Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
AIList Digest Volume 4 Issue 178
AIList Digest Saturday, 9 Aug 1986 Volume 4 : Issue 178
Today's Topics:
Queries - Hitachi Software Design ES & 3-D Geometry Theorem Prover,
Expert Systems - OPS5 Manual & Government Systems,
Humor - Geometric Placement and Gerrymandering,
Review - Computing with Neural Circuits,
Publishing - Petrocelli Books,
Programming Languages - Functional Programming Bibliography,
Philosophy - Conservation of Information & Rhetoric
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon 4 Aug 86 20:35:31-CDT
From: CMP.BARC@R20.UTEXAS.EDU
Subject: Query: Hitachi Software Design ES
I looking for information on an expert system called MDL/MAD for large-
scale software design. I've heard a little bit about it already. It has
about 1500 rules concerned with relationships among design data, the design
decision-making procedure and the format for expressing design information.
It has been claimed to reduce design errors by 40% and specification/
correction time by 80%. It is still under development at Hitachi's Software
Development Laboratory and is two years away from commercial release.
The questions are: What does it really do and how does it work?
I would also be interested in related systems ICAS (Hitachi), DEA/I (NEC)
and SDEM/SDSS (Fujitsu).
Dallas Webster
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 86 19:15:11 pdt
From: dan@ads.ARPA (Dan Shapiro)
Subject: looking for a theorem prover in 3D geometry
A friend of mine is looking for pointers to work on the topic of theorem
proving in 3D geometry. The application is in AI applied to the
ellucidation of crystal structures within organic chemistry.
He would also be interested in pointers to CAD-like programs that
allow construction and visualization of repetative lattice structures.
If anyone has information that would help out, please respond to
me directly as Dan@ads-unix.Arpa
Dan Shapiro
------------------------------
Date: 4 Aug 86 17:21:13 EDT
From: Lee.Brownston@A.CS.CMU.EDU
Subject: OPS5 manual
Write to the Department of Computer Science, Carnegie-Mellon University,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 to request the OPS5 User's Manual. Another source of
OPS5 information is "Programming Expert Systems in OPS5" by Brownston,
Farrell, Kant, and Martin (Addison-Wesley, 1985).
------------------------------
Date: Mon 4 Aug 86 22:38:23-PDT
From: Laws@SRI-STRIPE.ARPA
Subject: Expert Systems - The New Cop on the Beat
The FBI has developed Big Floyd, an expert system to assist in criminal
investigations. Similar programs are being developed to catch drug
smugglers and target potential terrorists. The EPA wants to identify
polluters; the Treasury Department is looking for money-laundering
banks; the Energy Department would like to find contractors who cut
corners; the Customs service is after drug smugglers; the IRS is
developing a system to spot tax cheaters; the Secret Service is working
on a classified system to point out potential presidential assassins;
and the FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes is
developing expert systems to identify potential serial killers,
arsonists, and rapists. Systems to target counterfeiters and bombers
are also being built. -- Michael Schrage, The Washington Post National
Weekly Edition, Vol. 3, No. 40, August 4, 1986, p. 6.
------------------------------
Date: 4 Aug 86 09:48:56 edt
From: Walter Hamscher <hamscher@ht.ai.mit.edu>
Subject: Humor: Re: [Query - Geometric Placement]
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 86 14:27:33 PDT
From: trwrb!orion!gries@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Harry A. Gries)
> Query: Does anyone know about any expert system (developed
> or under development) that relates to the placement
> of geometric objects in a plane? [* * *]
Another application would be in creating district boundaries for
congressional representatives. [* * *]
What's that rustling sound I hear from across the river, up there on
Beacon Hill? It must be Governor Gerry doing pinwheels in his grave,
and the entire Masschusetts House of representatives trembling in
their boots... (We better keep this quiet, or they're liable to pass
a law against AI :-)
------------------------------
Date: 4 Aug 86 23:57:30 GMT
From: decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!hes@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Henry Schaffer)
Subject: Re: Computing with Neural Circuits:
A paper, "Computing with Neural Circuits: A Model" by John J.
Hopfield and David W. Tank is in the 8 Aug. 1986 issue of
Science (pp. 625-633.)
"A new conceptual framework and a minimization principle together
provide an understanding of computation in model neural circuits.
