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AIList Digest Volume 2 Issue 122
AIList Digest Friday, 21 Sep 1984 Volume 2 : Issue 122
Today's Topics:
AI Tools - Production Systems on Micros,
Logic - Deduction & Induction,
Project - Traffic Information System,
Seminar - Common Sense Thinking,
Seminar Series - Theories of Information & NCARAI Series
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Date: Thu 20 Sep 84 11:13:30-CDT
From: CMP.BARC@UTEXAS-20.ARPA
Subject: Production Systems on Apple
The only thing I have seen for Apple is micro-PROLOG + APES (Augmented PROLOG
for Expert Systems), marketed in the U.S. by Programming Logic Systems, Inc.,
31 Crescent Drive, Milford, CT 06460 (203-877-7988). I have no experience with
the system, but the brochures I have seen and the price make it attractive.
Micro-PROLOG runs on Apple II with a Z80 card and full l.c. keyboard, on the
IBM PC and PC Jr., and on various configurations of Obsborne, Kaypro II,
HP 150, TRS 2000, Xerox 820, among others. CP/M 80 systems require at least
48K RAM, while PC/MS DOS needs 128K. APES reportedly runs on any system which
supports micro-PROLOG, but the order form lists only PC/MS DOS and CP/M 86
versions (for Apricot, Sirius and IBM PC compatible). APES requires a minimum
memory configuration of 128K. In today's inflated market, the license fees of
$295 each or $495 for both are not too outrageous. Clark and McCabe's book is
included.
The only other systems I've heard about are Expert-Ease and M.1 for the IBM PC
and TI's Personal Consultant for their Professional Computer. These go for
$2000, $12,500 and $3000 each. The literature and reviews of Expert-Ease make
it look like a joke (a friendly interface to a table), but neither media has
been able to give an example of the system's inductive capabilities. Expert-
Ease appears to be able to form rules from examples, but the people writing the
brochures and reviews don't seem to be able to understand or convey this.
saw M.1 and the Personal Consultant demoed at AAAI. Both are Emycin clones,
minus a lot of the frills (and thus, perhaps, minus the bugs). The Personal
Consultant seemed more impressive. It is supposedly written in IQLISP, but
does not appear to transport to non-TI computers running IQLISP. All of these
products seem way overpriced, as university research has made them fairly
simple engineering projects. In the case of the Personal Consultant, none of
the academics who did the research seem connected with the project. I imagine
that Teknowledge (M.1) has some of Emycin's designers on staff, and know that
Michie is involved with Expert-Ease.
Dallas Webster (CMP.BARC@UTexas-20)
------------------------------
Date: 15 Sep 84 18:16:54-PDT (Sat)
From: decvax!mcnc!akgua!psuvax1!simon @ Ucb-Vax.arpa
Subject: Re: Now and Then
Article-I.D.: psuvax1.1140
....induction (in mathematics) can deal only with integers.
(approximate quote). So what else do you expect a formal system to deal with?
The only reasonable answer would be "small finite sets (that are equivalent to
subsets of integers). Sure, there are non-denumerable sets that are interesting
- but only to sufficiently abstract mathematicians. I do not see useful computer
systems worrying about large cardinals, determinacy or the continuum.
janos simon
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Date: 20 Sep 84 17:30-PDT
From: mclure @ Sri-Unix.arpa
Subject: deduction vs. induction
The recent claim in AILIST that
'deduction proceeds from the general (axioms) to
the specific (propositions), induction proceeds from
the specific to the general.'
is not correct.
A lucid definition and comparision of both can be found in:
LOGIC AND CONTEMPORARY RHETORIC by Kahane
Stuart
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 84 23:01:24 BST
From: "Dr. A. Sloman" <XASV02%svpa@ucl-cs.arpa>
Subject: Project - Traffic Information System
[Edited by Laws@SRI-AI.]
An Intelligent Collator and Condenser of Traffic Information
The Cognitive Studies Programme, at Sussex University, UK, now has an
AI/Natural Language project to build a traffic information system.
The project is concerned with a system which processes and integrates
reports from the police about traffic accidents. It must also make decisions
about which motorists are to be informed about these accidents, by means
of broadcasts over an (eventually) nationwide cellular radio network.
A significant part of the project will involve investigating to what
extent unrestricted natural language input can be handled, and how the obvious
problems of unexpected and ungrammatical input can be overcome. It will also
be necessary to encode rules about intelligent broadcasting strategies for
traffic information. A dedicated workstation (probably SUN-2/120)
will be provided for the project, as well as access to network
facilities and other computing facilities at Sussex University (mostly
VAX-based).
For information about the project, and/or about the large and growing AI
group at Sussex University, please contact Chris Mellish, Arts Building E,
University of Sussex, BRIGHTON BN1 9QN, England. Phone (0273)606755 -
if Chris is not in ask for Alison Mudd.
(Contact via netmail is not convenient at present.)
