11.1621, Confs: NLP/PRICAI 2000, Tutorials

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-11-1621. Wed Jul 26 2000. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 11.1621, Confs: NLP/PRICAI 2000, Tutorials

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=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Wed, 26 Jul 2000 12:02:38 +1000
From:  achim at cse.unsw.edu.au (Achim Hoffmann)
Subject:  2nd Call for Participation: PRICAI2000 in Melbourne, Australia

2)
Date:  Wed, 26 Jul 2000 12:02:38 +1000
From:  achim at cse.unsw.edu.au (Achim Hoffmann)
Subject:  Tutorial Announcement at PRICAI2000 in Melbourne, Australia

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Wed, 26 Jul 2000 12:02:38 +1000
From:  achim at cse.unsw.edu.au (Achim Hoffmann)
Subject:  2nd Call for Participation: PRICAI2000 in Melbourne, Australia



 =========================================================================

                       2nd CALL  FOR  PARTICIPATION

   Sixth Pacific Rim International Conference on Artificial Intelligence
                (PRICAI 2000 Co-located with RoboCup 2000)

                    August 28 - September 1, 2000

                     Melbourne Convention Centre
                   Cnr Flinders & Spencer Streets
                   Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

                 (http://www3.cm.deakin.edu.au/pricai/)
 ==========================================================================


AUDIENCE

This conference addresses a large and diverse constituency of Artificial Intelligence
practitioners, researchers, educators, and users.


The Pacific Rim International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (PRICAI)
is the leading conference in the Pacific Rim region for presentation of
research in Artificial Intelligence, including its applications to problems
of social and economic importance. The objectives of PRICAI are:

  to provide a forum for the introduction and discussion of new research
  results, concepts, & technologies;

  to provide practising engineers exposure to and an evaluation of evolving
  research, tools, and practices;

  to provide the research community exposure to the problems of practical
  applications of AI; and

  to encourage the exchange of AI technologies and experience within Pacific
  Rim countries.

PRICAI 2000 attempts to meet the needs of a large and diverse constituency,
which includes researchers, practitioners, educators, and users. Topics of
PRICAI 2000 include:

Abduction                          Knowledge discovery & Data mining
Adaptive interface                 Knowledge management
Agents                             Knowledge representation
AI architectures                   Logic programming
Artificial life                    Machine learning
Bayesian networks                  Machine translation
Belief revision                    Mobile agents
Cognitive modelling                Model-based reasoning
CSCW and AI                        Multimedia and AI
Common sense reasoning             Multiagent systems
Computational complexity           Music and AI
Computational learning theory      Natural language processing
Complex systems                    Neural networks
Computer-aided education           Nonmonotonic reasoning
Constraint satisfaction            Ontological engineering
Decision theory                    Planning
Description logics                 Probabilistic reasoning
Distributed AI                     Qualitative reasoning
Emergent computing                 Real-time systems
Foundation of AI                   Reinforcement learning
Fuzzy Logics                       Robotics
Game playing                       Scientific discovery
Genetic algorithms                 Search
Image processing                   Software engineering and AI
Induction                          Spatial reasoning
Industrial applications of AI      Speech and spoken dialog understanding
Intelligent CAD                    Temporal reasoning
Intelligent information gathering  Text analysis
Intelligent learning environment   Theorem proving
Internet and AI                    User modelling
Knowledge acquisition,             Virtual reality
  modeling and validation          Vision
Knowledge-based systems            Aspects of AI not otherwise listed



Invited speakers
- ---------------------------------

(1) Professor Nick Jennings
  Dept. of Electronic Engineering
  Queen Mary & Westfield College
  University of London

title:Automated Haggling: Building Artificial Negotiators

(2) Prof. Shun-ichi Amari
  RIKEN Brain Science Institute
  Director of Brain-Style Information Systems Research Group
  Laboratory for Information Synthesis, Head
  Japan

title:Information Geometry of Neural Networks

(3) Randy Goebel
  Professor of Department of Computing Science
  University of Alberta

title:Knowledge representation, belief revision, and the challenge of optimality.

