[comp.ai.digest] Seminar - Analogical Transformation Extension

Steven.Minton@CAD.CS.CMU.EDU.UUCP (04/02/87)

Wei-Min Shen is giving this week's seminar. As usual, we will meet
in 7220 at 3:15 on Friday. Here's the abstract:


		Analogical Transformation Extention
			and its Applications

One of the aspects of learning by analogy is concerned with constructing and
generalizing a transformation in the source domain and productively using it
in the target domain. In this talk, we will discuss a preliminary approach,
ATE, to the problem and its applications to: (1) creating new operators
(more general than Macro-Operators) in AI discovery systems; and (2) solving
problems in Geometric-Analogy Intelligence-Tests.

For the first application, we will discuss in detail an implemented system,
ARE. It starts with a small set of creative operations and a small set of
heuristics, and uses ATE to create all the concepts attained by Lenat's AM
system, and others as well. Besides showing a way to meet the criticisms of
lack of parsimony that have been leveled against AM, the ARE system provides
a route to discovery systems that are capable of "refreshing" themselves
indefinitely by continually creating new operators.

For the second application, we will compare the ATE approach with the method
used by Evans in his program for solving problems in Geometric-Analogy
Intelligence-Tests, and show that the ATE approach can solve the problems
more efficiently.

This discussion is a report on an ongoing project.  We will appreciate any
suggestions and comments. In case I cannot answer your hard questions, I
will bring some delicious chinese rice pudding as my defence.