The principle of maximum entropy (MaxEnt) provides a well-founded methodology for commonsense reasoning based on probabilistic conditional knowledge. We show how to calculate MaxEnt distributions in a first-order setting by using typed model counting and condensed iterative scaling. Further, we discuss the connection to Markov Logic Networks for drawing inferences.

In some approaches, the input information is simply the whole Belief revision (Alchourrón, Gärdenfors, and Makinson epistemic as in (Benferhat et al. 2000). In this paper, the 1985; Williams 1995; Williams and Rott 2001), is an important new information will be represented by a consistent set of field of research in artificial intelligence and knowledge weighted propositional logic formulas.

Reasoning in the context of a conditional knowledge base containing rules of the form ’If A then usually B’ can be defined in terms of preference relations on possible worlds. These preference relations can be modeled by ranking functions that assign a degree of disbelief to each possible world. In general, there are multiple ranking functions that accept a given knowledge base. Several nonmonotonic inference relations have been proposed using c-representations, a subset of all ranking functions. These inference relations take subsets of all c-representations based on various notions of minimality into account, and they operate in different inference modes, i.e., skeptical, weakly skeptical, or credulous. For nonmonotonic inference relations, weaker versions of monotonicity like rational monotony (RM) and weak rational monotony (WRM) have been developed. In this paper, we investigate which of the inference relations induced by sets of minimal c-representations satisfy rational monotony or weak rational monotony.

We focus on the problem of modeling deterministic equations over continuous variables in discrete Bayesian networks. This is typically achieved by a discretization of both input and output variables and a degenerate quantification of the corresponding conditional probability tables. This approach, based on classical probabilities, cannot properly model the information loss induced by the discretization. We show that a reliable modeling of such epistemic uncertainty can be instead achieved by credal sets, i.e., convex sets of probability mass functions. This transforms the original Bayesian network in a credal network, possibly returning interval-valued inferences, that are robust with respect to the information loss induced by the discretisation. Algorithmic strategies for an optimal choice of the discretisation bins are also provided.

This paper presents experimental results showing that discourse structure is a useful element in identifying the focus of negation. We define features extracted from RST-like discourse trees. We experiment with the largest publicly available corpus and an off-the-shelf discourse parser. Results show that discourse structure is especially beneficial when predicting the focus of negations in long sentences.

The Winograd Schema (WS) challenge has been proposed as an alternative to the Turing Test as a test for machine intelligence. In this paper we ‘situate’ the WS challenge in the data-information-knowledge continuum, suggesting in the process what a good WS is. Subsequently, we will argue that the WS is but a special case of a more general phenomenon in language understanding, namely the phenomenon of the ‘missing text’. In particular, we will argue that what we usually call thinking in the process of language understanding almost always involves discovering some missing text - text is rarely explicitly stated but is implicitly assumed as shared background knowledge. As such, we suggest extending the WS challenge to include other linguistic phenomena that also involve discovering the ‘missing text’, such tests metonymy, quantifier scope, lexical disambiguation, and copredication, to name a few.

A Computer-Assisted Reading and Analysis of Texts (CARAT) process is a complex technology that connects language, text, information and knowledge theories with computational formalizations, statistical approaches, symbolic approaches, standard and non-standard logics, etc. This process should be, always, under the control of the user according to his subjectivity, his knowledge and the purpose of his analysis. It becomes important to design platforms to support the design of CARAT tools, their management, their adaptation to new needs and the experiments. Even, in the last years, several platforms for digging data, including textual data have emerged; they lack flexibility and sound formal foundations. We propose, in this paper, a formal model with strong logical foundations, based on typed applicative systems.

In a variety of online settings involving interaction with end-users it is critical for the systems to adapt to changes in user preference. User preferences on items tend to change over time due to a variety of factors such as change in context, the task being performed, or other short-term or long-term external factors. Recommender systems, in particular need to be able to capture these dynamics in user preferences in order to remain tuned to the most current interests of users. In this work we present a recommendation framework which takes into account the dynamics of user preferences. We propose an approach based on Hidden Markov Models (HMM) to identify change-points in the sequence of user interactions which reflect significant changes in preference according to the sequential behavior of all the users in the data. The proposed framework leverages the identified change points to generate recommendations using a sequence-aware non-negative matrix factorization model. We empirically demonstrate the effectiveness of the HMM-based change detection method as compared to standard baseline methods. Additionally, we evaluate the performance of the proposed recommendation method and show that it compares favorably to state-of-the-art sequence-aware recommendation models.

This paper presents a method for generating single-variable limit problems for an introductory Calculus course. Our method generates problems in two steps. The first step uses an evolutionary approach to construct unique functions $f$. The second step involves an analysis of $f$ to compute distinct ``approach'' values. Our experimental procedures demonstrate the limitations and utility of our approach.

Navigating a career constitutes one of life’s most enduring challenges, particularly within a unique organization like the US Navy. While the Navy has numerous resources for guidance, accessing and identifying key information sources across the many existing platforms can be challenging for sailors (e.g., determining the appropriate program or point of contact, developing an accurate understanding of the process, and even recognizing the need for planning itself). Focusing on intermediate goals, evaluations, education, certifications, and training is quite demanding, even before considering their cumulative long-term implications. These are on top of generic personal issues, such as financial difficulties and homesickness when at sea for prolonged periods. We present the preliminary construction of a conversational intelligent agent designed to provide a user-friendly, adaptive environment that recognizes user input pertinent to these issues and provides guidance to appropriate resources within the Navy. User input from “counseling sessions” is linked, using advanced natural language processing techniques, to our framework of Navy training and education standards, promotion protocols, and organizational structure, producing feedback on resources and recommendations sensitive to user history and stated career goals. The proposed innovative technology monitors sailors’ career progress, proactively triggering sessions before major career milestones or when performance drops below Navy expectations, by using a mixed-initiative design. System-triggered sessions involve positive feedback and informative dialogues (using existing Navy career guidance protocols). The intelligent agent also offers counseling for personal problems, triggering targeted dialogues designed to gather more information, offer tailored suggestions, and provide referrals to appropriate resources or to a human counselor when in-depth counseling is warranted. This software, currently in alpha testing, has the potential to serve as a centralized information hub, engaging and encouraging sailors to take ownership of their career paths in the most efficient way possible, benefiting both individuals and the Navy as a whole.