Fodorian semantics,pathologies, and “Block's Problem”

In two recent books, Jerry Fodor has developed a set of sufficient conditions for an object X to non-naturally and non-derivatively mean X. In an earlier paper we presented three reasons for thinking Fodor's theory to be inadequate. One of these problems we have dubbed the Pathologies Problem. In response to queries concerning the relationship between the Pathologies Problem and what Fodor calls Block's Problem, we argue that, while Block's Problem does not threatenFodor's view, the Pathologies Problem does.We would like to thank Ray Elugardo, Pat Manfredi, and Donna Summerfield for helpful comments on an earlier paper on Fodorian Semantics, X means X: Semantics Fodor-Style. We would especially like to thank Ned Block for extended e-mail conversations about Block's Problem. Block agrees that his problem is not the same as our pathologies problem. Contrary to what we say here, he still maintains that his objection can ultimately be made to work to defeat Fodor's theory of meaning. His elaboration of Block's Problem is different than the one we present here. Versions of a related paper were presented at the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology as well as the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Science.     

The effects of a “distinct window” screen design on computer-mediated group decision making

An experiment was performed to test a distinct-window conferencing screen design as an electronic cue of social status differences in computer-mediated group decision-making. The screen design included one distinct window to symbolize high-status, and two nondistinct windows to symbolize low-status. The results indicated that the distinct-window screen design did produce status affects in groups of peers making decisions on judgmental problems. Randomly assigned occupants of the distinct window had greater influence on group decisions and member's attitudes than occupants of nondistinct windows.The authors would like to thank Shyam Kamadolli and Phaderm Nangsue, the programmers who developed the software used in this experiment. We would also like to thank the editor and our three anonymous reviewers for exceedingly helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article.     

The dynamic clusters method in nonhierarchical clustering

Given a finite setE R ⁿ, the problem is to find clusters (or subsets of similar points inE) and at the same time to find the most typical elements of this set. An original mathematical formulation is given to the problem. The proposed algorithm operates on groups of points, called samplings (samplings may be called multiple centers or cores); these samplings adapt and evolve into interesting clusters. Compared with other clustering algorithms, this algorithm requires less machine time and storage. We provide some propositions about nonprobabilistic convergence and a sufficient condition which ensures the decrease of the criterion. Some computational experiments are presented.     

Adding a temporal dimension to a logic system

We introduce a methodology whereby an arbitrary logic system L can be enriched with temporal features to create a new system T(L). The new system is constructed by combining L with a pure propositional temporal logic T (such as linear temporal logic with Since and Until) in a special way. We refer to this method as adding a temporal dimension to L or just temporalising L. We show that the logic system T(L) preserves several properties of the original temporal logic like soundness, completeness, decidability, conservativeness and separation over linear flows of time. We then focus on the temporalisation of first-order logic, and a comparison is make with other first-order approaches to the handling of time.     

Did Frege Believe Frege's Principle?

In this essay I will consider two theses that are associated with Frege,and will investigate the extent to which Frege really believed them.Much of what I have to say will come as no surprise to scholars of thehistorical Frege. But Frege is not only a historical figure; he alsooccupies a site on the philosophical landscape that has allowed hisdoctrines to seep into the subconscious water table. And scholars in a widevariety of different scholarly establishments then sip from thesedoctrines. I believe that some Frege-interested philosophers at various ofthese establishments might find my conclusions surprising.Some of these philosophical establishments have arisen from an educationalmilieu in which Frege is associated with some specific doctrine at theexpense of not even being aware of other milieux where other specificdoctrines are given sole prominence. The two theses which I will discussillustrate this point. Each of them is called Frege's Principle, but byphilosophers from different milieux. By calling them milieux I do not want to convey the idea that they are each located at some specificsocio-politico-geographico-temporal location. Rather, it is a matter oftheir each being located at different places on the intellectuallandscape. For this reason one might (and I sometimes will) call them(interpretative) traditions.     

Virtual Connections and a Traffic Optimization Model for an ATM Network

The number of virtual connections in the nodal space of an ATM network of arbitrary structure and topology is computed by a method based on a new concept—a covering domain having a concrete physical meaning. The method is based on a network information sources—boundary switches model developed for an ATM transfer network by the entropy approach. Computations involve the solution of systems of linear equations. The optimization model used to compute the number of virtual connections in a many-category traffic in an ATM network component is useful in estimating the resource of nodal equipment and communication channels. The variable parameters of the model are the transmission bands for different traffic categories.     

Total complexity and the inference of best programs

The problem of choosing a best program for a function presented by example is considered. General axioms for total complexity involving time and size measures are presented. For measures obeying the axioms, certain positive and negative results are obtained on the existence of effective algorithms for learning the best program.     

