Download Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Wu Dian
September 8, 2010
Professor Craig Graci
Csc416
BQS 1 – “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence”
This assignment is answering a series of questions after reading chapter 1
of Ben Coppin’s Artificial Intelligence Illuminated. In this chapter, the
book mainly introduces the background of Artificial Intelligence and
described why Artificial Intelligence is closely connected with other fields
such as philosophy, linguistics, psychology, and biology. The questions are
really helpful to understand the important concepts about Artificial
Intelligence.
GRADE = ( X + N + LF + A + R ) = ( 72 + 13 + 5 + 5 + 5 ) = 100
1. Question:
The chapter opens with a quote by Henri Poincare that I like a lot. I hope that you do
too! Regardless, write a 3-5 sentence biographical sketch of Poincare which suggests
why AI researchers might be interested in at least some of his ideas. Be sure to cite
your sources.
Answer:
Henri Poincare was a French mathematician, theoretical physicist, and a science. He
is often described as a polymath, and in mathematics as The Last Universalist, since
he excelled in all fields of the discipline as it existed during his lifetime (1). Since AI
is based on many other fields like philosophy, linguistics, psychology, and biology, it's
necessary for AI researchers to have interest in some of Henri Poincare’s ideas.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Poincar%C3%A9
2.Question:
Search on-line for someone's definition of intelligence that you believe has merit.
Strive to find one that is both insightful and interesting -- and somewhat distinctive!
Write down the definition along with the name of the individual with whom it is
associated.
Answer:
“Intelligence is the ability to use optimally limited resources – including time – to
achieve goals.” R. Kurzweil
R. Kurzweil The age of spiritual machines: When computers exceed human
intelligence. Penguin, 2000.
3.Question:
Of the definitions of AI presented in class, which do you like best? Why?
Answer:
I like this definition: Artificial Intelligence involves using methods based on the
intelligent behavior of humans and other animals to solve complex problems. To my
mind, the aim of studying Artificial Intelligence is to solve complex problems in daily
life. The machine should have intelligent behavior of humans and other animals at
some aspects, but they don't have to behave like a real man.
4.Question:
Characterize strong AI.
Answer:
Strong AI: The followers of strong AI believe that by giving a computer program
sufficient processing power, and by providing it with enough intelligence, one can
create a computer that can literally think and is conscious in the same way that a
human is conscious.
5.Question:
Characterize weak AI.
Answer:
Weak AI is simply the view that intelligent behavior can be modeled and used by
computers to solve complex problems. This point of view argues that just because a
computer behaves intelligently does not prove that it is actually intelligent in the way
that a human is.
6.Question:
What is a strong method in the context of AI research and practice?
Answer:
A strong method of problem solving depends on a system being given a great deal of
knowledge about its world and the problems that it might encounter. Strong method
problem solving depends on the weak methods because a system with knowledge is
useless without some methodology for handling that knowledge.
7.Question:
What is a weak method in the context of AI research and practice?
Answer:
Weak methods in Artificial Intelligence use systems such as logic, automated
reasoning, and other general structures that can be applied to a wide range of
problems but that do not necessarily incorporate any real knowledge about the world
of the problem that is being solved.
8.Question:
Write a one paragraph (50-100 words, not including references) historical survey of
"logic and reason" which features just three individuals: Aristotle, Leibniz, and J.
Alan Robinson. Chronologically, introduce each individual and as you do say
something about their main contribution to development of logic and its application to
thinking and problem solving. Be sure to cite your source.
Answer:
As we all know Aristotle, Leibniz, and J. Alan Robinson made enormous
contributions to the development of logic and its application to thinking and problem
solving.
All of Aristotle's logic revolves around one notion: the deduction. He invented the
idea of the syllogism which was developed and expanded on by later philosophers.
For example,
Every X is a Y.
Every Y is a Z.
Therefore, every X is a Z. (1)
Leibniz is a German mathematician and philosopher. He invented the idea of
developing a formal mathematical language for reasoning. This kind of language
allows us to present problems and try to solve them with precise standard
expression. Though Leibniz didn't create this language, his work provided the
basis for the propositional and predicate logics that are so important to Artificial
Intelligence research today (2).
John Alan Robinson is a philosopher (by training), mathematician and computer
scientist. It was at Argonne that Robinson became interested in automated theorem
proving and developed unification and the resolution principle. Resolution and
unification have since been incorporated in many automated theorem-proving systems
and are the basis for the inference mechanisms used in logic programming and the
programming language Prolog (3).
[1] http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Aristotle/AristotelianLogic.html
[2] text book "Artificial.Intelligence.Illuminated "
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Alan_Robinson
9.Question:
Write a 3-5 sentence biographical sketch of Alan Turing which suggests why AI
researchers might be interested in at least some of his ideas. Be sure to cite your
sources.
Answer:
Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS (23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954), was an English
mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist. He was influential in the
development of computer science and providing a formalization of the concept of the
algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, playing a significant role in the
creation of the modern computer (1). The Turing test is a test of a machine's ability to
demonstrate intelligence (2). It's an effective way to test the machine's degree of
intelligence.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test
10.Question:
What is Cartesian Dualism?
Answer:
In the 17th century, the great philosopher René Descartes was a strong believer in
dualism, the idea that the universe consists of mind and matter. Descartes’s view was
that the mind (or soul) was entirely separate from the physical body and not
constrained by it in any way.
11.Question:
How does Chomsky's "Syntactic Structures" related to artificial intelligence?
Answer:
Chomsky's theory of Syntactic Structures was a formal theory of the structure of
human language and attempted to provide a structure for human knowledge, based on
the knowledge of language. In his book almost all of the techniques described depend
on a formal method of representation for knowledge that enables a computer to use
information from the world. Hence, the two fields, linguistics and Artificial
Intelligence, join together.
12Question:
Characterize cognitive psychology. Characterize behaviorism. Explicitly state the
principle distinction between cognitive psychology and behaviorism.
Answer:
Cognitive psychology is based on the idea that the human brain uses knowledge or
information that it is capable of processing in order to solve problems, make decisions,
draw conclusions, and carry out other intelligent acts. Behaviorism relates behavior
directly to stimuli, without taking into account knowledge or information that might
be contained in the brain. This is the kind of psychology that Pavlov demonstrated in
his famous experiment with dogs.
13.Question:
This three part question appears as Review Question 1.7 in your text.
(a) What do you think led mankind to embark upon the study of Artificial
Intelligence?
(b) Which fields of study particularly fed into it?
(c)
What human desires did the study of Artificial Intelligence seek to satisfy?
Answer:
(a) Humans have been seeking methods to expand their physical power. Such as cars,
aircrafts, cranes and so on. It is also a dream for humans to invent some machines to
increase their efficiency of intellectual work. Because machines are more efficient
than humans, they won't feel tired. We can imagine the interpreters who can translate
a book in one second, the doctors who never make medical errors, and the
experimenters who never get sick even under the radiation. It will absolutely benefit
people's life. Therefore, the study of artificial intelligence happens quite naturally.
(b) The propositional and predicate logics.
(c) With the development of the technology, material requisite may not be the problem.
In my opinion, eventually, the study of Artificial Intelligence will seek to satisfy the
affection need of people.