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AIList Digest Volume 5 Issue 047
AIList Digest Thursday, 19 Feb 1987 Volume 5 : Issue 47
Today's Topics:
Queries - ISTEL's See Why & Quintus Computer Systems,
Cognitive Science - Re: Learing about AI,
Games - GO Program on PC (MAC),
AI Tools - Rochester Connectionist Simulator,
Book - Knowledge Systems and Prolog
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 87 19:12 EST
From: Troy Shinbrot <900380%UMDD.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: ISTEL, see why
I am interested in comments from anyone who has experience with or
information regarding ISTEL corporation's "See Why" system. It is apparently
a Fortran (!) based simulation system with somewhat vague specifications.
Thanks in advance.
- Troy Shinbrot (aka 900380@umdd.bitnet)
------------------------------
Date: 18 Feb 87 09:47:29 +1000 (Wed)
From: "ERIC Y.H. TSUI" <decvax!mulga!aragorn.oz!eric@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Subject: Query - Quintus Computer Systems
Has anyone has experience in using Quintus Prolog in Xerox (or other AI)
workstation ?
Does anyone have information about whether Quintus Computer Systems
has a node on the network or not ?
Appreciate any useful information on the above questions.
Eric Tsui eric@aragorn.oz
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Date: 16 Feb 87 16:52:00 GMT
From: necntc!adelie!mirror!gabriel!inmet!sebes@husc6.harvard.edu
Subject: Re: Learing about AI
Ted Inoue's description of an interdisciplinary effort is
essentially a description of cognitive science. I have two
points to add to what he said:
1) such an interdisciplinary effort is not new, and has
been going on for decades in some circles; it is only
now that a broader awareness of the field as a field
is developing
2) Ted's assessments of the various fields that can contribute
to cognitve science is rather simplistic and harsh. I think,
as many would agree, that each feild has importamt thigns to offer.
Also, there can be varying combinations of the fields for various
subjects of inquiry. For example, Stanford's Center for the Study
of Language and Information is composed mostly of linguists,
computer scientists (both academic and professional), and
philosophers; in fact, the philosophers run the show.
For further elaboration of these points, I recommend the
introduction and first chapter of Martin Gardners's _The Mind's
New Science_.
-John Sebes
------------------------------
Date: 18 Feb 87 08:31:00 EST
From: "CLSTR1::BECK" <beck@clstr1.decnet>
Reply-to: "CLSTR1::BECK" <beck@clstr1.decnet>
Subject: GO PROGRAM ON PC (MAC)
I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN INQUIRY AS TO GO PROGRAMS ON PCS.
I HAVE NOT USED THIS PROGRAM BUT PLAN TO SOMETIME THIS SPRING.
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 87 01:23:36 PST
From: <LOGANJ@byuvax.bitnet>
Reply-to: LOGANJ%BYUVAX.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: Go program, v1.0b2
This is version 1.0B2 of the Go program for the Macintosh. This
file is about 137,XXX bytes long. When unhexed it is 98.5K bytes.
Recent improvements to the program are as follows:
- You can now set the baud rate and other modem port characteristics
from within the program, for playing games between two Macs. If
you play through modems over telephone lines, for example, you can
communicate by typing on the keyboard - a line of text is sent to
the opponent when you hit the return key.
- The program will give a short analysis of a board position, showing
the number of primary liberties (max about 8), number of secondary
liberties (max 8), and the result of a simple ladder.
- The program will now display the "Reasons for Computer Moves".
Other recent improvements include more reasonable end of game scoring
and the ability to add symbols to handicap stones.
I have tested the communications between two Macs and it seems to work
okay.
This is public domain, so you may give it to friends and post to
bulletin boards.
Regards,
Jim
[
archived as [SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU]<INFO-MAC>GAME-GO.HQX
DoD
]
..............................
POSTED TO AI BY <BECK@ARDEC-LCSS>
..............................
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 87 22:27:57 -0500
From: goddard@rochester.arpa
Subject: Rochester Connectionist Simulator release in April
In mid-April we will be releasing a much improved version of the simulator.
