Computers for Artificial Intelligence Processing

The present book supports the increasing complexity and the growing need for computational power of artificial intelligence (AI) by providing comprehensive treatments of new hardware and software engineering met in AI language design and applications. The book is a collection of 16 substantial papers (chapters), the contributors being 51 well-known researchers in the AI fields. The papers are grouped into the following five sections: Section 1 represents a well documented survey on symbolic processing computers. Section 2 (Language-based AI Architectures) supports the design and implementation of AI language-oriented computers. Three (2-4) chapters are devoted to (computer architecture concerning) sequential Lisp processing: architectural features of Lisp computers, Symbolics’ Lisp computer architecture, memory management and performance evaluation of a Lisp machine system. Other three (5-7) chapters discuss multiprocessing and parallel processing of Lisp (and general functional) programs. The last two chapters of section 2 are presenting architectures supporting object-oriented programming (Smalltalk) and production systems. Section 3 (Multiprocessor AI Architecture) contains two (10-11) chapters, dealing with Connection Machine architecture and its applications, and with the design of data/knowledge base machines for AI processing. Section 4 (Connectionist Architectures and Applications) include two (12-13) chapters, illustrating the connectionist model architecture design and learning. Section 5 (Software Architectures for AI Applications) is made up of three (14-16) chapters, analysing the relationship between AI and software engineering, the development tools for AI programs, and the problem of AI hardware and software reliability. This book addresses a wide range of AI readers, from beginners to professionals. It carries forth doubtless qualities: compact and well-dimensioned chapters, comprehensively written by AI remarkable professionals, covering up-to-date AI topics and trends.