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NL-KR Digest Volume 06 No. 12
NL-KR Digest (Tue Mar 28 11:16:58 1989) Volume 6 No. 12
Today's Topics:
Good News
Connectionist AI? - Workshop at IJCAI-89. Call for participation.
IJCAI-89 Workshop on Blackboard Systems
Job announcement
Re: MBR Workshop Query
Submissions: nl-kr@cs.rpi.edu
Requests, policy: nl-kr-request@cs.rpi.edu
Back issues are available from host archive.cs.rpi.edu [128.213.1.10] in
the files nl-kr/Vxx/Nyy (ie nl-kr/V01/N01 for V1#1), mail requests will
not be promptly satisfied. If you can't reach `cs.rpi.edu' you may want
to use `turing.cs.rpi.edu' instead.
---------------------------------------------------------
To: nl-kr@cs.rpi.edu
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 89 11:22:31 EST
From: weltyc@fs3.cs.rpi.edu (Christopher A. Welty)
Subject: Good News
After much struggling, I have worked out 99% of the mail problems and
nl-kr should now be regular, timely, and reliable. You may now assume
the digest to be back to normal, and the transition complete. I still
will take a while to respond to individual requests, and please
remeber that you subscribe to this group when you move so I don't have
to chase you around the internet.
=====
Christopher Welty --- Asst. Director, RPI CS Labs | "Porsche: Fahren in
weltyc@cs.rpi.edu ...!njin!nyser!weltyc | seiner schoensten Form"
------------------------------
To: nl-kr@cs.rpi.edu
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 89 17:18 EST
From: Lokendra Shastri <Shastri@cis.upenn.edu>
Subject: Connectionist AI? - Workshop at IJCAI-89. Call for participation.
IJCAI-89 WORKSHOP
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
CONNECTIONIST AI?
Motivation and Agenda
The focus of the workshop is to define critical issues that
comprise the problem of systematic rule governed processes
and connectionist architectures. The outcome of the workshop
is to elaborate what the problem is and to motivate cross-talk
between the connectionist and AI research communities.
Numerous claims and counter claims have been made about
the nature of connectionist models and how they relate to rule
governed behavior. We feel that some researchers tend to oversimplify
connectionism and underestimate what it has to offer. At the same time
some others make very strong claims about connectionism and tend to
underestimate the complexity of the AI problem and ignore insights
obtained over years of research in AI and cognitive science.
We also feel that some underlying problems in the discussions have
never been raised.
Through this workshop we hope to gain a better understanding of
specific issues related to the integration of rules with
connectionist processing approaches and to be able to more clearly
specify critical problems that need to be addressed if a
reconciliation between the approaches is warranted.
Specific issues to be discussed
Introductory Discussions - (Session I)
1. There are a number of variations on connectionism such as
parallel distributed processing, localist or structured connectionist
models, neural nets. What are the core aspects of connectionist models?
2. What is a rule? Aspects of rules to be addressed include -
structure and representation of rules and control of rule-based
processes.
Reconciling rules with connectionism -- the alternatives? (Session
II)
1. Is there a clash between rules and connectionist architectures?
It is often asserted that connectionist models are "non-symbolic" or
"sub-symbolic", and hence, fundamentally different from traditional AI
approaches. Examine this claim?
2. Should connectionist architectures compute rules? If so, what kind of
rules? If not, how does one reconcile the approach with rules as
characteristics of performance?
Can connectionism contribute to AI? (Session III)
1. It is claimed that connectionism just provides an interesting
implementation paradigm. What is meant by "an implementation
paradigm"? Can an implementation paradigm offer crucial
insights into problems?
2. Evaluate the contributions made by recent work in Connectionism to
central problems in AI such as representation, reasoning, and learning.
Format
Our aim is to gather around 25 experts from within mainstream AI
as well as connectionism to discuss the above issues in depth.
The workshop will consist of three 3-hour discussion sessions spread
over one and a half days There will not be any presentations but only
moderated discussions.
Participation
Participation in the workshop is by invitation only and is limited to
25 persons. Anyone who has published on issues directly related to the
workshop may apply.
