================================= VOLUME 20 NUMBER 3 SEPTEMBER 1996 ================================= 0. Profile: Suad Alagic ------------------- 1. Using Fuzzy Modal Logic for Inferential Information Retrieval Jian-Yun Nie and Martin Brisebois, Departement d'Informatique et Recherche Operationnelle, Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7 Canada, E-mail: nie, brisebois@iro.umontreal.ca pp. 299-318 Keywords: Information retrieval, fuzzy modal logic, uncertainty handling Abstract: Information Retrieval is becoming more and more important due to the information explosion. However, most existing systems only use simple keyword matching to identify relevant documents, resulting in unsatisfactory system performances. Recent approaches to IR dig into the inference process in order to solve this problem. Most of them are investigated within a probabilistic framework. The strict formalism of probability theory often confines our use of knowledge to only statistical knowledge (e.g. term connections based on their co-occurrences). Richer human-defined knowledge (e.g. manual thesauri) has not been incorporated successfully. In this paper, we consider the fuzzy modal logic framework in the definition of our inferential model. A document description is associated to a fuzzy world. Inference is based on the fuzzy accessibility relations between worlds. Due to the flexibility of the fuzzy logic framework, human-defined knowledge may be incorporated into our system. We report our experiments on a test corpus using a general manual thesaurus. It is shown that human-defined knowledge, when adapted to the application area and used adequately, leads to great improvements in system's performances. ------------------- 2. Intelligent Systems: Approaches and Limitations Mario Radovan, FET Pula, University of Rijeka, Preradoviceva 1/1, 52000 Pula, Croatia, Phone: ++385 52 23455 Fax: ++385 52 212 034, E-mail: mradov@efpu.hr pp. 319-330 Keywords: Intelligent systems, mind, cognition, language of thought, neural networks, cognitive models, simulation, computability Abstract: An analysis of attitudes and approaches to the development of intelligent systems is given, arguing that (1) the classical and connectionist approaches can be conceived of as two levels of description of the same phenomenon, facing the same essential problems; (2) the language of science is inherently limited, and existing cognitive models cannot include the subjective dimension of the human mind; (3) there is no way to create a system that ``really understands'' without being personally involved with the proper attitudes and actions; and (4) we should tone down the requirements and expectations which are put before AI if we are to deal with realistic research projects and reasonable discourse. ------------------- 3. Informational Transition of the Form alpha models beta and Its Decomposition Anton P. Zeleznikar, Volariceva ulica 8, 1111 Ljubljana, Slovenia, E-mail: anton.p.zeleznikar@ijs.si pp. 331-358 Keywords: causality, cause-effect philosophy; circular and metaphysicalistic transition alpha models alpha; decomposition: canonic, noncanonic, serial, parallel, circular-serial, circular-parallel, metaphysicalistic-serial, metaphysicalistic-parallel; demarcated: frame, gestalt; informational: circle, graph, gestalt, transition alpha models beta; metaphysicalistic: circle, graph, gestalt; number of the transitional decompositions: possible, canonic, noncanonic; parenthesized: frame, gestalt; transitional decomposition Abstract: In this paper the complexity and heterogeneity of informational transition occurring between informational entities is studied to some formalistic details, using the technique of informational decomposition citemeta,logos,being-in,being-of,frame. E. Birnbaum has reopened an important problem of the informational theory by a formulation of the informational-causal chain. General informational theory can substantially concern this particular problem, that is, studying the decomposition possibilities of formula alpha models beta and its circular, particularly, metaphysical case alpha models alpha. In this paper, the decomposition problems of both alpha models beta and alpha models alpha will be generalized and concretized in the form of several informational systems, which appear to be serial, parallel, circular-serial, circular-parallel, metaphysicalistic-serial, and metaphysicalistic-parallel, but also canonic and noncanonic. Among others, these formula systems are studied by the methodology of informational frames and gestalts cite frame showing the possibilities of decomposition. At the end, a case of the social informational transition and its decomposition is discussed to some principled details. ------------------- 4. Another Look at Computability Florentin Ipate and Mike Holcombe, Correct Systems Research Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 211 Portobello Street, Sheffield S1 4DP, England, U.K., Email: M.Holcombe@dcs.shef.ac.uk pp. 359-372 Keywords: automata, computability, stream X-machine, stack X-machine, partial recursive function, stream function Abstract: The theory of computable functions is well known and has given rise to many classes of computational models of varying power and usefullness. We take another look at this subject using the idea of a generalised machine - the X-machine - to provide some further insights into the issue and to discuss an elegant general approach to the question of classifying computational models including some of the so-called Super-Turing models. This paper investigates a number of classes of X-machines. It considers their relative computational capabilities and contrasts these with other important models. It is shown that a certain class of these machines - the 2-stack straight move stream X-machine - computes precisely the class of partial recursive functions. The importance of this work to the theory of testing of systems is stressed. ------------------- 5. Tabular Application Development Talib Damij and Janez Grad, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia pp. 373-380 Keywords: MIS, object-oriented methods, systems analysis Abstract: The aim of this work is to introduce an effective object-oriente approach which guides the analyst through all phases of the application development and puts the whole process under the complete control of the analyst. Tabular application development is a method which develops the application by creating several tables. It has four phases and introduces a new idea for developement an application. The first phase defines the problem to be solved. The second phase deals with the analysis of the application. The third phase designs the application in detail, and the fourth phase deals with the implementation of the application. ------------------- 5. Theoretical Foundations of a New Method of Teaching Children Effective Information Processing pp. 381-399 Olga S. Fomichova, Studio ``Culture, Ecology, and Foreign Languages'', Moscow Children and Teenagers Palace for Creative Work and Vladimir A. Fomichov, Department of Information Technologies, K.E. Tsiolkovsky Moscow State Aviation Technology, University, Petrovka street 27, 103767 Moscow, Russia, and Department of Discrete Mathematics, Moscow State University, Vorobyovy Hills, 119899 Moscow, Russia, E-mail: vaf@nw.math.msu.su Keywords: artificial intelligence, cognitive science, information processing, natural language processing, second language, foreign language, mother tongue, theory of teaching, theory of dynamic conceptual mappings, methods of emotional-imaginative teaching, developing the personality of the child, intelligent tutoring system, cybernetics Abstract: The paper represents a number of key aspects of a new theory of teaching called the Theory of Dynamic Conceptual Mappings (the DCM- theory) and based on it new, highly effective methods of teaching foreign languages and mother tongue to young children (4 -9 years old) called the methods of Emotional-Imaginative Teaching (the EIT-methods). One part of the paper contributes to explaining the discovery made on the basis of the DCM-theory: how it is possible to teach very young students (from four-and-half to six years old) of usual abilities to read fluently and to discuss complicated texts in a second language (on the example of English). The other part is language-independent and may be used in teaching both foreign languages and mother tongue to young children. That part describes a new effective, many-component method of developing abstract, symbolic thinking, general associative abilities of young children and, as a consequence, of developing their ability to analyse situations of every-day life. In the paper, three main components of the method are described: (a) teaching young children to carry out diverse inferences proceeding from the read texts and all available background knowledge; (b) how to teach 8-9-year-old students to understand poetical metaphors; (c) teaching to understand information and emotions conveyed by pictures. The component (a) of the method is motivated by ideas of artificial intelligence (AI) theory, first of all, theory of natural-language-processing systems and theory of frames.