[net.ai] AIList Digest V3 #13

LAWS@SRI-AI.ARPA (02/07/85)

From: AIList Moderator Kenneth Laws <AIList-REQUEST@SRI-AI.ARPA>


AIList Digest             Monday, 4 Feb 1985       Volume 3 : Issue 13

Today's Topics:
  AI Tools - Lisp Machine Graphing/Chart Software & Apple Lisa LISP,
  Philosophy - Philosophical Logic,
  Math - Large Sparse Systems of Linear Equations,
  Lists - Symbolics Users' Group,
  Hardware - Artificial Intelligence Chips,
  Applications - Computer Music & Oriental Languages,
  Culture - True Names,
  Humor - AI Joke Contest,
  Courses - The Scientific Essay (MIT) & AI in Medicine (MIT)
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Date: Thursday, 31 January 1985, 14:32-EST
From: Henry Lieberman <Henry at MIT-OZ>
Subject: Lisp machine graphing/chart software

           [Forwarded from the MIT bboard by SASW@MIT-MC.]

Has anybody got a package for generating graphs and charts
on the Lisp machine [for example, the equivalent of Microsoft Chart]?

------------------------------

Date: 1 Feb 1985  12:35 EST (Fri)
From: Steven Christopher Bagley <BAGLEY%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA>
Subject: LISPs for the Apple Lisa

           [Forwarded from the MIT bboard by SASW@MIT-MC.]

Are there are any reasonable LISP systems available for the Apple
Lisa?  Any pointers, leads, info,.... to Bagley@OZ.

Thanks,
Steve

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 4 Feb 85 20:41:48 -0200
From: eyal%wisdom.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA  (Eyal mozes)
Subject: Request for information

I am looking for information about the application of traditional
philosophical logic (such as Aristotle's rules of the syllogism, or
Mill's laws of inductive logic) in computer science, particularly in
Artificial Intelligence.

I would be very grateful to anyone who can tell me where I can find
any reports about work in this direction, or any papers discussing
possibilities in this area. I would also be grateful for suggestions
about people whose work is close enough to this area to have a good
chance of knowing about such work.

        Eyal Mozes

        BITNET:                         eyal@wisdom
        CSNET and ARPA:                 eyal%wisdom.bitnet@wiscvm.ARPA
        UUCP:                           ..!decvax!humus!wisdom!eyal

------------------------------

Date: Thu 31 Jan 85 21:36:19-PST
From: Jose Brazio <FAT.BRAZIO@SU-SIERRA.ARPA>
Subject: Large sparse systems of linear equations - want information

         [Forwarded from the Stanford bboard by Laws@SRI-AI.]

    I would appreciate if someone could give me some information on
the problem of solving the equilibrium equations for a finite Markov
chain.  That is, I want to solve a system of the form

                        q A = 0

where either A = I - P, with P being the transition probability matrix
of a discrete time Markov chain, or A is the rate transition matrix of a
continuous time Markov chain.  In any case, the matrix A is large (as
large as I can get away with) and sparse, the fraction of nonzero
elements being of the order of ln N / N (N = order of A).  I would
like to know

(1) If there is any solution method especially appropriate (i.e.,
exploiting the special structure of A) for this problem;

(2) Pointers to literature on implementation issues, data structures,
etc.; alternatively, if there is any package with an appropriate
subroutine (neither NAG or IMSL seem to have one).

Thanks.

    Jose Brazio

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 2 Feb 85 01:31 EST
From: Tim Finin <Tim%upenn.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>
Subject: Symbolics Users' Group


I posted a note last week asking about "a network mailing list for users of
Symbolics Lisp machines".  I received several replies pointing me toward
SLUG@UTEXAS-20, a mailing list for the "Symbolics Lisp Users Group". This
mailing list is maintained by Rich Cohen (CMP.COHEN@UTEXAS-20). Requests to
be added to the mailing list should be sent to SLUG-REQUEST@UTEXAS-20 and
submissions to SLUG@UTEXAS-20.

This mailing list reportedly does not see a great deal of traffic
at present.

Tim

------------------------------

Date: Sat 2 Feb 85 22:04:51-PST
From: Ken Laws <Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA>
Subject: Artificial Intelligence Chips

Wayne McGuire (MDC.WAYNE%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC) has called my attention to
a New York Times article by Andrew Pollack, 1/24/85, p. D2,
Chips to Spur Intelligence.  Some excerpts:


[...]  artificial intelligence chips are so close to
reality that this year that, for the first time, a panel will be devoted
to the topic at the international Solid State Circuit Conference, the
annual scientific meeting for microchip designers that will be held in
New York next month.  [...]