(4) Qiang Yang
  Professor of the School of Computing Science
  Simon Fraser University (SFU), British Columbia
  Canada

title:New-generation Search and Information Retrieval on the Web


Contact Information
- -----------------
For PC matters, please contact:
Riichiro Mizoguchi
PC Co-Chair
Email: miz at ei.sanken.osaka-u.ac.jp
The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research
Osaka University
8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047 Japan
Phone:  +81-6-6879-8415, 2125
Fax:    +81-6-6879-2126
URL: http://www.ei.sanken.osaka-u.ac.jp/

For general information, please contact:
Marg Scarlett
PRICAI 2000 Conference Secretariat
C/- The Conference Organisers Pty Ltd
PO Box 1127
Sandringham   Victoria 3191
AUSTRALIA

        Ph:     +61 3 9521 8881
        Fax:    +61 3 9521 8889
        Email:  conforg at ozemail.com.au

Latest information regarding PRICAI 2000 is available at
http://www3.cm.deakin.edu.au/pricai/.

- ----------------------------------
Conference Organisation:

General chair: Geoffrey Webb (Deakin Univ.)
Program committee Co-chairs: Riichiro Mizoguchi (Osaka Univ.)
                             John Slaney (Australian National Univ.)
Organising chair: Chengqi Zhang (Deakin Univ.)
Workshop chair: Huan Liu (National University of Singapore)
Tutorial chair: Eric Tsui (Computer Sciences Corporation)
Publicity chair: Achim Hoffmann (University of New South Wales)


Program Committee Members:

Edward Altman, Kent Ridge Digital Labs, Singapore
Sung-Bae Cho, Yonsei University, Korea
John Debenham, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
Norman Foo, University of New South Wales, Australia
Scott D. Goodwin, University of Regina, Canada
Jieh Hsiang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Mitsuru Ishizuka University of Tokyo, Japan
David Israel, SRI International, USA
Shyam Kapur, Infoseek, USA
Shigenobu Kobayashi, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Alfred Kobsa, GMD FIT, Germany
Jae Kyu Lee, KAIST, Korea
Dayou Liu, Jilin University, P. R. China
H. Lee-Kwang, KAIST, Korea
Hing-Yan Lee, Kent Ridge Digital Labs, Singapore
Chee-Kit Looi, Kent Ridge Digital Labs, Singapore
Yuji Matsumoto, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
Satoru Miyano, University of Tokyo, Japan
Hideyuki Nakashima, ETL, Japan
Fred Popowich, Simon Fraser University, Canada
R. Sadananda, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
M. Sasikumar, National Centre for Software Technology, India
Zhongzhi Shi, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. R. China
Keith Stenning, Edinburgh University, UK
Leon Sterling, University of Melbourne, Australia
Benjamin Watson, University of Alberta, Canada
Albert Wu, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, P. R. China
Takahira Yamaguchi, Shizuoka University, Japan
Wai-kiang Yeap, University of Otago, New Zealand
Ingrid Zukerman, Monash University, Australia


-------------------------------- Message 2 -------------------------------

Date:  Wed, 26 Jul 2000 12:02:38 +1000
From:  achim at cse.unsw.edu.au (Achim Hoffmann)
Subject:  Tutorial Announcement at PRICAI2000 in Melbourne, Australia


            TUTORIALS  AT  PRICAI2000

on 28 & 29 August 2000, before the conference (30 August - 1 September 2000)



T1: The role of Artificial Intelligence in Knowledge Management by Eric Tsui
(28/8/2000 Morning)

Summary

Knowledge Management (KM) is an emerging field rapidly gaining
momentum both in the research arena and the business community.
This tutorial begins with a review of the dominant trends in the
development of Corporate Knowledge Management by linking recent
work to the background of researchers. A number of AI
areas/techniques are finding their way as strong enablers of KM.
Most noticeably, Intelligent Agents, Information Filtering and
Ontologies. Common KM applications will be described and these
include, among others, knowledge maps and corporate memories in
product development, software re-use, business processes and
knowledge communities. Challenges and predictions for KM will also
be outlined. This tutorial is especially suited to practitioners and
researchers who want to learn about the field of KM and the major
contributions of AI research and applications to this new field.

