Integration of document index with perception index

 We propose the perception index (PI) that contains attributes associated with a focal keyword restricted by fuzzy term(s) used in fuzzy queries on the Internet. The PI assists the user to reflect his/her perception in the process of query. If we integrate the document index (DI) used in commercial Web search engines with the proposed PI, we can handle both crisp terms (keyword-based) and fuzzy terms (perception-based). In this respect, the proposed approach is softer than the keyword-based approach. The PI brings somewhat closer to natural language. It is a further step toward a real human-friendly, natural language-based interface for Internet. It should greatly help the user relatively easily retrieve relevant information.     

An alternative version of Lauritzen et al.'s algorithm for checking representation of independencies

 Conditional independence relations induced by discrete probabilistic distributions can be represented or approximated by relations defined on Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs). An alternative way for representing such relations on “Annotated Graphs” (term defined in the text) is provided. An efficient algorithm, which is an alternative version of a known algorithm, is given, for checking whether a given independency is represented in a given annotated graph. RID="*" ID="*" This work was partially supported by NSF Grant #4-442510-21141. The author thanks to the referees for their helpful remarks and Milan Studeny for his suggestions and help in the preparation of the revised version of the paper.