Connectionist conference
Rolf Pfeifer
pfeifer at ifi.unizh.ch
Mon Aug 8 10:16:00 EDT 1988
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SGAICO Conference
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Program and Call for Presentation of Ongoing Work
C O N N E C T I O N I S M I N P E R S P E C T I V E
University of Zurich, Switzerland
10-13 October 1988
Tutorials: 10 October 1988
Technical Program: 11 - 12 October 1988
Workshops and
Poster/demonstration
session 13 October 1988
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Organization: - University of Zurich, Dept. of Computer Science
- SGAICO (Swiss Group for Artificial Intelligence and
Cognitive Science)
- Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI)
About the conference
____________________
Introdution:
Connectionism has gained much attention in recent years as a paradigm for
building models of intelligent systems in which intresting behavioral
properties emerge from complex interactions of a large number of simple
"neuron-like" elements. Such work is highly relevant to fields such as
cognitive science, artificial intelligence, neurobiology, and computer
science and to all disciplines where complex dynamical processes and
principles of self-organization are studied. Connectionism models seem to be
suited for solving many problems which have proved difficult in the past
using traditional AI techniques. But to what extent do they really provide
solutions? One major theme of the conference is to evaluate the import of
connectionist models for the various disciplines. Another one is to see
in what ways connectionism, being a young discipline in its present form,
can benefit from the influx of concepts and research results from other
disciplines. The conference includes tutorials, workshops, a technical program
and panel discussions with some of the leading researchers in the field.
Tutorials:
The goal of the tutorials is to introduce connectionism to people who are
relatively new to the field. They will enable participants to follow the
technical program and the panel discussions.
Technical Program:
There are many points of view to the study of intelligent systems. The
conference will focus on the views from connectionism, artificial
intelligence and cognitive science, neuroscience, and complex dynamics.
Along another dimension there are several significant issues in the study
of intelligent systems, some of which are "Knowledge representation and
memory", "Perception, sequential processing, and action", "Learning", and
"Problem solving and reasoning". Researchers from connectionism, cognitive
science, artificial intelligence, etc. will take issue with the ways
connectionism is approaching these various problem areas. This idea is
reflected in the structure of the program.
Panel Discussions:
There will be panel discussion with experts in the field on specialized
topics which are of particular interest to the application of connectionism.
Workshops and Presentations of Ongoing Work:
The last day of the conference is devoted to wokrshops with the purpose of
identifying the major problems that currently exist within connectionism,
to define future research agendas and collaborations, to provide a
platform for the interdisciplinary exchange of information and experience,
and to find a framework for practical applications. The workshop day will
als feature presentation of ongoing work (see "Call for presentation of
ongoing work").
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* *
* CALL FOR PRESENTATION OF OINGOING WORK *
* *
* Presentations are invited on all areas of connectionist research. The focus *
* is on current research issues, i.e. "work in progress" is of highest *
* interest even if major problems remain to be resolved. Work of RESEARCH *
* GROUPS OR LABORATORIES is particularly welcome. Presentations can be in the *
* form of poster, or demonstration of prototypes. The goal is to encourage *
* cooperation and the exchange of ideas between different research groups. *
* Please submit an extended abstract (1-2 pages). *
* *
* Deadline for submissions: September 2, 1988 *
* Notification of acceptance: September 20, 1988 *
* *
* Contact: Zoltan Schreter, Computer Science Department, University of *
* Zurich, Switzerland, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland *
* Phone: (41) 1 257 43 07/11 *
* Fax: (41) 1 257 40 04 *
* or send mail to *
* pfeifer at ifi.unizh.ch *
* *
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Tutorials
MONDAY, October 10, 1988
___________________________________________________________________________
08.30 Tutorial 1: Introduction to neural nets.
F. Fogelman
- Adaptive systems: Perceptrons (Rosenblatt) and Adalines
(Widrow & Hoff)
- Associative memories: linear model (Kohonen),
Hopfield networks, Brain state in a
box model (BSB; Anderson)
- Link to other disciplines
09.30 Coffee
10.00 Tutorial 2: Self-organizing Topological maps.
T. Kohonen
- Theory
- Application: Speech-recognizing systems
- Tuning of maps for optimal recognition accuracy
(learning vector quantization)
11:30 Tutorial 3: Multi-layer neural networks.
Y. Le Cun
- Elementary learning mechanisms (LMS and Perceptron) and
their limitations
- Easy and hard learning
- Learning in multi-layer networks: The back-propagation
algorithm (and its variations)
- Multi-layer networks:
- as associative memories
- for pattern recognition (a case study)
- Network design techniques; simulators and software tools
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Tutorial 4: Parallel Distributed Processing of symbolic structure.
P. Smolensky
Can Connectionism deal with the kind of complex highly
structured information characteristic of most AI domains?
This tutorial presents recent research suggesting that
the answer is yes.
15.30 Coffee
16.00 Tutorial 5: Connectionist modeling and simulation in neuroscience and
psychology.
R. Granger
Biological networks are composed of neurons with a range of
biophysical and physiological properties that give rise to
complex learning and performance rules embedded in
anatomical architectures with complex connectivity.
Given this complexity it is of interest to identify which
of the characteristics of brain networks are central and
which are less salient with respect to behavioral function.
"Bottom-up" biological modeling attempts to identify the
crucial learning and performance rules and their
appropriate level of abstraction.