Please submit one two page abstract outlining your position on one or more
topics to be discussed and a list of your recent publications on any of
these topics. The abstract should be in 12 point font (the size of this text)
and double spaced. (References may extend beyond the two page limit.)
Send three copies of your submission by APRIL 17, 1989 to:
Lokendra Shastri
Computer and Information Science
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Organizers:
Helen Gigley Lokendra Shastri
Army Audiology and Speech Center Computer and Information Science Dept
Walter Reed Army Medical Center University of Pennsylvania
Washington, D.C. 20012 Philadelphia, PA l9l04
hgigley@note.nsf.gov shastri@cis.upenn.edu
Alan Prince
Psychology Department
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA 02254
prince@brandeis.bitnet
------------------------------
To: nl-kr@cs.rpi.edu
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 89 10:43 EST
From: "Dan Corkill, COINS, UMass 413/545-0156" <CORK@cs.umass.EDU>
Subject: IJCAI-89 Workshop on Blackboard Systems
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
IJCAI-89 Workshop on Blackboard Systems
Sponsored by AAAI
Wednesday, August 23, 1989
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
Description
-----------
The blackboard paradigm is a powerful technique for implementing
today's ambitious AI applications and for integrating diverse problem
solving expertise into a common framework.
The Third Annual Workshop on Blackboard Systems, like its
predecessors, provides an informal forum where researchers in
blackboard technology and developers of blackboard-based applications
exchange ideas, experiences, problems, and inspirations. The aims of
the workshop include: allowing participants to share the latest
results of their research in an informal setting, informing
participants of other researchers working on similar problems or using
similar approaches, and identifying common unsolved research issues.
Topics
------
Topics of interest for the workshop include:
* blackboard systems/shells;
* blackboard control mechanisms/techniques;
* real-time, parallel, and distributed blackboard approaches;
* performance measures for blackboard systems/applications;
* user interfaces/explanation facilities for blackboard systems;
* application development/debugging facilities for blackboard
systems;
* problems associated with fielding a blackboard-based
application;
* novel blackboard-based applications.
Submissions presenting comparison data between blackboard technology
and other AI methodologies or among alternate blackboard-based
approaches are particularly encouraged.
Format
------
The workshop is one-day long and will take place on Wednesday, August
23. Accepted papers will be grouped into three panels based on
content. Each panel will consist of a series of informal paper
presentations followed by a general discussion period. A chair for
each panel will be selected from members of the Workshop Committee.
As with previous years, a proceedings containing complete versions of
the accepted papers will be distributed at the workshop.
Submission Information
----------------------
Workshop invitations will be issued on the basis of extended abstracts
10 pages or less in length. Each extended abstract will be reviewed
by members of the Workshop Committee. At most, 2 invitations will be
issued for each accepted abstract. In keeping with an informal
workshop, the total number of invitations will be limited to 30--35
people.
Workshop Committee
------------------
Larry Baum, Boeing ATC Kevin Gallagher, UMass (co-chair)
Roberto Bisiani, CMU Barbara Hayes-Roth, Stanford
Daniel Corkill, UMass (chair) V. Jagannathan, American Cimflex
Raj Dodhiawala, FMC Victor Lesser, UMass
Robert Engelmore, Stanford Penny Nii, Stanford
Lee Erman,Teknowledge
Important Dates
---------------
May 12, 1989 Extended abstracts must be received
July 3, 1989 Notification of invitation or rejection
July 28, 1989 Completed papers must be received
August 23, 1989 Workshop date
Send four copies of extended abstracts to:
------------------------------------------
Daniel D. Corkill
Department of Computer and Information Science
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
U.S.A.