The impact of artificial intelligence on leisure

Two views of AI in leisure and the work-place and two views of society are discussed. There is a conceptualisation of AI systems enhancing people in their work and leisure and another of AI automata which tends to degrade and replace human activity. Researchers tend to resolve into Optimists who work within a micro-sociological view and see AI systems as inevitable and beneficent. Others are Pessimists who adopt a macro-sociological view and see AI in its automata role and deliterious social consequences. These polarised perspectives must be integrated as only enhancing AI is socially acceptable.     

Comparing text editions with the aid of the computer

The aim of this paper is to reveal the limitations of relying on fingerprint formulas or signature positions to identify printed editions, in the manner of the STCN project. The paper proposes that scanned images of texts be used to identify editions.Ben J. P. Salemans is a philologist with special interest in the use of the computer as a scientific tool in literary, philological and cultural-historical research. His Ph.D. project is a study of automated text-genealogical research. He works as a computer consultant at the UCI computer centre of the University of Nijmegen.Dedicated to the memory of Marcel te Wilt ( 1993).     

Data structures as sets with repeating elements

Data structures are interpreted as sets which may contain repeating elements. An algebraic system close to the integer ring is constructed on these sets.Translated from Kibernetika, No. 4, pp. 82–88, July–August, 1990.     

Axiomatic approach to total correctness of programs

Summary We present here an axiomatic approach which enables one to prove by formal methods that his program is totally correct (i.e., it terminates and is logically correct—does what it is supposed to do). The approach is similar to Hoare's approach [3] for proving that a program is partially correct (i.e., that whenever it terminates it produces correct results). Our extension to Hoare's method lies in the possibility of proving both correctness and termination by one unified formalism. One can choose to prove total correctness by a single step, or by incremental proof steps, each step establishing more properties of the program.     

Recognition of handwritten musical notes by a modified Neocognitron

A neural network for recognition of handwritten musical notes, based on the well-known Neocognitron model, is described. The Neocognitron has been used for the what pathway (symbol recognition), while contextual knowledge has been applied for the where (symbol placement). This way, we benefit from dividing the process for dealing with this complicated recognition task. Also, different degrees of intrusiveness in learning have been incorporated in the same network: More intrusive supervised learning has been implemented in the lower neuron layers and less intrusive in the upper one. This way, the network adapts itself to the handwriting of the user. The network consists of a 13×49 input layer and three pairs of simple and complex neuron layers. It has been trained to recognize 20 symbols of unconnected notes on a musical staff and was tested with a set of unlearned input notes. Its recognition rate for the individual unseen notes was up to 93%, averaging 80% for all categories. These preliminary results indicate that a modified Neocognitron could be a good candidate for identification of handwritten musical notes.     

Deep X-ray lithography using mask with integrated electrothermal actuator

We present a deep X-ray mask with integrated bent-beam electrothermal actuator for the fabrication of 3D microstructures with curved surface. The mask absorber is electroplated on the shuttle mass, which is supported by a pair of 20-m-thick single crystal silicon bent-beam electrothermal actuators and oscillated in a rectilinear direction due to the thermal expansion of the bent-beams. The width of each bent-beam is 10 m or 20 m and the length and bending angle are 1 mm and 0.1 rad, respectively, and the shuttle mass size is 1 mm × 1 mm. For 10-m-wide bent-beams, the shuttle mass displacement is around 15 m at 180 mW (3.6 V) dc input power. For 20-m-wide bent-beams, the shuttle mass displacement is around 19 m at 336 mW (4.2 V) dc input power. Sinusoidal cross-sectional PMMA microstructures with a pitch of 40 m and a height of 20 m are fabricated by 0.5 Hz, 20-m-amplitude sinusoidal shuttle mass oscillation.This research, under the contract project code MS-02-338-01, has been supported by the Intelligent Microsystem Center, which carries out one of the 21st centurys Frontier R & D Projects sponsored by the Korea Ministry of Science & Technology. Experiments at PLS were supported in part by MOST and POSCO.     

Data encodings and their costs

Summary This paper is devoted to developing and studying a precise notion of the encoding of a logical data structure in a physical storage structure, that is motivated by considerations of computational efficiency. The development builds upon the notion of an encoding of one graph in another. The cost of such an encoding is then defined so as to reflect the structural compatibility of the two graphs, the (externally specified) costs of implementing the host graph, and the (externally specified) set of intended usage patterns of the guest graph. The stability of the constructed framework is demonstrated in terms of a number of results; the faithfulness of the formalism is argued in terms of a number of examples from the literature; and the tractability of the model is hinted at by several results and by further references to the literature.     

