Danny Kopec - Artificial intelligence: Problems and their solutions (Computer Science)

A RTIFICIAL I NTELLIGENCE P ROBLEMS AND T HEIR S OLUTIONS

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A RTIFICIAL I NTELLIGENCE P ROBLEMS AND T HEIR S OLUTIONS

Dr. Danny Kopec

Shweta Shetty

Christopher Pileggi

Copyright 2014 by M ERCURY L EARNING AND I NFORMATION LLC. All rights reserved.

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D. Kopec, S. Shetty, & C. Pileggi. Artificial Intelligence Problems and Their Solutions.

ISBN: 978-1-938549-83-0

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We live in times that are transitional and fast-paced. Just about everyone seems to own at least one electronic device, such as iPhones, smart phones, notebooks, and so on, that they consider vital to their existence. Patience is short, and everyone wants quick results (e.g., Google) without having to do a lot of difficult research. Students come to classes unabashedly deploying these devices, and instructors dont know if theyre text messaging/social networking, or addressing the topic at hand. Attention spans seem to be very short. We are consistently distracted by the small things that need to, or can, be done. In the end, our lives seem to be made up of small, choppy episodes as we go about conducting our daily tasks. The notion that one sits still at a desk uninterrupted for many hours seems foreign to our society today. Persistence, trial and error, search, inquisitiveness, and simply thinking appear to be activities of the past. And it is clear that there will be no turning back from this technological age and our dependencies on technology. Yet, over and over again, we hear that our childrens test scores are declining.

One perspective on intelligence measures the ability to solve problems. Another considers how an individual or a society is able to survive under adverse conditions. So the natural question is: what will happen to our society and our children if someone turns off the power?

Therefore, a book about solving problems that uses nontrivial and sometimes difficult problems is especially timely, because it addresses the needs of a number of possible constituent audiences. This book assembles in one place a set of interesting and challenging artificial intelligence (AI)type problems that students regularly encounter in computer science, mathematics, and AI courses. These problems are not new, and students from all backgrounds can benefit from the kind of deductive thinking that goes into solving them. Another constituent audience is the computer science, mathematics, or AI instructor who is looking for answers to these problems. This book explores the kinds of thinking, methods, and applications used in computer science and AI to solve these problems. Furthermore, a solid understanding of how amenable a solution is to humans (hence the notion of the Human Window) adds more depth to how the problems and their solutions can and should be presented. This book is also helpful to those who would like to improve their problem-solving skills. No doubt todays young people will soon discover that they are lacking in these basic skills, and this book will be one resource they can turn to for help practicing and enhancing their problem-solving abilities. Furthermore, there will be benefits from developing and maintaining life-long learning skills.

It must be emphasized that this book is not about solving problems quickly. Skillful problem solvingwhether learning to play chess, becoming a competent violinist, or reading this bookrequires time. So get ready to enjoy, learn, benefit, and grow!