Internet: Cork@CS.UMass.Edu
Phone: 413/545-0156
FAX: 413/545-1249
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
To: nl-kr@cs.rpi.edu
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 89 13:52:19 PST
From: emma@csli.Stanford.EDU (Emma Pease)
Subject: Job announcement
The following might be of interest to people involved in CSLI.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The University where I work in Australia is currently looking for more
faculty. There are 2 chairs in AI/Computer Science, plus positions for
lecturers and senior lecturers (which are like assistant and associate
professors). The ad follows. If anyone would like more details you can
email to me at ford@csli.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY
Computing and Information Technology
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
TWO CHAIRS
SENIOR LECTURER/LECTURERS
Griffith University has an innovative and rapidly expanding degree programme
in Computing and Information Technology. The University is currently looking
to make a number of senior academic appointments to support new initiatives in
Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, and other aspects of this
programme. Currently there are twenty four faculty positions associated with
teaching in the School of Computing and Information Technology's degree
programme, the Bachelor of Informatics Degree. Major areas of study offered
in the degree programme are Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, and
Microelectronics and Information Systems. Honours, MPhil and PhD degree
programmes are also offered.
Major areas of research include programming methodology, the formal aspects of
program specification and derivation, declarative programming, theoretical
data flow studies, expert systems, natural language processing, artificial
intelligence, computing education, determinants of success and failure in
systems development, human-computer interaction and the social, ethical, and
organizational implications of information technology.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE:
% Professor (2 positions Artificial Intelligence/Computing Science)
% Senior Lecturer )
% Lecturer ) several positions
AREAS WHERE POSITIONS ARE AVAILABLE:
% Artificial Intelligence/Cognitive Science (principally Knowledge
Engineering /Expert Systems)
% Software Engineering
% Project Management
% Networking/Distributed Systems
% Organizational Systems
% Organizational Psychology
% Human Computer Interaction
% Social and Philosophical Aspects of Computing
% Data Base Systems
Applications from other areas of Computing Science will also be considered.
Applications from both women and men are encouraged. Employment benefits
include parental leave and the possibility of access to full-time child care
and after school care.
Applications, which should include a curriculum vitae and the names and
addresses of at least two referees, should be addressed to the Secretary,
Senior Selection Committee (Professorial applicants) or the Divisional
Administrator, Division of Science and Technology (other senior appointments),
Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia. Telephone enquiries
should be directed to the Head of School, School of Computing and Information
Technology (Professor Geoff Dromey) on (07) 274 8010. Closing date for the
Chair Posts is May 31, 1989.
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS (Contains some information relevant only to
the Chair positions -- but of interest to
others)
Griffith University is located on the southern outskirts of Brisbane (11 km
from the City Centre) in the State of Queensland, Australia. Brisbane has a
population of 1,171,340. The University, which is growing rapidly, currently
has nearly 5,000 students.
The Division is the basic academic organizational unit at Griffith University
rather than the traditional discipline-based department. Each Division brings
together faculty staff with training in different academic disciplines, who
focus their research and teaching activities on problems of interest to the
Division. The existing five Divisions within the University are: Australian
Environmental Studies, Commerce and Administration, Humanities, Asian and
International Studies, and Science and Technology.
There are two Schools within the Division of Science and Technology, the
School of Computing and Information Technology and the School of Science. The
School of Computing and Information Technology is responsible for a Bachelor
of Informatics degree while the School of Science offers a Bachelor of Science
degree. MPhil and PhD programmes are also offered. There are over 400
students enrolled in the Bachelor of Informatics programme.
The Bachelor of Informatics degree programme in the School of Computing and
Information Technology involves 3 years of full-time study. In the foundation
year students concentrate their studies in three primary areas - mathematics
and programming methodology, group dynamics and communication skills, and the
social and organizational implications of Information Technology. In the
second and third year, students do core studies plus a specialization in
either Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or Microelectronics and
Information Systems or specializations in any two of these areas. A new
specialization in Microelectronics is planned.
The staff responsible for teaching in the School of Computing and Information
Technology have recently moved into a new Technology Building. The Technology
Building is shared with staff engaged in Microelectronics and Biotechnology
teaching and research.
Current research interests of staff include the formal aspects of program
specification and derivation, declarative programming, theoretical data flow
studies, expert systems, natural language processing, artificial intelligence,
computing education, determinants of success and failure in systems
development, human-computer interaction and the social, ethical, and
organizational implications of information technology.
The State Government Department of Industry Development is establishing a
Research Park next to the University campus which is designed to provide both
an incubation centre and a setting for research laboratories of "high-tech"
companies. A close liaison between the University and firms located in the
Park is seen as highly desirable.