Minimization of norms and logarithmic norms by diagonal similarities

It is a commonly occurring problem to find good norms · or logarithmic norms (·) for a given matrix in the sense that they should be close to respectively the spectral radius (A) and the spectral abscissa (A). Examples may be the certification thatA is convergent, i.e. (A)A<1 or stable, i.e. (A)(A)<0. Often the ordinary norms do not suffice and one would like to try simple modifications of them such as using an ordinary norm for a diagonally transformed matrix. This paper treats this problem for some of the ordinary norms.

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Minimisierung von Normen und Logarithmischen Normen durch Diagonale Transformationen

Zusammenfassung Ein oft vorkommendes praktisches Problem ist die Konstruktion von guten Normen · und logarithmischen Normen (·) für eine gegebene MatrixA. Mit gut wird dann verstanden, daß A den Spektralradius (A)=max |₁| und (A) die Spektralabszisse (A)=max Re _i gut approximieren. Beispiele findet man für konvergente Matrizen wo (A)A<1 gewünscht ist, und für stabile Matrizen wo (A)(A)<0 zu zeigen ist. Wir untersuchen hier, wie weit man mit Diagonaltransformationen und dengewöhnlichsten Normen kommen kann.

     

Continuous reductions among combinatorial optimization problems

Summary Many reductions among combinatorial problems are known in the context of NP-completeness. These reductions preserve the optimality of solutions. However, they may change the relative error of approximative solutions dramatically. In this paper, we apply a new type of reductions, called continuous reductions. When one problem is continuously reduced to another, any approximation algorithm for the latter problem can be transformed into an approximation algorithm for the former. Moreover, the performance ratio is preserved up to a constant factor. We relate the problem Minimum Number of Inverters in CMOS-Circuits, which arises in the context of logic synthesis, to several classical combinatorial problems such as Maximum Independent Set and Deletion of a Minimum Number of Vertices (Edges) in Order to Obtain a Bipartite (Partial) Subgraph.     

On the benefits of interrelating computer science and the humanities: The case of metaphor

If there is to be a new, substantive area of teaching and research that combines competence in specific areas of the humanities with computer science understandings and skills, such teaching and research needs to be led by persons who themselves are competent in both the humanities and in computer science, rather than by a team of persons who represent a division of labors along the lines of idea persons and technical persons. The new kind of teaching and research that might result is pointed to by describing a connectionist, neural network approach to the study of metaphor.Christian Koch is associate professor of computer science at Oberlin College with teaching and research interests in the area of the interrelationship of computing and the liberal arts (from physics to philosophy).     

The Application of Workflow Technology in Semantic B2B Integration

Workflow Management Systems (WFMSs) are often used in context of B2B integration as a base technology to implement business-to-business (B2B) integration processes across enterprises. In this context the notion of distributed inter-organizational workflows is introduced to indicate the collaboration of enterprises on a process level. This notion requires a thorough examination presented in this article since WFMSs were not designed with inter-enterprise distribution as one of the design goals. At a closer look, the proposed use of WFMSs in context of B2B integration is often very naïve and inappropriate. Consequently it does not address the real requirements found in enterprises. Enterprises do not share common workflow definitions, let alone common workflow instance execution state and have no intent to do so due to competitive knowledge protection. Furthermore, trading partner specific business rules within enterprises are not accounted for leading to an unwanted explosion of workflow definitions. This article clarifies the notion of distributed inter-organizational workflows as well as private and public processes. Based on this definition, the appropriate use of WFMSs is shown in context of an overall B2B integration solution that allows enterprises to protect their competitive knowledge while participating in B2B integration.     

On characterizing the “knee” of the Pareto curve based on Normal-Boundary Intersection

This paper deals with the issue of generating one Pareto optimal point that is guaranteed to be in a desirable part of the Pareto set in a given multicriteria optimization problem. A parameterization of the Pareto set based on the recently developed normal-boundary intersection technique is used to formulate a subproblem, the solution of which yields the point of maximum bulge, often referred to as the knee of the Pareto curve. This enables the identification of the good region of the Pareto set by solving one nonlinear programming problem, thereby bypassing the need to generate many Pareto points. Further, this representation extends the concept of the knee for problems with more than two objectives. It is further proved that this knee is invariant with respect to the scales of the multiple objective functions.The generation of this knee however requires the value of each objective function at the minimizer of every objective function (the pay-off matrix). The paper characterizes situations when approximations to the function values comprising the pay-off matrix would suffice in generating a good approximation to the knee. Numerical results are provided to illustrate this point. Further, a weighted sum minimization problem is developed based on the information in the pay-off matrix, by solving which the knee can be obtained.     

Information and pragmatic value-adding: Language games and information science

This paper discusses terms which are of mutual importance to the fields of information science and computer science. Specifically we discuss the notions of information and knowledge: their interrelationships as well as their differences, and the concept of value-adding. Concrete examples are used in the discussion.Rainer Kuhlen is professor of Information Science at the University of Konstanz.