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AIList Digest Volume 3 Issue 001
AIList Digest Wednesday, 9 Jan 1985 Volume 3 : Issue 1
Today's Topics:
Administrivia - Digest Numbering,
Hardware - Xerox D-Machines & Text Scanners,
AI Tools - Mac LISP & Symbolic Algebra Package,
News - Recent Articles & SIGART Meeting & Weizmann Summer School,
Programming Style - Malgorithm,
Seminars - Better LISP Debugging Tools (SU) &
Mapless Networks (Berkeley)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon 7 Jan 85 20:49:08-PST
From: Ken Laws <Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA>
Subject: Extra! Extra! 1984 Had 371 Days!
Andy Freeman has pointed out to me that the previous issue, V2 #184,
should have been the first issue of Volume 3. To set things to rights,
I hereby declare that January 5 was actually December 36, 1984.
This issue is thus the first of 1985, V3 #1. Happy New Year!
-- Ken Laws
------------------------------
Date: 8 Jan 85 15:31:54 EST
From: DIETZ@RUTGERS.ARPA
Subject: Is Xerox Punting D-Machines?
A recent Electronics News has an article suggesting Xerox will close
their Information Products Division in Dallas. Isn't that where Dandelions
are made? Is Xerox getting out of the lisp machine business?
------------------------------
Date: 5 Jan 85 20:50 PST
From: Newman.pasa@XEROX.ARPA
Subject: Mac LISP and Kurzweil Scanners
In response to two separate postings :
1) There is a company in Santa Barbara called ExperTelligence Inc. who
are purportedly developing a LISP (called EXPERLISP) for the MacIntosh.
The brochure I have says it "is available at your local Apple Dealer
beginning October, 1984". 'Nuff Said.
2) Yes, Kurzweil scanners (text reading machines) are being marketed by
a Xerox afilliate. Not knowing who to contact about them, I suggest you
speak to the local XEROX sales people in your area.
>>Dave
------------------------------
Date: 7 Jan 85 10:48 PST
From: trauberman.pasa@XEROX.ARPA
Subject: Kurzweil Reader
I worked on the Optical Character Recognition system at Kurzweil, so
here's a brief description. It was originally developed as a machine to
enable blind people to read books, in the late 60's by Kurzweil and
other MIT people. It uses a high resolution CCD motorized scanner to
scan the page, then multi-font recognition algorithms implemented in
machine language on a Data General Nova, to decifer the text, and a
speech system to read the text vocally. The recognition system is truly
multi-font, using curve-searching and other very general algorithms,
some of which had previously been applied to handwriting recognition
problems. As a result, the machine is capable of reading with adequate
accuracy, about half of all printed material. Kurzweil has developed an
office product based on this technology for inputting printed text into
a database. With some assistance from a secretary during the initial
reading phase, this product is quite effective.
David Trauberman
------------------------------
Date: Sun 6 Jan 85 20:07:26-PST
From: Ken Laws <Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA>
Subject: Reading Machine
The December issue of IEEE Computer Graphics carries a short description
of a new document scanner from Electronic Information Technology, Inc.
It can be used to enter diagrams, pictures, and text into IBM PC and XT
systems, with other interfaces due soon. The blurb implies that it also
has output capabilities, although I'm not sure what they are. It does
have built-in optical character recognition for at least typewriter fonts.
-- Ken Laws
------------------------------
Date: Monday, 7 Jan 85 11:32:07 PST
From: tektronix!tekcrl!tekchips!postmaster@uw-beaver.arpa
Subject: Symbolic Algebra Packages
>> I would like to obtain a symbolic algebra package which would run on
>> a VAX/Franz Lisp configuration. Preferably, I like one in the public
>> domain.
The symbolic computation system REDUCE 3.0, originally written in
Standard Lisp, has been ported to Franz Lisp to run on the VAX machine
under 4.2BSD. Please contact me if you are interested in the system.
uucp: {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4,allegra,uw-beaver,hplabs}
!tektronix!tekchips!abdali
CSnet: abdali@tektronix
ARPAnet: abdali.tektronix@csnet-relay
US Mail: Kamal Abdali
Computer Research Lab, 50-662
Tektronix, Inc.
Box 500
Beaverton, OR 97077
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 85 10:13:44 cst
From: Laurence Leff <leff%smu.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>
Subject: News - Recent Articles
New Scientist Nov. 29, 1984 Volume 104 No. 1432
Japan woos a wary Britain
describes efforts by the Japanese to acquire AI software from Britain
and to "cooperate" in AI research.
