waltham, MA

Mayank Prakash of MCC, Austin, Texas, will discuss the current state of
research on the CYC Project.

                       The CYC Project

The CYC Project at MCC is an attempt to enhance the power of AI
systems by providing them with common sense knowledge. Our approach
is based on the observations that 1) the brittleness of current
AI systems is due to a lack of knowledge of the broader context of
their narrow domain, and 2) automated acquisition of knowledge
requires the system to start out with a critical mass of general
knowledge. Our goal is to create a system with a large common
sense knowledge base. It will serve as a source of power for other
AI systems by acting as a knowedge server and thus providing a deeper
understanding of the domain, and by providing the ability to
analogise. It is our belief that this will significantly enhance the
performance of such systems.

For more information, please contact Bernard Silver (617) 466-2663

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 85 12:11 EST
From: Tim Finin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Seminar - A Multimodal Perceptual System (UPenn)

Forwarded From: Sharon Stansfield <Stansfield@UPenn>
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 85 11:09 EST

                               THESIS PROPOSAL:
                             A RUDIMENTARY ACTIVE,
                        MULTIMODAL, INTELLIGENT SYSTEM
                           FOR OBJECT CATEGORIZATION

                               S. A. Stansfield

This  proposal  outlines  the  design  of a knowledge-based, active, multimodal
perceptual system for the task of object categorization.  Passive stereo vision
and active touch are used.

Basic  level,  or  generic, objects will be recognized.  The representation for
reasoning will be hierarcical and frame-based.    At  the  highest  level  will
reside  a representation of the object as a whole, including the features which
comprise it and the relations among them.   Intermediate  levels  will  contain
frames  for  the  various  features and the slots to be filled will contain the
tactile, visual, and amodal  properties  of  these  features.    The  geometric
representation  will be based upon the idea of a spatial polyhedron:  an object
centered guide to the exploration of the object.

The architecture will be a distributed hierarchy  of  knowledge-based  modules,
each  domain  specific and informationally encapsulated.  These experts will be
dedicated to the exploration for and identification of the features  recognized
by the system.  Each module will be responsible for filling in the slots of the
frame with which it is associated.  At the lowest level of  the  hierarchy  are
the  visual  and  tactual perception systems.  At the highest level are the two
strategists:     the   reasoner,   responsible   for   hypotheses   generation,
disambiguation,  and  culling;  and  the  explorer,  responsible for generating
sensing strategies once a goal has been formulated by the reasoner.

               Advisor:                         Committee:
               R. Bajcsy                        S. Lederman
                                                R. Paul
                                                L. Shastri

                       Monday, 25 November 1985
                              10:00 a.m.
                         Room To Be Announced

------------------------------

Date: 20 Nov 85 12:21:19 EST
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Seminars - ANALOGICA '85 (Rutgers)

                      You are cordially invited to attend
                                 ANALOGICA '85
                                  AT RUTGERS

                           Monday, December 2, 1985
                               8:30 AM - 6:00 PM

              Hill Center for the Mathematical Sciences, Room 705
                       Busch Campus, Rutgers University
                               New Brunswick, NJ

                                 Sponsored by
                        Department of Computer Science
                     Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

                                      and

                     GTE Fundamental Research Laboratories
                                  Waltham, MA

                          Free and Open to the Public

Analogica  '85 is a multidisciplinary seminar on analogical reasoning, bringing
together researchers from various disciplines such as artificial  intelligence,
cognitive  psychology,  linguistics,  and  philosophy of science.  This one-day
seminar  will  include  eight  half-hour  talks   and   a   panel   discussion.
Complimentary refreshments and lunch will be served.

For more information, contact:
Armand  Prieditis, [email-masked], 201-932-4273
Smadar Kedar-Cabelli, [email-masked]  201-932-4648
Tom Mitchell, faculty sponsor, 201-932-4716

                                   SCHEDULE:

8:30 - 9:00         Coffee and donuts
9:00 - 9:15         Welcome
9:15 - 9:45         Dedre Gentner, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
9:45 - 10:15        Mark Burstein, BBN Laboratories
10:15 - 10:30       Coffee and donuts
10:30 - 11:00       Paul Thagard, Princeton University
11:00 - 11:30       Russell Greiner, University of Toronto
11:30 - 12:00       Smadar Kedar-Cabelli, Rutgers University
12:00 - 2:30        Luncheon
2:30 - 3:00         Lindley Darden, University of Maryland
3:00 - 3:30         Bipin Indurkhya, Boston University
3:30 - 4:00         Keith Holyoak, University of Michigan
4:00 - 4:15         Coffee and Donuts
4:15 - 5:45         Panel discussion

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 18 Nov 85 17:40:07 mst
From: [email-masked]
Subject: Conference - Foundations of AI

WORKSHOP ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF AI

Holiday Inn, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Thursday February 6th - Saturday February 8th, 1986

Wednesday, February 5th:

6.00 pm  welcome reception

9.00 - 9.30am: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION: WILKS

9.30 - 12.30: LOGICAL/PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF AI (1) (Chair: Wilks)

CHANDRASEKARAN - Paradigms in AI:  An historical and contemporary perspective

HALPERN* - Turing's Test and the ideology of AI

Coffee (15 mins)

NEEDHAM - There's nothing special about AI

General Discussion (30 mins)

2.00 - 5.00pm: LOGICAL/PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF AI (2) (Chair: Hayes, Pat)

DREYFUS - Traditional AI: A degenerating research program

FODOR - Why there still has to be a language of thought

Coffee (15 mins)

DENNETT - The myth of original intentionality

General Discussion (30 mins)

Friday, February 7th:

9.30 - 12.30: RELATION BETWEEN FOUNDATIONS AND PROGRAMS  (1) (Chair: Sleeman)

BUNDY - What Kind of Field is AI?

McCARTHY - AI Reasoning Should be Logic with Extensions

Coffee (15 mins)

CAMPBELL* - Novelties of AI:  Theories, Programs, and Rational Reconstructions

General Discussion (30 mins)

2.00 - 5.00pm:  RELATION BETWEEN FOUNDATIONS AND PROGRAMS  (2) (Chair: Brachman)

SPARCK-JONES - What is an experiment in AI?

NEWELL - On Comparing General Cognitive Architectures

Coffee (15 mins)

PYLYSHYN - Programs as models: Can there be a strong equivalence?

General Discussion (30 mins)

6.00 pm  An evening in Mexico

Saturday, February 8th:

9.30 - 12.30: AI AND OTHER DISCIPLINES (1) (Chair: Uhr)

ARBIB - How does Brain Theory Relate to AI?

CHURCHLAND - AI and the neurosciences

Coffee (15 mins)

JOSHI - AI and Linguistics

General Discussion (30 mins)

2.00 - 5.00: AI AND OTHER DISCIPLINES (2) (Chair: Schvaneveldt)

RUMELHART - AI:  What can Psychology learn?

BODEN - Has AI helped Psychology?

Coffee (15 mins)

MINSKY - AI and Cognitive Science

General Discussion (30 mins)

7.30pm: WORKSHOP BANQUET (Chair: Ortony)

Sunday, February 9th:

Depart for home, skiing etc.

Each presenter will have 30 minutes to present his/her position
followed by 15 minutes allocated for discussion.

*  Indicates submitted paper.

Contact: [email-masked] or [email-masked]

------------------------------

End of AIList Digest
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