The Rochester simulator allows construction and simulation of arbitrary
networks with arbitrary unit functions. It is designed to be easily
extensible both in unit structures and user interface, and includes a facility
for interactive debugging during network construction. The simulator is
written in C and currently runs here on Suns, Vaxen and the BBN Butterfly
multiprocessor (and should run on any UNIX machine). There is a graphics
interface package which runs on a Sun under suntools, and is primarily
designed for interactive display of the flow of activation during network
simulation. The simulator is easy to use for novices, and highly flexible
for those with expertise.
We are now collecting names and addresses of people and sites interested
in receiving a copy of the simulator when released in April. The preferred
method for dissemination is via electronic mail, but we will also send tape
and possibly disk copies. To get on the distribution list, send mail to
costanzo@cs.rochester.edu giving your name and addresses (both physical
and electronic). This address is for the distribution list ONLY, for other
questions see below. It is possible that there will be some kind of minimal
licensing agreement required, for a nominal fee.
There are many papers, journal articles and technical reports which give
an idea of the connectionist research and philosophy here at Rochester.
A complete list of these is in "Rochester Connectionist Papers: 1979-1985",
by Feldman, Ballard, Brown and Dell, Computer Science TR 172. For this or
any other technical report, write to:
Peggy Meeker
Department of Computer Science
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY 14627
The previous version of the simulator with some documentation is availible
immediately via electronic mail from me (see addresses below). However
you are advised to wait for the April release, as the documentation will be
much better. Any other questions about the simulator should also be addressed
to me.
Nigel Goddard
goddard@cs.rochester.edu
...!seismo!rochester!goddard
------------------------------
Date: 13 February 1987, 17:50:57 EST
From: Adrian Walker <ADRIAN@ibm.com>
Subject: book announcement - Knowledge Systems and Prolog
A new book which may be of interest to readers of AILIST--
KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND PROLOG
A LOGICAL APPROACH TO EXPERT SYSTEMS
and
NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING
Adrian Walker (Ed.), Michael McCord,
John F. Sowa, Walter G. Wilson
Addison-Wesley, 1987
This book introduces Prolog and two important areas of Pro-
log use-- expert systems and natural language processing
systems (together known as knowledge systems.) The book
covers basic and more advanced Prolog programming, describes
practical expert systems and natural language processing in
depth, and provides an introduction to the formal basis in
mathematical logic for the meaning of Prolog programs.
HIGHLIGHTS
y Presents significant examples of knowledge systems, with
useful parts of actual programs included.
y Describes important research results in expert systems,
natural language processing, and logic programming.
y Integrates many trends in knowledge systems by bringing
diverse representations of knowledge together in one
practical framework.
y Though useful with any Prolog implementation, provides
an introductory tutorial followed by advanced program-
ming techniques for IBM Prolog.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Knowledge Systems: Principles and Practice (Adrian Walker )
1.1 What is a Knowledge System?
1.2 From General to Specific, and Back Again
1.3 Prolog and Logic Programming
1.4 Knowledge Representation
1.5 Getting the Computer to Understand English
1.6 Some Trends in Knowledge Acquisition
1.6.1 Learning by Being Told
1.6.2 Learning by Induction from Examples
1.6.3 Learning by Observation and Discovery
1.7 Summary
Chapter 2. A Prolog to Prolog (John Sowa)
2.1 Features of Prolog
2.1.1 Nonprocedural Programming
2.1.2 Facts and Predicates
2.1.3 Variables and Rules
2.1.4 Goals
2.1.5 Prolog Structures