Aaron Sloman
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 84 15:49:20 pdt
From: chertok%ucbkim@Berkeley (Paula Chertok)
Subject: Seminar - Common Sense Thinking
BERKELEY COGNITIVE SCIENCE PROGRAM
Fall 1984
Cognitive Science Seminar -- IDS 237A
TIME: Tuesday, September 25, 11 - 12:30
PLACE: 240 Bechtel Engineering Center
DISCUSSION: 12:30 - 2 in 200 Building T-4
SPEAKER: John McCarthy, Computer Science Department,
Stanford University
TITLE: What is common sense thinking?
ABSTRACT: Common sense thinking includes a certain
collection of knowledge and certain reason-
ing ability. Expert knowledge including
scientific knowledge fits into the framework
provided by common sense. Common sense
knowledge includes facts about the conse-
quences of actions in the physical and
psychological worlds, facts about the pro-
perties of space, time, causality and physi-
cal and social objects. Common sense rea-
soning includes both logical deductive and
various kinds of non-monotonic reasoning.
Much common sense knowledge is not readily
expressible in words, and much that can be
usually isn't.
The lecture will attempt to survey common
sense knowledge and common sense reasoning.
It will be oriented toward expressing the
knowledge in languages of mathematical logic
and expressing the reasoning as deduction
plus formal non-monotonic reasoning.
------------------------------
Date: Wed 19 Sep 84 19:55:18-PDT
From: Dikran Karagueuzian <DIKRAN@SU-CSLI.ARPA>
Subject: Seminar Series - Theories of Information
[Forwarded from the CSLI Newsletter by Laws@SRI-AI.]
PROJECT ACTIVITIES FOR PROJECT F-1: THEORIES OF INFORMATION
The notions information and of informational content are central to much
of the work done at CSLI and are emerging as central notions in philosophy,
computer science, and other disciplines. Thus we need mathematically
precise and philosophically cogent accounts of information and the forms
it takes. The F-1 project will hold a series of meetings on various CSLI
researchers' approach to the notion of information. The emphasis will be
on gaining a detailed understanding of the theories that are being developed
and discussing issues in ways that will be helpful in making further
progress. Those interested should attend the meetings regularly to help
develop a working group with a shared body of knowledge. For this reason,
we will not make it a practice to announce individual meetings, which will
occur approximately bi-weekly, Tuesdays at 3:15, in the Ventura Seminar
Room. The first meeting will be on October 2, when Jon Barwise will speak
for a bit about the nature and prospects for a theory of information,
followed by Fernando Pereira and/or Stan Rosenschein who will talk about
the current state of situated automata theory.
---John Perry
------------------------------
Date: 20 Sep 84 15:26:51 EDT
From: Dennis Perzanowski <dennisp@NRL-AIC.ARPA>
Subject: Seminar Series - Fall AI Seminar Schedule at NCARAI
U.S. Navy Center for Applied Research
in Artificial Intelligence
Naval Research Laboratory - Code 7510
Washington, DC 20375-5000
FALL SEMINAR SERIES
Monday,
24 Sept. 1984 Professor Hanan Samet
Computer Science Department
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
"Overview of Quadtree Research"
Monday,
15 Oct. 1984 Professor Stefan Feyock
Computer Science Department
College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, VA
"Syntax Programming"
Monday,
22 Oct. 1984 Professor Andrew P. Sage
Computer Science Department
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA
"Alternative Representations
of Imprecise Knowledge"
Monday,
5 Nov. 1984 Professor Edwina Rissland
Department of Computer and Information Sciences
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA
"Example-based Argumentation and Explanation"
Monday,
19 Nov. 1984 Mr. Kurt Schmucker
National Security Agency
Office of Computer Science Research
Ft. Meade, MD
"Fuzzy Risk Analysis: Theory and Implication"
The above schedule is a partial listing of seminars to be offered this
year. When future dates and speakers are confirmed, another mailing
will be sent to you.
Our meetings are usually held on the first and third Monday mornings
of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Conference Room of the Navy Center
for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence (Bldg. 256) located on
Bolling Air Force Base, off I-295, in the South East quadrant of
Washington, DC. A map can be mailed for your convenience. Please
note that not all seminars are held on the first and third Mondays this
fall due to conflicting holidays.
Coffee will be available starting at 9:45 a.m. for a nominal fee.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A SEMINAR, PLEASE CONTACT US BEFORE
NOON ON THE FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE SEMINAR SO THAT A VISITOR'S PASS WILL
BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU ON THE DAY OF THE SEMINAR. NON-U.S. CITIZENS
MUST CONTACT US AT LEAST TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO A SCHEDULED SEMINAR.
If you would like to speak, be added to our mailing list, or would
like more information, contact Dennis Perzanowski. [...]
ARPANET: DENNISP@NRL-AIC or (202) 767-2686.
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End of AIList Digest
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