This book builds on decades of research and provides contemporary theoretical foundations for practical applications to intelligent technologies and advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Reflecting the growing realization that computational models of human reasoning and interactions can be improved by integrating heterogeneous information resources and AI techniques, its ultimate goal is to promote integrated computational approaches to intelligent computerized systems. The book covers a range of interrelated topics, in particular, computational reasoning, language, syntax, semantics, memory, and context information. The respective chapters use and develop logically oriented methods and techniques, and the topics selected are from those areas of logic that contribute to AI and provide its mathematical foundations. The intended readership includes researchers working in the areas of traditional logical foundations, and on new approaches to intelligent computational systems.

Artificial and Mathematical Theory of Computation is a collection of papers that discusses the technical, historical, and philosophical problems related to artificial intelligence and the mathematical theory of computation. Papers cover the logical approach to artificial intelligence; knowledge representation and common sense reasoning; automated deduction; logic programming; nonmonotonic reasoning and circumscription. One paper suggests that the design of parallel programming languages will invariably become more sophisticated as human skill in programming and software developments improves to attain faster running programs. An example of metaprogramming to systems concerns the design and control of operations of factory devices, such as robots and numerically controlled machine tools. Metaprogramming involves two design aspects: that of the activity of a single device and that of the interaction with other devices. One paper cites the application of artificial intelligence pertaining to the project "proof checker for first-order logic" at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Another paper explains why the bisection algorithm widely used in computer science does not work. This book can prove valuable to engineers and researchers of electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering, as well as, for computer programmers and designers of industrial processes.

How can human-level artificial intelligence be achieved? What are the potential consequences? This book describes a research approach toward achieving human-level AI, combining a doctoral thesis and research papers by the author. The research approach, called TalaMind, involves developing an AI system that uses a 'natural language of thought' based on the unconstrained syntax of a language such as English; designing the system as a collection of concepts that can create and modify concepts to behave intelligently in an environment; and using methods from cognitive linguistics for multiple levels of mental representation. Proposing a design-inspection alternative to the Turing Test, these pages discuss 'higher-level mentalities' of human intelligence, which include natural language understanding, higher-level forms of learning and reasoning, imagination, and consciousness. Dr. Jackson gives a comprehensive review of other research, addresses theoretical objections to the proposed approach and to achieving human-level AI in principle, and describes a prototype system that illustrates the potential of the approach. This book discusses economic risks and benefits of AI, considers how to ensure that human-level AI and superintelligence will be beneficial for humanity, and gives reasons why human-level AI may be necessary for humanity's survival and prosperity.

The past 50 years have witnessed a revolution in computing and related communications technologies. The contributions of industry and university researchers to this revolution are manifest; less widely recognized is the major role the federal government played in launching the computing revolution and sustaining its momentum. Funding a Revolution examines the history of computing since World War II to elucidate the federal government's role in funding computing research, supporting the education of computer scientists and engineers, and equipping university research labs. It reviews the economic rationale for government support of research, characterizes federal support for computing research, and summarizes key historical advances in which government-sponsored research played an important role. Funding a Revolution contains a series of case studies in relational databases, the Internet, theoretical computer science, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality that demonstrate the complex interactions among government, universities, and industry that have driven the field. It offers a series of lessons that identify factors contributing to the success of the nation's computing enterprise and the government's role within it.

Constraint-based reasoning is an important area of automated reasoning in artificial intelligence, with many applications. These include configuration and design problems, planning and scheduling, temporal and spatial reasoning, defeasible and causal reasoning, machine vision and language understanding, qualitative and diagnostic reasoning, and expert systems. Constraint-Based Reasoning presents current work in the field at several levels: theory, algorithms, languages, applications, and hardware. Constraint-based reasoning has connections to a wide variety of fields, including formal logic, graph theory, relational databases, combinatorial algorithms, operations research, neural networks, truth maintenance, and logic programming. The ideal of describing a problem domain in natural, declarative terms and then letting general deductive mechanisms synthesize individual solutions has to some extent been realized, and even embodied, in programming languages. Contents Introduction, E. C. Freuder, A. K. Mackworth * The Logic of Constraint Satisfaction, A. K. Mackworth * Partial Constraint Satisfaction, E. C. Freuder, R. J. Wallace * Constraint Reasoning Based on Interval Arithmetic: The Tolerance Propagation Approach, E. Hyvonen * Constraint Satisfaction Using Constraint Logic Programming, P. Van Hentenryck, H. Simonis, M. Dincbas * Minimizing Conflicts: A Heuristic Repair Method for Constraint Satisfaction and Scheduling Problems, S. Minton, M. D. Johnston, A. B. Philips, and P. Laird * Arc Consistency: Parallelism and Domain Dependence, P. R. Cooper, M. J. Swain * Structure Identification in Relational Data, R. Dechter, J. Pearl * Learning to Improve Constraint-Based Scheduling, M. Zweben, E. Davis, B. Daun, E. Drascher, M. Deale, M. Eskey * Reasoning about Qualitative Temporal Information, P. van Beek * A Geometric Constraint Engine, G. A. Kramer * A Theory of Conflict Resolution in Planning, Q. Yang A Bradford Book.

With all the material available in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and soft computing-texts, monographs, and journal articles-there remains a serious gap in the literature. Until now, there has been no comprehensive resource accessible to a broad audience yet containing a depth and breadth of information that enables the reader to fully understand and readily apply AI and soft computing concepts. Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing fills this gap. It presents both the traditional and the modern aspects of AI and soft computing in a clear, insightful, and highly comprehensive style. It provides an in-depth analysis of mathematical models and algorithms and demonstrates their applications in real world problems. Beginning with the behavioral perspective of "human cognition," the text covers the tools and techniques required for its intelligent realization on machines. The author addresses the classical aspects-search, symbolic logic, planning, and machine learning-in detail and includes the latest research in these areas. He introduces the modern aspects of soft computing from first principles and discusses them in a manner that enables a beginner to grasp the subject. He also covers a number of other leading aspects of AI research, including nonmonotonic and spatio-temporal reasoning, knowledge acquisition, and much more. Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing: Behavioral and Cognitive Modeling of the Human Brain is unique for its diverse content, clear presentation, and overall completeness. It provides a practical, detailed introduction that will prove valuable to computer science practitioners and students as well as to researchers migrating to the subject from other disciplines.