17.30 End of tutorial sessions
_______________________________________________________________________________
Technical Program
TUESDAY, October 11, 1988
___________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
09:00 Connectionism: Is it a new paradigm? M. Boden
09:45 Discussion
10:00 Coffee
1. Knowledge Representation & Memory. Chair: F. Fogelman
The perspective of:
10:30 - Connectionism. P. Smolensky Dealing with structure in
Connectionism
11:15 - AI/ N.N.
Cognitive Science
12:00 - Neuroscience/ C. v. der Malsburg
Connectionism A neural architecture for
the representation of
structured objects
12:45 Lunch
2. Perception, Sequential Processing & Action. Chair: T. Kohonen
The perspective of:
14:30 - Connectionism M. Kuperstein Adaptive sensory-motor
coordination using neural
networks
15:15 - Connectionism/ M. Imbert Neuroscience and Connectionism:
Neuroscience The case of orientation
coding.
16:00 Coffee
16:30 - AI/ J. Bridle Connectionist approaches to
Connectionism artificial perception:
A speech pattern processing
approach
17:15 - Neuroscience G. Reeke Synthetic neural modeling:
A new approach to Brain Theory
18:00 Intermission/snack
18.30 - 20.00 panel discussion/workshop on
Expert Systems and Connectionism. Chair: S. Ahuja
D. Bounds D. Reilly
Y. Le Cun R. Serra
___________________________________________________________________________
WEDNESDAY, October 12, 1988
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Learning. Chair: R. Serra
The perspective of:
9:00 - Connectionism Y. Le Cun Generalization and network
design strategies
9:45 - AI Y. Kodratoff Science of explanations versus
science of numbers
10:30 Coffee
11:00 - Complex Dynamics/
Genetic Algorithms
H. Muehlenbein Genetic algorithms and
parallel computers
11:45 - Neuroscience G. Lynch Behavioral effects of learning
rules for long-term
potentiation
12:30 Lunch
4. Problem Solving & Reasoning. Chair: R. Pfeifer
The perspective of:
14:00 - AI/ B. Huberman Dynamical perspectives on
Complex Dynamics problem solving and reasoning
14:45 - Complex Dynamics
L. Steels The Complex Dynamics of common
sense
15:30 Coffee
16:00 - Connectionism J. Hendler Problem solving and reasoning:
A Connectionist perspective
16:45 - AI P. Rosenbloom A cognitive-levels perspective
on the role of Connectionism
in symbolic goal-oriented
behavior
17:30 Intermission/snack
18:00 - 19:30 panel discussion/workshop on
Implementation Issues & Industrial Applications. Chair: P. Treleaven
B. Angeniol G. Lynch
G. Dreyfus C. Wellekens
__________________________________________________________________________
Workshops and presentation of ongoing work
THURSDAY, October 13, 1988
___________________________________________________________________________
9:00-16:00 Workshops in partially parallel sessions. There will be a separate
poster/demonstration session for the presentation of ongoing work. The
detailed program will be based on the submitted work and will be available at
the beginning of the conference.
The workshops:
1. Knowledge Representation & Memory
Chair: F. Fogelman
2. Perception, Sequential Processing & Action
Chair: F. Gardin
3. Learning
Chair: R. Serra
4. Problem Solving & Reasoning
Chair: R. Pfeifer
5. Evolutionary Modelling
Chair: L. Steels
6. Neuro-Informatics in Switzerland: Theoretical and technical neurosciences
Chair: K. Hepp
7. European Initiatives
Chair: N.N.
8. Other
16:10 Summing up: R. Pfeifer
16:30 End of the conference
___________________________________________________________________________
Program as of June 29, 1988, subject to minor changes
___________________________________________________________________________
THE SMALL PRINT
Organizers
Computer Science Department, University of Zurich
Swiss Group for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science (SGAICO)
Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI)
Location
University of Zurich-Irchel
Winterthurerstrasse 190
CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Administration
Gabi Vogl
Phone: (41) 1 257 43 21
Fax: (41) 1 257 40 04
Information
Rolf Pfeifer
Zoltan Schreter
Computer Science Department, University of Zurich
Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich
Phone: (41) 1 257 43 23 / 43 07
Fax: (41) 1 257 40 04
Sanjeev B. Ahuja, Rentenanstalt (Swiss Life)
General Guisan-Quai 40, CH-8022 Zurich
Phone: (41) 1 206 40 61 / 33 11
Thomas Bernold, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, CH-8803 Ruschlikon
Phone: (41) 1 461 37 16
Fax: (41) 1 461 37 39
Participation fees
Conference 11-13 October 1988:
Regular SFr. 350.--
ECCAI/SGAICO/
SI/SVI-members SFr. 250.--
Full time students SFr. 100.--
Tutorials 10 October 1988:
Regular SFr. 200.--
ECCAI/SGAICO/
SI/SVI-members SFr. 120.--
Full time students SFr. 50.--
For graduate students / assistants a limited number of reduced
fees are available.
Documentation and refreshments are included.
Please remit the fee only upon receipt of invoice by the
Computer Science Department.
Language
The language of the conference is English.
Cancellations
If a registration is cancelled, there will be a cancellation charge of
SFr. 50.-- after 1st October 1988, unless you name a replacement.
Hotel booking
Hotel booking will be handled separately.
Please indicate on your registration form
whether you would like information on hotel
reservations.
Proceedings
Proceedings of the conference will be published in book form.
They will become available in early 1989.
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