     Texas Instruments Inc., which sells a LISP machine, is working
under a Defense Department contract to shrink virtually the entire
machine onto a single chip by 1986.  Symbolics Inc. of Cambridge,
Mass., another vendor of such machines, says it is also working on
shrinking its machine onto a chip over the next several years.  And
Motorola is believed to be considering the development of a LISP
co-processor that would work alongside its 68000 microprocessor and
speed its handling of artificial intelligence tasks.  [...]

     Proximity Technology Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has developed
a chip that looks for similarities between strings of characters.
Today, a computer will be stumped by a simple spelling error in its
instructions.  An intelligent computer, however, when asked to search
a data base for information on "Los Angelees," would recognize that
that probably means "Los Angeles."  [...]  Such pattern-matching chips
could also be useful for speech recognition [...]

Developing a meaningful artificial intelligence chip will require
putting at least 10 million logic elements, or gates, onto a single
piece of silicon, according to Raj Reddy, director of the Robotics
Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.  That is 10 times the number
of elements that can now be put on even the most advanced chips, he
said.  [...]  "By the year 2000, it's reasonable to have one
billion gates on a chip."  [...]

------------------------------

Date: Sat 2 Feb 85 21:50:12-PST
From: Ken Laws <Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA>
Subject: Computer Music

A Stanford bboard item mentioned a 1/29/85 AP article on automated
music transcription.  This may be relevant to the problem of
recognizing bird songs (AIList Vol. 3, No. 10).  Some excerpts:


Computer Prints Mozart From Piano
By STEVE WILSTEIN
Associated Press Writer

    STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Roll over Beethoven, and take a look at a
computer that can transcribe Mozart just by ''listening'' to a piano.
    An artificial intelligence program developed by Stanford University
printed out a minuet from a Mozart symphony, complete with accents,
meters and notes on a five-line staff, researchers said Tuesday.
    The computer has a bit more trouble with the syncopation of ragtime
or the funk of Michael Jackson, and can't transcribe harmony. But
researchers believe polyphony is less than two years away, and
computer jam sessions may be possible.
    ''It shows there is really good potential,'' said research associate
Bernard Mont-Reynaud. ''We've had success with the single voice. Now
we're gearing up with new machines to do polyphonic transcription. We
should be able to do a full piano piece or string quartet within 1 1/2
years.''  [...]
    ''My hope is these things will connect someday,'' Mont-Reynaud said.
''You can play something, it gets analyzed, and software transforms
it and responds. A musician and a computer can play together.''

------------------------------

Date: 1 Feb 85 05:59:30 EST
From: Ping.Kang.Hsiung@CMU-CS-UNH
Subject: a good article on IEEE COMPUTER

           [Forwarded from the CMU bboard by Laws@SRI-AI.]

For those who are interested in gaining some knowledge on
the Chinese/Japanese/Korean languages, the article written
by Joseph Becker in Jan 85's   *IEEE Computer*  provides an
extremely rare opportunity.

This paper highlights the features of the idiographic
writing systems, and gives intelligent description of
the structure of written and spoken Chinese/Kanji.
It also discusses some possible approaches and related
problems to "computerize" these languages--which used
to be, and still are the subject of calligraphic creation.

Mr. Becker is a remarkable reseacher in this field as
well as an excellent writter. His paper is well organized,
easy to read, yet gives very precise illustration of some
certain abstract concepts in these beautiful languages.
His previous article dealing with a similar topic and
published on June, 1984's *Scientific American* is also
very good.

(As a person who holds Chinese as his mother-tongue,
 i actually feel quite embarrassed by the fact that
 here is this *foreigner* who studys my language
 so deep and detailed, such that i have to from time
 to time stop reading and think for a while before
 agree with him.)

------------------------------

Date: 30 Jan 85 09:54 PST
From: Tom Perrine <tom@LOGICON.ARPA>
Subject: "True Names"

Vernor Vinge's classic SF/AI novella is back in print!  The latest
edition is from Bluejay Books, in a larger-format paperback.  This
edition features an afterword by Dr.  Marvin Minsky.  The book is worth
buying just for the afterword, although I originally bought the book
because I was familiar with the story.  The book was a Hugo nominee
several years ago (1981, I think).

I strongly recommend it to anyone in the Cognitive Science field.
(Actually, I recommend it to *everyone* I know.)

Tom Perrine
"tom@logicon.arpa"

------------------------------

Date: Fri 1 Feb 85 11:46:39-EST
From: Bob Hall <RJH%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA>
Subject: AI JOKES (with a twist)

           [Forwarded from the MIT bboard by SASW@MIT-MC.]

