Connectionist Simulators

[Kim Daugherty]

Last November, I posted a request for connectionist modeling simulators to the 
mailing list.  I would like to thank those who responded.  Following is a list
and brief description of several simulators:

1.  Genesis - An elaborate X windows simulator that is particularly well 
              suited for modeling biological neural networks.  

              unix> telnet genesis.cns.caltech.edu (or 131.215.135.185)
              Name: genesis

              Follow directions there to get a ftp account from which you 
              can ftp 'genesis.tar.Z".  This contains genesis source and 
              several tutorial demos.  NOTE:  There is a fee to become a 
              registered user.

2.  PlaNet (AKA SunNet) - A popular connectionist simulator with versions to
              run under SunTools, X Windows, and non-graphics terminals 
              created by Yoshiro Miyata.  The SunTools version is not 
              supported.

              unix> ftp boulder.colorado.edu (128.138.240.1)
              Name: anonymous
              Password: ident
              ftp> cd pub
              ftp> binary
              ftp> get PlaNet5.6.tar.Z
              ftp> quit
              unix> zcat PlaNet5.6.tar.Z | tar xf -

              All you need to do to try it is to type:
              unix> Tutorial

              This will install a program appropriate for your environment 
              and start an on-line tutorial.  If you don't need a tutorial, 
              just type 'Install' to install the system and then 
              'source RunNet' to start it.  See the file README for more 
              details.

              The 60-page User's Guide has been split into three separate 
              postscript files so that each can be printed from a printer 
              with limited memory.  Print the files doc/PlaNet_doc{1,2,3}.ps 
              from your postscript printer.  See the doc/README file for 
              printing the Reference Manual.

              Enjoy!!  And send any questions to miyata at boulder.colorado.edu.

3.  CMU Connectionist Archive - There is a lisp backprop simulator in the 
              connectionist archive.

              unix> ftp b.gp.cs.cmu.edu (or 128.2.242.8)
              Name: ftpguest
              Password: cmunix
              ftp> cd connectionists/archives
              ftp> get backprop.lisp
              ftp> quit

4.  Cascade Correlation Simulator - There is a LISP and C version of the 
              simulator based on Scott Fahlman's Cascade Correlation algorithm,
              who also created the LISP version.  The C version was created by
              Scott Crowder.  

              unix> ftp pt.cs.cmu.edu (or 128.2.254.155)
              Name: anonymous
              Password: (none)
              ftp> cd /afs/cs/project/connect/code
              ftp> get cascor1.lisp
              ftp> get cascor1.c
              ftp> quit

              A technical report descibing the Cascade Correlation algorithm
              may be obtained as follows:

              unix> ftp cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu (or 128.146.8.62)
              Name: anonymous
              Password: neuron
              ftp> cd pub/neuroprose
              ftp> binary
              ftp> get fahlman.cascor-tr.ps.Z
              ftp> quit
              unix> uncompress fahlman.cascor-tr.ps.Z
              unix> lpr fahlman.cascor-tr.ps

5.  Quickprop - A variation of the back-propagation algorithm developed by
              Scott Fahlman.  A LISP and C version can be obtained in the
              same directory as the cascade correlation simulator above.


Kim Daugherty
kimd at gizmo.usc.edu