The professorial salary in Australia is presently $58,348 per annum. The
University will assist with the cost of fares and removal expenses and
housing. The successful applicant will be required to join the Superannuation
Scheme for Australian Universities.
Form of Application
Applicants are requested to set out the following information in tabular form:
(a) Full name, address and telephone number (also contact address for the
next three months), telex, FAX, and/or electronic mail if available.
(b) Country of permanent residence.
(c) Date and place of birth.
(d) Citizenship.
(e) Marital status and names and dates of birth of dependent family.
(f) Present appointment. Notice required.
(g) Details of education and professional training and qualifications,
including summary of undergraduate academic record.
(h) Details of teaching, research and industrial experience.
(i) Research interests and list of publications.
(i) Any other relevant information such as offices held in professional
bodies, community service, etc.
(j) Name and address of at least three referees to whom the University may
write direct.
Candidates are also asked to state their views on interdisciplinary and
problem-oriented teaching and research; and to indicate the contribution they
would expect to make in a team engaged in work of this kind.
Applications should be submitted by 31 May 1989 to:
The Secretary Senior Selection Committee Griffith University Nathan Qld 4111
AUSTRALIA
- ------
------------------------------
To: nl-kr@cs.rpi.edu
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 89 17:43:17 pst
From: Ethan Scarl <ethan@atc.boeing.com>
Subject: Re: MBR Workshop Query
Pat,
Your note indicating confusion about the scope of model-based reasoning
(MBR) suggests that the area seems undefined and abitrarily wide,
encompassing all of AI. This seems odd. For example, the first two issues
noted in the Call for Papers are:
* What inference mechanisms take best advantage of explicit structural and
behavioral representations?
* Conversely, what do these inference mechanisms require of a structural
representation or a behavioral simulation?
It is not easy to see how these (or the others) are confusable with all of
AI.
Certainly, MBR may profitably use:
>> mechanical inference, qualitative reasoning, reasoning under uncertainty,
>> machine perception and temporal knowledge representation, among others.
But "to use" does not imply "to encompass," or "to be no different from."
MBR is a subfield of AI and has interconnections like all other subfields.
The boundaries may not always be razor sharp, but that does not imply that
MBR is indistinguishable from other subfields, much less from all of AI.
If the name itself is a source of confusion, then take "Model-Based
Reasoning" to abbreviate lengthier phrases such as "Reasoning from Models
of Structure and Behavior."
In diagnosis, the core idea used in MBR is to compare predictions from a
simulation model of a device with the behavior of the physical device.
Discrepancies are taken to indicate device malfunction. A common
computational technique is to use dependency traces in the simulation model
to track down possibly malfunctioning components and to generate behavioral
hypotheses to render the simulation's predictions compatible with
observations. One interesting consequence of this approach is that a
malfunction is indicated by anything except the expected behavior; this is
quite different from traditional fault modeling, which requires a set of
pre-specified faults.
Simulation models have been used previously, of course; the ones used here
are constrained by the desire to trace dependencies and generate behavioral
hypotheses. This in turn encourages building models that structurally
mimic the device and the constraints upon its operation. E.g., each
component of the model corresponds to a component of the actual device. A
component's behavior is modeled as a transfer function, whose result is
passed to components structurally connected to it.
This is markedly different from modeling systems using differential
equations. It is also clearly distinguished from associative reasoning of
the sort typically captured in production rules, and avoids some serious
difficulties encountered by those approaches (e.g., in discovering and
operating with untrustworthy sensory data).
Beyond diagnosis, the approach has been applied to: generating diagnostics
and distinguishing tests, plan debugging, design, and theory debugging
(supposing that the model is wrong when device and model differ).
As for references, work under this general rubric has been going on for
almost a decade, and there are several landmark papers; an easy place
to start is from Davis and Hamscher's survey in Shrobe's "Exploring AI"
(Morgan Kaufmann, San Mateo, 1988) collection of survey talks from AAAI.
Ethan Scarl Randy Davis
Walter Hamscher Dan Dvorak
- on behalf of the MBR Workshop program committee
------------------------------
End of NL-KR Digest
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