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Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach




The book is intended for an undergraduate audience but can also be used for graduate-level studies with the suggestion of adding some of the primary sources listed in the extensive bibliography. The volume has a conversational tone and is very easy to read.

The authors present the subject of artificial intelligence in a unified manner using the concept of an ''intelligent agent'' to develop a common framework for problem solving. The theory and practice of intelligent agent design are given equal weight in the text. The principles of intelligent agent design are clarified through implementation with over 300 exercises included in the book, of which some are large enough for term-level projects.

''Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach'' is divided into eight parts with a total of 27 chapters. The authors state that it is a large text which would take two semesters to cover all the chapters and projects.

'Part I': Artificial Intelligence

This section sets the stage for the following sections by viewing AI systems as intelligent agents that can decide what actions to take and when to take them.

'Part II': Problem Solving

Focuses on methods for deciding what action to take when needing to think several steps ahead, such as playing a game of chess.

'Part III': Knowledge and Reasoning

Discusses way to represent knowledge about the intelligent agents' environment and how to reason logically with that knowledge.

'Part IV': Acting Logically

Concentrates on constructing ''plans'' using the reasoning methods discussed in the previous section.

'Part V': Uncertain Knowledge and Reasoning

This section is analogous to Parts III and IV, but deals with reasoning and decision-making in the presence of ''uncertainty'' in the environment, such as a system for medical diagnosis.

'Part VI': Learning

Describes ways for generating knowledge required by the decision-making components and introduces a new component, the ''neural network''.

'Part VII': Communicating, Perceiving, and Acting

Concentrates on ways an intelligent agent can perceive its environment whether by touch, vision, or understanding language and ways to turn plans into actions.

'Part VIII': Conclusions

Considers the past and future of AI by discussing what AI really is and why it has succeeded to some degree. Also, view of those philosophers who believe that AI can never succeed are given discussion.


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