Cybernetica Vol 27 No 3 1984
THES/BID- the construction of a computer-based thesaurus for legal
informatics and computer law pp 231
Datamation January 1, 1985
Bringing AI Home Page 34
Describes efforts by various corporations in JAPAN in AI (as distinct from
the Fifth Generation Efforts) including a Prolog based VLSI system called
WIREX at NEC, a FUJITSU PROLOG/LISP system for hardware design. Also
discusses American reactions to the Japanese international conference on the
fifth generation.
On page 15, the following letter appeared:
"Our product IF/Prolog has been available for VAX with Berkeley-UNIX since
September 1983, also beating DEC's PROLOG implementation. During 1984 we
have ported IF/Prolog to 14 different computers including IBM's PC, VAX/VMS
and Eclipse/AOS. We are currently working on a Prolog compiler to be
released during the first quarter of 1985."
Claus M. Mueller
President INterface Computer GmbH
Munich, Germany
Page 139,in "updates" section:
DM DATA estimates the AI market will grow from $148 million this year to
$28 billion in the 1990s. Also discusses the need for systems to assist in
the knowledge transfer from experts to machines.
From the Phoenix Conference on Computers and Communications March 20-22 1985
Advance Program:
Tutorial I on Expert Systems by George Luger March 20
Expert System Panel, "Artificial Intelligence Meets the Real World",
March 21 3:30 PM
10:30 AM
"Hector: A Logic Based Parser, Semantic Interperter, and Planner" March 21
"Sensors, Vision and Robtics: A Perspective"
"Vision Systems in Assembly of Semiconductor Devices"
"A Kinematic Computer Simulation System for Robotic Manipulators"
1:30 PM
"Prolog Interpreter for Industrial Use"
"Accounting and Billing Software Related to Computer User Satisfaction: An
Interactive Online Expert System Using Diagnostic Audit Trails Through
Telecommunications Networks"
"Surface: An Application of Small Scale Expert Systems Using the DQR Format"
For more info contact PCCC-85 34 W. Monroe, Suite 900 Phoenix, AZ 85003
------------------------------
Date: Sun 6 Jan 85 20:45:24-PST
From: Ken Laws <Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA>
Subject: Recent IEEE Articles
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, December 1984.
A Report on the Vail Workshop on Human Factors in Computer Systems, by
Michael E. Atwood, p. 48: Participants discussed ways of integrating
human factors knowledge with the initial design process for computer
systems. Several of the conference subgroups proposed that expert
systems technology and knowledge-based prototyping be applied to interface
design issues.
Symbolic Processing Computer Handles AI Applications, p. 75:
A description of the IE Explorer LISP-machine, at $52,500 and up each.
IEEE Spectrum, January 1985.
Fuzzy Logic, a letter from David McGoveran, p. 8:
This is a reply to Lotfi Zadeh's article on fuzzy logic. McGoveran
points out that the mathematical foundations of this discipline may
be "unsound". He cites his own articles on fuzzy logic, claiming
that the approach is not a complete representation system and cannot
consistently represent hierarchical systems (because it blurs
distinctions of level and thus has no consistent metalanguage or
model). He further states that fuzzy logic is commutative, distributive,
and not order-preserving, and hence is incapable of consistently
representing [noncommutative and/or nondistributive] systems that
depend on an ordering.
John D. Musa on Software, p. 37:
A few comments are made about AI papers at the 7th Conf. on Software
Engineering, particularly intelligent editors and tutoring aids.
Software, by Paul Wallich, p. 50:
Survey of the past year's developments in LISP, knowledge-based system
development tools, and ADA. The various implementations of Common LISP
seem to be riding high with the defense community, and seven or eight
validated ADA compilers are now available.
------------------------------
Date: 8 Jan 1985 11:48-EST
From: LEVITT@USC-ISI.ARPA
Subject: SIGART MEETING
THE SECOND MEETING OF THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON CHAPTER OF SIGART
WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY NIGHT, JAN.15 AT 730 AT THE KEY BRIDGE
MARRIOT IN ROSSLYN VIRGINIA.
IT IS BEING HOSTED BY GENE CARTIER OF SRA, (703)-558-5194.
I AM TEMPORARILY ACTING CHAIRMAN UNTIL ELECTIONS: MR. LORE
LEVITT, (301)-964-8693 OR VIA THE ARPANET LEVITT AT USC-ISI.
