Doing more with less: the SP theory and the multiple alignment concept

[Gerry Wolff]

Dear colleague,

I’m writing to invite you to view a presentation (PDF, bit.ly/NHYADG)
about the SP theory, a unique attempt to create a unified model for
artificial intelligence, mainstream computing, and human cognition.

Central in the theory is the powerful concept of multiple alignment,
potentially the ‘Higgs boson’ of artificial intelligence.

Expected benefits of the theory are:

* Simplification of concepts.
* Seamless integration of structures and functions.
* Suggesting new solutions to problems. Promising areas include:
- A novel approach to the representation and processing of natural
language syntax and semantics, and their integration—and robust in the
face of errors in data.
- A versatile model for the representation and processing of several
forms of data (object-oriented, relational, networks, and trees) in
databases and software engineering.
- Pattern recognition at multiple levels of abstraction, with part-
whole relations—and robust in the face of errors in data.
- A versatile model for several kinds of reasoning, including chains
of reasoning, one-step deductive reasoning, abductive reasoning,
nonmonotonic reasoning, Bayesian reasoning, causal diagnosis, and
more.
- A new approach to planning and problem solving.
- A new approach to the unsupervised learning of structures in data
(with potential applications to ‘big data’).
- New techniques for the compression of information (with potential
applications to ‘big data’).

The presentation is:

“Doing more with less: the SP theory and the multiple alignment
concept”(PDF, bit.ly/NHYADG). It describes the SP theory, the multiple
alignment concept, and the SP machine, with examples in natural
language processing, in pattern recognition, in several kinds of
reasoning, in planning and problem solving, and more.

You may also be interested in:

“Information compression as a unifying theme in brains, nervous
systems, artificial intelligence, mainstream computing, and
mathematics” (PDF, bit.ly/NHYvA6). This is about background
observations and ideas that provide the foundation of the SP theory.
As the title suggests, it includes what are arguably some important
insights into the nature of computing and mathematics.

Unless it is self-explanatory, each slide in each presentation has one
or more notes, each one shown with a ‘speech bubble’ icon, normally in
the top left-hand corner. To see a note, position the cursor over the
icon (for small notes), or right-click on the icon (for larger notes).

To view a presentation, it is probably best to download the file and
open it in the Adobe Reader (bit.ly/1ae8KZ). Other systems may not
show the notes properly. Controls: Full screen: CTRL-L; Escape from
full screen: ESC; Zoom in: CTRL-plus; Zoom out: CTRL-minus; Next
slide: left-click; Previous slide: right-click; Scrolling left or
right, up or down: use the 'hand'.

I would be pleased to hear questions or comments about the ideas and
about the presentations.

With best wishes,

Gerry Wolff
--
Dr Gerry Wolff PhD CEng

Cognition Research

jgw [AT] cognitionresearch.org, +44 (0) 1248 712962, +44 (0) 7746
290775, Skype: gerry.wolff, Web: www.cognitionresearch.org .