2.1.6 Built-in Predicates
2.1.7 The Inference Engine
2.2 Pure Prolog
2.2.1 Solving Problems Stated in English
2.2.2 Subtle Properties of English
2.2.3 Representing Quantifiers
2.2.4 Choosing a Data Structure
2.2.5 Unification: Binding Values to Variables
2.2.6 List-Handling Predicates
2.2.7 Reversible Predicates
2.3 Procedural Prolog
2.3.1 Backtracking and Cuts
2.3.2 Saving Computed Values
2.3.3 Searching a State Space
2.3.4 Input/Output
2.3.5 String Handling
2.3.6 Changing Syntax
2.4 Performance and Optimization
2.4.1 Choosing an Algorithm
2.4.2 Generate and Test
2.4.3 Reordering the Generate and Test
2.4.4 Observations on the Method
Exercises
Chapter 3. Programming Techniques in Prolog (Walter Wilson)
3.1 How to Structure Prolog Programs
3.1.1 Logic Programming Development Process
3.1.2 Declarative Style
3.1.3 Data Representation
3.1.4 Structuring and Verifying Recursive Programs
3.1.5 Control Structures
3.2 Techniques and Examples
3.2.1 Meta-level Programming
3.2.2 Graph Searching
3.2.3 Balanced Trees
3.2.4 Playing Games and Alpha-beta Pruning
3.2.5 Most-Specific Generalizations
3.3 Summary of Prolog Programming Principles
Exercises
Chapter 4. Expert Systems in Prolog (Adrian Walker)
4.1 Knowledge Representation and Use
4.1.1 Rules
4.1.2 Frames
4.1.3 Logic
4.1.4 Summary
4.2 Syllog: an Expert and Data System Shell
4.2.1 Introduction to Syllog
4.2.2 A Manufacturing Knowledge Base in Syllog
4.2.3 Inside the Syllog Shell
4.2.4 Summary of Syllog
4.3 Plantdoc
4.3.1 Using Plantdoc
4.3.2 The Plantdoc Inference Engine
4.3.3 Weighing the Evidence
4.3.4 Summary of Plantdoc
4.4 Generating Useful Explanations
4.4.1 Explaining Yes Answers, Stopping at a Negation
4.4.2 Explaining Yes and No Answers, Stopping at a Negation
4.4.3 Full Explanations of Both Yes and No Answers
4.5 Checking Incoming Knowledge
4.5.1 Subject-Independent Checking of Individual Rules
4.5.2 Subject-Independent Checking of the Knowledge Base
4.5.3 Subject-Dependent Checking of the Knowledge Base
4.6 Summary
Exercises
Chapter 5. Natural Language Processing in Prolog (Michael McCord)
5.1 The Logical Form Language
5.1.1 The Formation Rules for LFL
5.1.2 Verbs
5.1.3 Nouns
5.1.4 Determiners
5.1.5 Pronouns
5.1.6 Adverbs and the Notion of Focalizer
5.1.7 Adjectives
5.1.8 Prepositions
5.1.9 Conjunctions
5.1.10 Nonlexical Predicates in LFL
5.1.11 The Indexing Operator
5.2 Logic Grammars
5.2.1 Definite Clause Grammars
5.2.2 Modular Logic Grammars
5.3 Words
5.3.1 Tokenizing
5.3.2 Inflections
5.3.3 Slot Frames
5.3.4 Semantic Types
5.3.5 Lexical Look-up
5.4 Syntactic Constructions
5.4.1 Verb Phrases, Complements, and Adjuncts
5.4.2 Left Extraposition
5.4.3 Noun Phrases
5.4.4 Left-Recursive Constructions
5.5 Semantic Interpretation
5.5.1 The Top Level
5.5.2 Modification
5.5.3 Reshaping
5.5.4 A One-Pass Approach
5.6 Application to Question Answering
5.6.1 A Sample Database
5.6.2 Setting up the Lexicon
5.6.3 Translation to Executable Form
5.6.4 A Driver for Question Answering
Exercises
Chapter 6. Conclusions (Adrian Walker)
Appendix A. How to Use IBM Prolog (Adrian Walker & Walter Wilson)
A.1 A Simple Example
A.2 Detailed Programming of a Metainterpeter
A.3 Testing the Metainterpreter at the Terminal
A.4 VM/Prolog Input and Output
A.5 VM/Prolog and the VM Operating System
A.6 Tailoring VM/prolog
A.7 Clause Names and Modules
A.8 Types, Expressions, and Sets
A.9 MVS/Prolog
Appendix B. Logical Basis for Prolog and Syllog (Adrian Walker)
B.1 Model Theory Provides the Declarative View
B.2 Logical Basis for Prolog without Negation
B.3 Logical Basis for Prolog with Negation
B.4 Further Techniques for Interpreting Knowledge
Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index
The book can be ordered direct from Addison-Wesley. In the
USA, phone 617-944-3700, ask for the Order Department, and
quote title, authors, and Order Number ISBN 09044.
Adrian Walker
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
PO Box 704
Yorktown Heights
NY 10598
Tel: 914-789-7806
Adrian @ IBM.COM
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End of AIList Digest
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