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An Examination and Confirmation of a Macro Theory of Conversations through A Realization of the Protologic Lp by Microscopic Simulation A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Paul A Pangaro Department of Cybernetics, Brunel University May 1987 [Notes: The following document constituted the prose portion of the dissertation without modification or updating, completed in 1987. The software portion, called THOUGHTSTICKER and running on Symbolics systems, is described in detail; however its software listing in LISP, which comprised a major element of the dissertation effort, is omitted. The work was never intended as a robust review of the related fields of AI and so forth; they were included in a skeletal critique to satisfy the academic requirements. Section III.3 to the end are the significant portions of the work. Unfortunately the production task of including figures, especially considering their tiny fonts, is cumbersome and they have not yet been added. THOUGHTSTICKER is described in a less formal context in a published account of its origins and features, and a marketing brochure.] Abstract Acknowledgments I. Preface I.1 Structure of the Dissertation I.2 A Context for AI and Cybernetics Terminologies II. Background II.1 A Context for Adopting Conversation Theory II.1.1 The Needs of Man-Machine Interaction II.2 Available Models before Conversation Theory II.2.1 Shannon's "Information Theory" II.2.2 Artificial Intelligence II.3 Reasons for Adopting Conversation Theory II.3.1 Symmetry across Individuals II.3.2 Symmetry within Individuals II.3.3 Subjectivity and Objectivity in the Same Framework II.3.4 The Language of Conversation II.3.5 Generality of "Individuals" II.3.6 Cognitive Bases of CT II.3.7 Mediation of Language by a "Knowledgebase" II.4 The Emergence of this Thesis III. Review III.1 Knowledge-Based AI Systems III.3.1 Semantic Nets III.3.2 Frames III.3.3 Expert Systems and Rules III.2 Related Work in Cybernetics III.2.1 Foundations III.2.2 Laing III.2.3 Personal Construct Theory III.3 THOUGHTSTICKER and Computer-aided Instruction III.3.1 Intelligent" Training III.3.2 Background of the Term "THOUGHTSTICKER" III.3.3 Existing Applications III.3.4 The User Experience III.3.5 Comparison to Computer-Aided Instruction III.3.6 THOUGHTSTICKER's Training "Knowledgebase" III.3.7 Aids to Authoring III.4 Related Software Systems III.4.1 Database Management Systems III.4.2 "Thought Processors" IV. Foundations of Conversation Theory IV.1 Interaction and Conflict IV.2 The Requirements of Representation IV.3 The Rise of Lp: Coherence, Distinction and Process IV.4 The Distinction of Micro and Macro IV.5 Static, Macro Representations of Lp IV.6 Deficiencies of the Macro IV.7 Hypothesis: Theory Confirmation in Micro Simulation IV.8 Dynamic, Micro Representation of Lp V. Conversation Theory Software V.1 The Birth of "THOUGHTSTICKER" V.1.1 Raison d' THOUGHTSTICKER V.1.2 Represent What? V.1.3 Attempts at Knowledge Representation: "Expert Systemf V.2 The origins of THOUGHTSTICKER V.2.1 The Demands of Course Assembly V.2.2 THOUGHTSTICKER Defined V.2.3 THOUGHTSTICKER in its current forms V.2.4 Lp at the Macro Level V.2.5 Uses of THOUGHTSTICKER V.3 Making Statements V.3.1 Models, Topics and Relations V.3.2 Instating Entailments V.3.3 Coherence V.3.4 Subjectivity of Statements V.4 Contradiction Checking V.4.1 Cases of Contradiction V.4.2 Resolution of Conflict V.4.3 To Resolve V.5 Analogy V.5.1 The Form of Analogy V.5.2 The Relation of Analogy and Coherence V.5.3 Analogy and Distributivity V.5.6 Adding Coherent Relations: Saturation V.5.7 Tutorial Aids V.5.8 Implications of THOUGHTSTICKER V.5.9 Many Authors Conversing V.5.10 Personalized Vocabularies VI. The Essence of Process: Micro Simulation of Lp VI.1 Knowledge Representation Display VI.2 Displays in THOUGHTSTICKER VI.2.1 Experimental Software Facility VI.2.2 Discussion of the Programming VI.2.3 Coherence Displayed VI.2.4 Animated Interpretations of Topic Relations VI.2.5 Pruning Displayed VI.2.6 Contradiction Displayed VI.3 Conflict Terminology: Ambiguity and Contradiction VI.4 The Activation of Analogy versus Coherence VI.5 "Forces" Model VI.5.1 Movement toward Micro Modelling VI.5.2 Basic Force Calculations VI.5.3 Linear and Squares Result VI.5.4 Prune Case VI.6 Discussion of Results VI.6.1 Basic Contradiction Detection: Full Genoa VI.6.2 Subset VI.6.3 Ambiguous contradiction: Partial Genoa VII. Conclusions and Summary VII.1 Lp Software at the Macro Level VII.2 Macro theory and Micro confirmation VII.3 Extensions to the Work VII.3.1 Dimensional Control VII.3.2 Cognitive Force Values VII.3.3 Pruning and Resolution VII.3.4 New Hardware Appendix A. Equations Appendix B. Software Program Listings Appendix C. Short History of THOUGHTSTICKER C.1 The first "THOUGHTSTICKER" Software C.2 The first micro-based implementation: MTHSTR C.3 PASCAL TSTIK C.4 Apple CASTE, a version of THOUGHTSTICKER C.5 THOUGHTSTICKER 3600 C.6 Naive" THOUGHTSTICKER C.7 The Expertise Tutor C.8 Do-What-Do C.9 Interactive Videodisc Interface Appendix D. Bibliography Appendix E. Glossary of Terms Appendix F. Figures
© Copyright Paul Pangaro 1998. All Rights Reserved.