Biography of presenter

Eric Tsui joined the Expert Systems Group of Computer Sciences
Corporation (CSC) in 1989 after years of academic research in
automated knowledge acquisition, case-based reasoning and
knowledge engineering tools. He practices KM to CSC clients as well
as designs and delivers KM courses for two universities. He is also
the primary guest editor of the KBS Journal (Elsevier)'s forthcoming
Special Issue on AI in KM. His qualifications include B.Sc.(Hons.),
PhD, MBA and is an adjunct of the University of Sydney and
University of Technology, Sydney.



T2: Language Technology: Applications and Techniques by Associate
Professor

Robert Dale (28/8/2000 Afternoon)

Context and Motivation

Language Technology is the new millenniums practically-focussed rebirth of natural
language processing, covering applications from optical character recognition to
sophisticated spoken language dialog systems and intelligent search engines. Language
Technology is widely perceived by the IT industry to be a fundamental enabling technology
that will both enable smarter interfaces and provide assistance in overcoming the
information overload of the Internet age.

Tutorial Aims and Content

This tutorial aims to provide the attendee with a broad awareness of actual and potential
Language Technology applications, along with a framework for thinking about these
applications in terms of the linguistic resources they need. Attendees will acquire an
understanding of the scale of development required for different kinds of applications,
along with an appreciation of what constitutes a feasible application. Frequent reference
will be made to commercial applications, with corresponding critiques aimed at showing
how to assess claims made by vendors.

Biography of Presenter

Robert Dale has an international research reputation in natural language processing, and
particularly in natural language generation; he has presented numerous tutorials on these
topics at international conferences. He is author of over 50 journal and conference papers,
and is author and editor of a number of books in the area; most recently Building Natural
Language Generation Systems (Reiter and Dale 2000; Cambridge University Press) and the
forthcoming Handbook of Natural Language Processing: Tools and Techniques (Dale,
Moisl and Somers [eds], Dekker Publishing). He teaches part time at Macquarie University,
and is Director of Language Technology Pty Ltd, a consultancy focussing on cutting-edge
speech and language applications.



T3: Introduction to Minimum Length Encoding Inference by Dr. David Dowe
(29/8/2000 Morning)

Summary

The tutorial will be on Minimum Length Encoding, encompassing both
Minimum Message Length (MML) and Minimum Description Length (MDL)
inductive inference. This work is information-theoretic in nature,
with a broad range of applications in machine learning, statistics,
"knowledge discovery" and "data mining". We discuss the following
topics: statistical parameter estimation;

       mixture modelling (or clustering) of continuous, discrete and circular data;
       clustering with correlated attributes;
       learning decision trees;
       learning decision trees with Markov model leaf regressions;
       learning probabilistic finite state machines;

and possibly other problems if time permits. We will also show the
successes of MML compared to other methods both in fitting polynomial
functions and in modelling and fitting an alternating binary
process. MML is statistically consistent and efficient, meaning that
it converges as quickly as is possible to any true underlying
data-generating process. It is also invariant under 1-to-1
re-parameterisation of the problem and has a better than good track
record in problems of machine learning, statistics and ``data
mining''. Some of the above machine learning techniques will then be
applied to real-world problems, such as protein structure prediction
and the human genome project, lossless image compression, exploration
geology, business forecasting, market inefficiency and natural
language. Passing mention will be made of foundational issues such as
connections to Kolmogorov-Solomonoff-Chaitin complexity (see recent
special issue of the Computer Journal), universal modelling and
(probabilistic) prediction.

 Biography of presenter

Dr David Dowe works primarily with Lloyd Allison, Trevor Dix, Chris
Wallace and others in the Minimum Message Length (MML) group at the
School of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Monash
University. Most of his work for the past 9 years has been in the
theory and applications of the (information-theoretic) MML principle
of statistical and inductive inference and machine learning (and
"knowledge discovery" and "data mining"), a principle which dates back
to Wallace and Boulton (Comp. J., 1968), and which has been surveyed
more recently in Wallace and Freeman (J. Roy. Stat. Soc., 1987) and
Wallace and Dowe (Comp. J., 1999).

David was Program Chair of the Information, Statistics and Induction
in Science (ISIS) conference, held in Melbourne, Australia on 20-23
August 1996; attended by R. J.  Solomonoff, C. S. Wallace,
J. J. Rissanen, J. R. Quinlan, Marvin Minsky, and others.