The circuits consist of nonlinear graded-response model neurons
organized into networks with effectively symmetric synaptic
connections. The neurons represent an approximation to biological
neurons in which a simplified set of important computational properties
is retained. Complex circuits solving problems similar to those
essential in biology can be analyzed and understood without the need
to follow the circuit dynamics in detail. Implementation of the model
with electronic devices will provide a class of electronic circuits of
novel form and function." (Abstract)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 86 15:21:54 EDT
From: BENJY%VTVM1.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
Subject: Petrocelli Books
I recently received an advertisement for an AI book published by
Petrocelli Books, Inc. I assume Petrocelli will be publishing more
AI books, so I would like to post a warning to potential authors.
I wrote two books for this company, and I've never received a royalty
check without asking for it although the contract I signed states that
statements would be sent twice a year. Last time I asked for a
statement, I was told that PBI had cash flow problems and had to wait
several months after their grace period for a meager sum.
Ben Cline
Virginia Tech
BENJY@VTVM1.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: 8 Aug 86 15:30:13 GMT
From: ucbcad!nike!lll-crg!seismo!cmcl2!lanl!ls@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
(Lauren L Smith)
Subject: Functional Programming Bibliography
Andy Cheese's Functional Programming bibliography is ready for distribution
again. It covers all sorts of references relating to functional languages,
architectures for functional languages, to theory of, to garbage collecting,
to functional programming and multiprocessing, to logic programming &
functional combinations, to (well, you get the idea!). It has
been extensively updated since the last major distribution of it.
If you would be interested in receiving a copy (ONE request per site PLEASE!),
please contact the appropriate person.
North America: Lauren Smith
ARPA: ls@lanl
UUCP: {cmcl2,ihnp4}!lanl!ls
Everywhere Else: Andy Cheese
abc%computer-science.nottingham.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK
The bibliography is 24 files long, since it is too large to send as one
big file.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 86 14:31:48 EDT
From: "Col. G. L. Sicherman" <colonel%buffalo.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Conservation of Info, etc.
In article <8608010557.AA11269@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, larry@JPL-VLSI.ARPA writes:
> The ability to quantify and measure pattern and shape has profound implica-
> tions for the study of formerly mystical topics such as intelligence. It
> means we can develop conservation laws for information, without which you
> can't construct an essential ingredient of mathematics, equations.
While I agree with much of the article, this assumption looks superfluous
to me. Computer programs are a kind of mathematics, and they use assign-
ments and functions rather than equations.
More generally, I should like to see discussed what "information" means
in the abstract sense. After all, anything can be said to contain all
conceivable information about itself. Is "information" meaningful apart
from communication?
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 86 15:30:05 EDT
From: "William J. Rapaport" <rapaport%buffalo.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: follow-up on philosophy articles
Newsgroups: mod.ai
Subject: Re: philosophy journals
References: <8607211801.AA17444@ellie.SUNYAB>
<8608010555.AA11229@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Sender: William J. Rapaport (rapaport@buffalo.csnet)
Reply-To: rapaport@sunybcs.UUCP (William J. Rapaport)
Followup-To: The Colonel's complaint
Organization: SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science
In article <8608010555.AA11229@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
colonel@buffalo.CSNET ("Col. G. L. Sicherman") writes:
>In article <8607211801.AA17444@ellie.SUNYAB>, rapaport@buffalo.CSNET
>("William J. Rapaport") writes:
>
>> The original version of the ... problem may be found in:
>> Jackson, "Epiphenomenal Qualia," _Philosophical Q._ 32(1982)127-136.
>> with replies in:
>> Churchland, "Reduction, Qualia, and the Direct Introspection of
>> Brain States," _J. of Philosophy_ 82(1985)8-28.
>> Jackson, "What Mary Didn't Know," _J. of Philosophy_ 83(1986)291-95.
>> (One of the reasons I stopped reading net.philosophy was that its
>> correspondents seemed not to know about what was going on in philosophy
>> journals!)
>
>Out of curiosity I hunted up the third article on the way back from lunch.
>It's aggressive and condescending; any sympathy I might have felt for
>the author's argument was repulsed by his sophomoric writing. I hope it's
>not typical of the writing in philosophy journals.
I don't quite understand what "aggressive and condescending" or
"sophomoric writing" have to do with philosophical argumentation.
One thing that philosophers try not to do is give ad hominem arguments.
A philosophical arguement stands or falls on its logical merits, not its
rhetoric.
------------------------------
End of AIList Digest
********************
