Re: RE : ] Amine 5 request to Adil KABBAJ

Adil,

Thank you so much for the vast reply.  I will study it enthusiastically and eventually reply.  Thank you!

D.

At 08:24 AM 2/13/2008 Wednesday +0000, you wrote:

David,
 
To talk about the "in doors" and the utility scenarios of Amine (the practical questions), we need to talk first about the "main door" of Amine; the philosophy behind Amine (which constitutes the foundational question). It is like we ask for the extension of a category (here Amine), and we need talking first about its intention, in order to understand its extension and even to predict and expect what can be the extension of such a category.
Thus, my answer to your "practical questions" may seems "very long, abstract and even foolish" in first glance, but I hope that at the end, you will change your mind!!
 
So, let us start with the main door: Amine is a platform/framework for the development of intelligent systems and agents that are Knowledge Based Systems (KBS).
Of course, there are many kinds of intelligent systems and agents, depending on their components, their processes and their goals (from a simple KB System with a simple ontology and a simple KB, to NLP system, or Planning System, or Case Based System, or Game System, ... or Multi-Agents System, etc.).
One main goal of Amine is to allow for the development of these kinds of systems.
 
To ask "What is Amine ?" and "What can be used for ?", we need ask first: "what is an Intelligent System/Agent", "what is a KBS ?" and as you know these are not simple questions !! In fact, "what is an Intelligent System/Agent" is a shortcut to "what is Intelligence”, and more precisely: “what is Mind?"
And all these questions lead to questions like: What is Artificial Intelligence?, what is its main goal and purpose ? and for/in what AI can be used for ? I will try to summarize what should take many books to treat.
 
In my mind, one long-term and main goal of AI (the eternal dream of AI) is to study and understand (natural) Mind in order to build and develop "Artificial Mind(s)". What is "an Artificial Mind" ? It is a kind of a "meta KB processing system/platform/framework" that provides the possibility to build and develop various kinds of "KB processing systems" (i.e. the various cognitive processes: Ontology-based processing systems, KB based processing systems, Inference/Reasoning Based systems, Learning Based systems, Problem Solving systems, Planning NLP systems, etc.) which are used to build and develop various kinds of applications. We have three levels of processes.
 
What is an architecture of an Artificial Mind (i.e. of a meta KB processing system/platform/framework)?
In my view, nn "Artificial Mind" (like a natural Mind), should have and provide a "Knowledge Representation Framework" which is defined along four dimensions: ontological dimension, epistemological/semantical dimension, process dimension, and methodological/pragmatical dimension. The architecture of the Artificial Mind should incorporate such a framework. We may think that these dimensions concern language, not mind/cognition. But we know now (more and more) that language and mind/cognition are very strongly related; language reflects mind/cognition. That is why I joined epistemological dimension (which concerns Mind: how the mind modelizes/represents/conceptualizes the world) with semantical dimension (of a language). And the same holds for methodological/pragmactical dimension.
- Ontological dimension: The possibility to build, develop, update and use Ontology.
- Epistemological/Semantical dimension: This dimension concerns Knowledge; Knowledge/Conceptual Structures, Knowledge Organization and Knowledge Manipulation (via Knowledge Operations). It concerns also the possibility to build, develop, update and use KBs (Knowledge about various domains). And also the possibilities to create, develop, update, use and manipulate Conceptual Structures with Conceptual Operations. It is important to differentiate between “Knowledge Structure in general” and “specific kinds of Knowledge Structures”. In language we have “sentence in general” (to express any proposition) and different kinds of sentences: declarative/definitional sentence, descriptive sentence, query sentence, imperative sentence, etc. CG structure in CG theory corresponds to "sentence in general" and CS (Definition, Canon, Individual, Schema, Situation, Rule, Metaphor, etc.) correspond to various kinds of sentences.
Please note that Semantic entails Syntax: Since Knowledge is structured, defined in terms of components and organization, it requires a (minimal) syntax that specifies what kinds of components and of relations are allowed.
- Process dimension: Structures and operations provided by the ontology and the epistemological/semantical dimensions are used to build and develop cognitive processes.
- Methodological/Pragmactical dimension: All the above (cognitive) potentialities/capabilities can be used by the Mind in order to live in the world (to create and resolve problems, to talk and to read, to plan, etc.).
 
Now, what about Amine? Amine aims to provide "An architecture of an Artificial Mind" … Of course, like AI, this is a long-term goal/dream of Amine. The current status of Amine is only the first steps towards the realisation of this wonderful dream. Let us consider now how the "Knowledge Representation Framework", with its four dimensions, is incorporated in Amine:
-           Ontology layer of Amine incorporate the Ontology dimension,
-           KnowledgeBase layer and Algebraic layer incorporate the Epistemological/Semantical dimension,
-           Memory-Based Inference and Learning Strategies layer, Progamming/Engines layer and Agents/MAS layer provide the basis for the implementation of the (Cognitive) Process dimension,
-           Amine’s layers provide the methodological/pragmatical dimension of Amine.
 
What Amine can be used for? It can be used to develop three kinds of processes (recall the three levels of processes):
-           Amine as a whole can be considered as the “Artificial Mind” of an “Artificial Agent”. But this is not for tomorrow! It is a long-term goal/dream.
-           Amine can be used to build and develop intelligent systems that incorporate specific (cognitive) processes like an Ontology Based System, a KB system, an Inference-Based System, a NLP system, a Problem Solver System, a Planning System, etc. Each one of these intelligent systems can be used to build and develop various applications (that can be called themselves intelligent systems).
-           Amine can be used directly to build and develop various applications: Ontology/KB GUI can be used to build and edit a specific ontology or a specific KB. CG operations, basic memory-based inferences and learning strategies, and basic ontology processes can be used to build and develop various kinds of processes/applications. Prolog+CG can be used to build a specific NLP application or a specific Problem Solving application or a specific Planning application, etc. Synergy can be used also for similar or other purposes. Agents and Multi-Agents System can be used to build and develop a specific MAS application. Etc.
 
 
Best regards
Adil
 
-----Message d'origine-----
De : David Cox [djcox@...]
Envoyé : samedi 9 février 2008 15:45
À : CG List
Objet : [CG:] Amine 5 request to Adil KABBAJ
 
Adil,

Could you help me understand what Amine 5 lets users accomplish and the steps or paths Amine 5 offers users for using it?  Understanding Amine 5 in even a simple framework would be useful since it sounds like it relates to CSs, KBs, ontologies, learning strategies, situation and rule integration, etc. 

My question:   would you please black-box-represent Amine 5  as two quick lists for users:
(a.) the several 'doorway in' situations by which users  can sensibly enter the Amine 5 system, and
(b.) the several types of results/ accomplishments Amine 5 helps people attain.

This doesn't ask that any connections or routes between the two lists be shown.  The lists seem useful to users;  (b.) shows what they can produce with Amine 5 and, if those outputs are sought, users can see in (a.) if they have the tickets to enter any of Amine 5's "in doors."

In return, I may be able to point you to a well-established way to design a visual structure of instructions using (a.) and (b.) to help new users of Amine 5 succeed. 

Thanks, Adil.  Best.
D.  2/29/08