 T4: Case-Based Reasoning in the Finance and Service Sectors by Ian Watson
(29/8/2000 Morning)

Summary

Case-based reasoning (CBR) has long been successfully used in customer
support applications, in particular in help-desks for the technical
support of products and services via the Internet. Therefore, it is a
natural extension for CBR to support the selection, customisation and
sale of products and services in e-commerce systems in what is being
termed customer relationship management (CRM). This tutorial will
introduce attendees to the concepts underpinning CBR and illustrate
why its concepts of similarity, reuse, adaptation and retention are so
appropriate to CRM. A framework for the delivery of intelligent
services for e-commerce systems based on CBR, XML and Java will be
illustrated with fielded systems operating in many application areas,
including: finance, real estate, travel agencies and used car sales.

Biography of presenter

Ian Watson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science
at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Ian was the founder of
AI-CBR (www.ai-cbr.org) the leading Internet site for CBR researchers
and developers and is the author of "Applying Case-Based Reasoning:
techniques for enterprise systems" the first book on the application
of CBR. Ian was awarded a "Distinguished Paper" award at IJCAI-99 for
work on a distributed CBR system for engineering sales support and
will co-chair the 4th.  International Conference on Case-Based
Reasoning (ICCBR01) in July 2001 in Vancouver.





T5: Designing Human-Centered Autonomous Agents by Gregory Dorais and David
Kortenkamp (29/8/2000 Afternoon)

Summary

This tutorial will present requirements and architectural guidelines
for designing autonomous systems that include humans and autonomous
agents who interact to achieve complex goals. We call such systems
human-centered autonomous agents. This tutorial draws relevant
research from each of these areas. We will particularly focus on
identifying guidelines for autonomous agents that will enable users,
other software agents, or the agent itself to dynamically change the
"level of autonomy" within a spectrum ranging from complete human
control to complete autonomous control. We refer to this capability as
adjustable autonomy and it is a key feature of human-centered
autonomous agents. In this tutorial we will present the
state-of-the-art in human-centered autonomous agents and give
guidelines and a methodology for developing such agents. These will be
supported by a running example. We will finish by describing some
applications of human-centered autonomous agents. Our goal is to
provide insight to agent designers on how to create autonomous systems
that minimize the necessity for human interaction, but maximize the
capability for humans to interact at whatever level of control is most
appropriate.

Biography of presenters

Dr. Gregory Dorais is a computer scientist in the Autonomy and
Robotics Area in the Computational Sciences Division of the NASA Ames
Research Center. He received both his Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer
Science from the University of Michigan and his B.S. in Management
Information Systems from Oakland University. He is a co-principal
investigator of the "Intelligent Deployable Execution Agent" project
at NASA. Dr. Dorais was the integration lead of the Remote Agent
experiment for the Deep Space 1 spacecraft which was the first AI
agent-controlled spacecraft featuring an on-board planner and a
model-based inference system. He has performed autonomous rover
research at JPL and remote sensing research at General Motors
Research.

Dr. Dorais co-organized the 1999 AAAI Spring Symposium on "Agents with
Adjustable Autonomy" and the 1999 IJCAI workshop on "Adjustably
Autonomous Systems". He was on the program committee of the 1999
Autonomous Agents workshop on "Autonomy Control Software".

David Kortenkamp is a senior scientist with Metrica Inc./TRACLabs
supporting NASA Johnson Space Center. He has a PhD and MS in computer
science and engineering from the University of Michigan and a BS in
computer science from the University of Minnesota. At NASA,
Dr. Kortenkamp is co-principal investigator (with Dr. Gregory Dorais)
of the "Human-Centered Autonomous Agents" project. He has also
co-organized a AAAI Spring Symposium on "Agents with Adjustable
Autonomy" and an IJCAI workshop on "Adjustable Autonomy Systems". He
is guest editor with Henry Hexmoor of an upcoming JETAI special issue
on Autonomous Control Systems and is associate editor of the MIT Press
series on Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents. Dr. Kortenkamp
has given numerous invited talks on the subject of human-centered
autonomous agents including a Robotics Institute Seminar at Carnegie
Mellon University and an Artificial Intelligence Seminar at the
University of Virginia. He is on the program committee of Autonomous
Agents 2000 and AAAI-2000.






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