LORE
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 85 12:29:26 -0200
From: udi%wisdom.BITNET@Berkeley (Ehud Shapiro)
Subject: Summer School at the Weizmann Institute
The Karyn Kupcinet International Science School
The Weizmann Intitute of Science
Rehovot, Israel
The Weizmann Institute of Science's Annual Karyn Kupcinet
International Science School is accepting a small number of
science students (from second year) from overseas for
the summer of 1985 to participate in research projects in
mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, and biology.
A modest stipend and dormitory-style accomodation
near the campus are provided.
No travel funds are available.
Application forms may be obtained from the Academic Secratary,
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Completed applications should be returned before February 15, 1985.
p.s. Student application will be given to the relevant scientists
for review. If you know Prolog, Concurrent Prolog, computer graphics, esp.
Sun graphics, its window system and operating system, familiar with the
Smalltalk or Lisp Machine programming environment, or simply want to come
to Israel for a summer, and willing to work hard for that, I will be glad to
have you here. Please CC me on your application form.
As for equipment, we have here three VAX'es (two Unix and one VMS), two
Sun worktations (expecting several more), one Symbolics 3670 (expecting
one more), and several IBM and DEC PC's. And (how could I forget) an IBM 3081.
Ehud Shapiro
Department of Applied Mathematics
The Weizmann Intitute of Science
------------------------------
Date: Tue 8 Jan 85 07:19:03-EST
From: Sidney Markowitz <SIDNEY%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA>
Subject: Another malgorithm
Here's another malgorithm that comes from SIGPLAN NOTICES, Nov., '84,
in a letter citing its original publication in an earlier issue.
The author is making a case for avoiding backward-directed GO TO's in
FORTRAN, so as to make the program more "structured". To that end, he is
advocating replacing the following implementation of a WHILE-DO construct:
C While condition is true, execute body
10 IF(.NOT. Boolean Expression) GOTO 100
C Begin iterated body
.
.
.
C End iterated body
GO TO 10
with the following "more structured" version:
C CHOOSE N SUFFICIENTLY LARGE SO THE BOOLEAN EXPRESSION
C IS TRUE BEFORE I = N.
DO 10 I=1,N
IF(Boolean Expression) GO TO 100
C Begin iterated body
.
.
.
C End Iterated Body
10 CONTINUE
TYPE *,'OOPS!PUT ANOTHER DO LOOP AROUND THE CURRENT ONE'
STOP
100 CONTINUE
Notice what happens if you don't pick a sufficiently large N.
The original version apparently didn't even have the error message
in the TYPE statement.
-- sidney markowitz <sidney@mc>
------------------------------
Date: 04 Jan 85 1132 PST
From: Ted Selker <EJS@SU-AI.ARPA>
Subject: Seminar - Better LISP Debugging Tools (SU)
[Forwarded from the Stanford bboard by Laws@SRI-AI.]
U S E
User System Ergonomics
A human interface journal club and discussion group
Wed January 9, 12:00 PM
Margaret Jacks Hall, room 252
Stanford University
Chris Perdue from Hp Labs will come lead a discussion on
Henry Lieberman's Steps Towards Better Debugging Tools For Lisp
paper. Pick up a copy of the paper at The reception desk at
the Computer Science Department At Stanford.
Contact Ted Selker ejs@su-ai.arpa for information on USE.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 85 13:49:36 -0200
From: scheff%wisdom.BITNET@Berkeley (scheff chaim)
Subject: Seminar - Mapless Networks (Berkeley)
The Weitzmann Institute of Science - Rehovot, Israel
Seminar in Advanced Topics in Computer Science
Chaim-Meyer Scheff
will speak on
"General Description of Search Protocol for a Mapless Network"
The talk will take place on Sunday, January 13, 1985 in the Feinberg
Building, Room A, at 2:00.
Mapless Networks are asynchronous concurrent communication networks in
which each node in the network contains a current list of its own
internal user population but no node contains a user map of larger scope.
Which is to say, each node must operate according to its subjective view
in that there is no objective view to appeal to. This is a generalization
of Terrestrial Networks and similarly contains spanning tree and
leader-net schemes as special cases. Both load optimization and systems
relyability at minimum cost are the natural result of implementation;
which is provably upward compatible with existing architectures.
Portability of the search protocol to computational and communications
environments would suggest that mapless networks would provide a stable
model for the large scale integration of both into grand scale global
systems.
------------------------------
End of AIList Digest
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