CfP: Workshop "Logic and Reasoning with Neural Networks"

[Franz Kurfess]

Could you please distribute the following Final
Call for Papers / Participation?

Thank you very much

Franz Kurfess,
Alessandro Sperduti



                FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS

        "Logic and Reasoning with Neural Networks"

                Workshop at the
International Conference on Logic Programming ICLP'94
        Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy
                June 17 or 18, 1994


Description of the Workshop
===========================
The goal of the workshop is to initiate discussions
and foster interaction between researchers interested
in the use of neural networks and connectionist models
for various aspects of logic and reasoning.

There are a number of domains where the combination
of neural networks and logic opens up interesting
perspectives:


* Methods for Reasoning

- cognitively plausible models of reasoning
- reasoning with vague knowledge
- neural inference mechanisms
- probabilistic reasoning with neural networks

* Knowledge Representation Aspects

- representation of non-symbolic information
- knowledge acquisition from raw data (rule extraction)
    with neural networks
- representation of vague knowledge
- similarity-based access to knowledge
- context-dependent retrieval of facts

* Integration of Symbolic and Neural Components

- combining sub-symbolic and symbolic information
- pattern recognition
- sensor fusion

* Implementation Techniques

- connectionist implementations of symbolic inference mechanisms
- neural networks as massively parallel implementation technique
- neural networks for learning of search heuristics


There are at least three major aspects where a discussion
of neural networks / connectionist models can be beneficial
to the logic programming community at this time:

* development of reasoning techniques which are
  closer to the way humans reason in everyday situation

* dealing with vague knowledge, i.e. imprecise, uncertain,
  incomplete, inconsistent information, possibly from
  different sources and in various formats

* efficiency improvements for symbolic inference mechanisms,
  e.g. through adaptive learning from previously solved problems,
  or content-oriented access to rules and facts


Submission of Papers
====================

Prospective contributors are invited to submit papers
or extended abstracts to the organizers by April 1, 1994.
They will be notified about acceptance or rejection by May 1.
The final version of the papers is due June 1.

We are planning to make the full papers accessible
to the workshop participants in an ftp archive,
and hand out only copies of the abstracts.
If possible, please use a text processing program
that allows you to produce PostScript output;
otherwise it might be difficult to print out
copies on other systems than the one you used.

******** Papers should be sent to Franz Kurfess ***********

Preliminary Agenda
==================

There will be one or two talks of approximately 30 min.
where the essential background on the use of neural networks
for logic and reasoning will be presented.
The main purpose for this is to offer a brief introduction to
those attendants with little knowledge of neural networks,
and to provide a common framework of reference for the workshop.
Care will be taken that these presentations concentrate on
fundamental aspects, providing an overview of the field
rather than a detailed technical review of one
particular system or approach.

The rest of the time slots will be used for presentations
of submitted papers, i.e. approximately two in each section,
with enough time for discussion.
The final time schedule will be distributed after May 1.
The workshop will be concluded by a final discussion
and a wrap-up of important aspects.



Important Dates
===============

Submission deadline     April 1, 1994
Notification of acceptance/rejection    May 1, 1994
Final version of papers due     June 1, 1994
Date of the workshop    June 17 or 18, 1994


Registration
============
According to the standard policy of LP post-coference workshops,
the workshops are integrating part of the conference.
This means that participants of the workshop are expected
to register for the conference.


Workshop Organizers
===================

Franz Kurfess
Dept. of Neural Information Processing
University of Ulm
D-89069 Ulm, Germany
Voice : +49/731 502-41+4953
Fax : +49/731 502-4156
E-mail: kurfess at neuro.informatik.uni-ulm.de

Alessandro Sperduti
CSD - University of Pisa
Corso Italia 40
56100 Pisa, Italy
Voice : +39/50 887 248
Fax : +39/50 887 226
E-mail: perso at di.unipi.it