[net.ai] Seminar - Learning Equation Solving Methods

MSIMS@RUTGERS.ARPA (06/13/84)

From:  Michael Sims  <MSIMS@RUTGERS.ARPA>

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


                  machine learning brown bag seminar

Title: Learning Equations Solving Methods from Worked Examples

Speaker:      Bernard Silver
              Dept. of Artificial Intelligence
              University of Edinburgh

Date:         Wednesday, June 27, 1984, 12:00-1:30
Location:     Hill Center, 7th floor lounge


       This talk will describe LP, a program that learns new techniques for
    solving  equations  by  examining  worked examples.  Unlike most of the
    work in this field, where the equations have been very simple, LP  uses
    equations  of A level standard (A levels are exams taken at 18, and are
    used for university selection.)

       In order to be able to successfully use a new technique,  LP  learns
    many  different types of information.  At the lowest level, LP compares
    consecutive lines in the worked example,  finding  differences  between
    them.  This allows the program to learn new rewrite rules.

       LP  also  tries  to  discover  the  strategic  purpose of each step,
    expressed in terms of  satisfying  preconditions  of  following  steps.
    From  this  viewpoint,  the  worked example can also be considered as a
    type of plan for solving the  equation.    LP  extracts  the  necessary
    information,  and  builds  a  plan  which is stored for future use.  LP
    executes the plan in a flexible way to solve new equations.