Well, the AI Joke Contest is winding down and so far the response has
been minimal (but non-zero).  There IS still time to enter, but
there is now a deadline of postmark by Feb. 25.  Since there has
been some griping about actually having to find a stamp and some
paper, I HAVE AGREED TO BE A NETWORK ADDRESS FOR ENTRIES.  So
send 'em to me, rjh@oz, and I'll send 'em in for ya.  Include all
the same info.  Here's a reminder ...

                         AI Joke Contest

Come up with a good cocktail-party-worthy joke about some aspect of
AI and win a U.C., Berkeley T-shirt!  Enter as many times as you like.
Winner (exactly one) will be judged solely on the number of ``HA''s
evoked from the impartial panel of judges.  Ties will be broken by
earliest postmark and contest ends Feb 25, 1985.

To be eligible for a prize, you must include your address and t-shirt size.
Entries become property of the judges.

To Enter:

Mail via US Mail your entry in any legible format to
(or send via net mail to rjh@oz)

                       AI Jokes
                       1717 Allston Way
                       Berkeley, CA  94703

Enter Now!

------------------------------

Date: 31 Jan 1985 2117-EST (Thursday)
From: dndobrin@mit-charon (David N. Dobrin)
Subject: Course - The Scientific Essay  (MIT)

           [Forwarded from the MIT bboard by SASW@MIT-MC.]

Name:  21.780    The Scientific Essay

Time:  TR  3:30 - 5:00
Place:  4-260 (Probably)


    This is simultaneously a historical course in essays on the mind and
a writing course, for people who write sentences like this one and wish
they wouldn't.  The reading begins with James and Freud.  It then moves
to artificial intelligence and cognitive science--the usual Tuuring,
Simon, Minsky, Fodor stuff, with the addition of (dare I say it)
Dreyfus and Searle.  The writing is partly on the essays and partly on
anything you want.  (If you have something you've got to get done, you
can write it in this class.)

    The course is designed for undergraduates.  Taking courses with
similar reading (24.09) is helpful, but not required.

------------------------------

Date: 28 January 1985 16:40-EST
From: Rosemary B. Hegg <ROSIE @ MIT-MC>
Subject: Course - AI in Medicine  (MIT)

           [Forwarded from the MIT bboard by SASW@MIT-MC.]

SPRING TERM SEMINAR

The following course will be offered next term:

6.891  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MEDICINE (A)


Prereq: 6.824 or equivalent.  6.871 in addition is recommended.
G(2)
3-0-9
Friday 9-12, Room 26-314.
Enrollmment may be limited to preserve a seminar atmosphere.

This seminar course will explore the state of the art of AI in
medicine research.  Much of the methodology of ``expert systems'' was
first developed for medical applications, and the field of medicine
continues to provide excellent problems for challenging AI work.  The
intent of this course is to assess the accomplishments of over a decade
of work in this field, to identify and study those problems now thought
to be central to further progress, and to review the most interesting
current approaches to these problems.  Topics to be covered include:

1. The rationale for medical reasoning systems; their possible use
as error-detectors, consultants and teachers; historical non-AI
approaches to medical decision making.  Pragmatic constraints and
opportunities provided by the needs of the health-care system.

2. A rapid review of the original AI programs for medicine, looking
at the strengths and weaknesses of simple rule-based reasoning programs
such as MYCIN and simple frame-matching programs such as
INTERNIST and PIP.

3. Consideration of knowledge representations that make explicit the
anatomical, physiological, temporal and causal inter-relationships in
medicine; new reasoning methods (e.g., CADUCEUS) that can exploit
a number of these representations.

4. Reasoning at multiple levels of detail, thus integrating
reasoning based on associations drawn from experience with reasoning
based on an analysis of the structure and function of the body (e.g.,
ABEL.)

5. Analysis of the generic problem solving tasks (e.g.,
classification, construction, debugging) in diagnostic and therapeutic
reasoning, and consideration of programs that adapt their methods to the
problem at hand.

6. Generation of explanations and justifications of a program's
knowledge, reasoning strategies, and conclusions.

7. Knowledge acquisition.  Learning from textbooks, by disagreement
with experts, and from experience.  Analysis of protocols of expert
behavior.


This seminar will be an advanced-level course, intended only for
students with a strong artificial intelligence background.
The
textbook will be "Readings in Medical Artificial Intelligence: The
First Decade" by Clancey and Shortliffe, and a large number of
additional papers.

Each student will write a
substantial term paper, and there will be short (?) research problems
that involve building small systems.


Instructor: Prof. Peter Szolovits, NE43-365, 3-3476,

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End of AIList Digest
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