Reviews (16)

Good Theoretical GA Textbook
This book primarily deals with the theoretical side of genetic algorithms. If you are looking for practical knowledge of how to implement a GA you should look elsewhere. For all intents and purposes this is a textbook. It's heavy on theory and proofs, but doesn't always explain everything in depth (that's what class time is for). There are problems at the end of each chapter that can be assigned to students.
Not for beginners
I have an engineering degree, and I found this to be a little tough to follow for two reasons: An introduction and much more
First it must be said that the book is not an introduction that the non-scientist will easily understand. Some knowledge of computer programming is assumed. It acknowledges this in the last paragraph of the preface. Many of the notations in the book are unfamiliar to business or financial readers. There is no mathematics beyond algebra so the aforementioned prerequisites are the main hills to climb.Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Computer Science    3. Computers    4. Computers - General Information    5. Programming - General    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Applied ecology    8. Biology, Life Sciences    9. Computer modelling & simulation    10. Computers / Computer Science    11. Machine learning   

Reviews (2)

I love this book.
This is a wonderfully written, and excellent book. It assumes only minimal backgroundknowledge but imparts a great deal of insight. I love the way that the author describes this area and the connections with deep and beautifulmathematics.

A very nice 'handbook' of sorts for users of SOMs.
The material is presented clearly and comprehensively from the unique perspective of the SOM originator himself. The inclusion ofexhaustive references is particularly useful for the prospective researcher, but, atthe risk of sounding ungrateful, I'm curious as to why paper titles werenot included in the citations? Overall though, a very good reference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Computers    3. Computers - General Information    4. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic    5. Life Sciences - Biophysics    6. Neural Computing    7. Neural Networks    8. Neural networks (Computer scie    9. Neural networks (Computer science)    10. Reference    11. Self-organizing maps    12. Adaptive and Learning Networks    13. Adaptive und Lernende Netze    14. Biophysics    15. Cluster Analysis    16. Communications engineering / telecommunications    17. Computers / Neural Networks    18. Computers-Artificial Intelligence - General    19. Klassifikator    20. Klusteranalyse    21. Lernen ohne Lehrer    22. Mustererkennung    23. Neuronale Netze    24. Pattern Recognition    25. Science / Physics    26. Selbstlernen    27. Selbstorganisierende Karten   

Reviews (8)

READ IT BEFORE REVIEWING PLEASE
my five stars are just to counteract the single star from the idiotic reviewer who gave the book one star w/o even bothering to read it. i haven't read this volume yet either, but i just ordered it and it's on its way; i'm certain i won't be disapointed. i'm a programmer and an artist and i use GP effectively to evolve forms both sonic and visual. just because you know your field(s) doesn't mean you can't benefit from a knowledge of evolutionary algorithms, quite the contrary. we have koza and friends to thank for a lot of inspirational work. i for one enjoy the interaction that i have with my algorithms, and since i'm the fitness function, forms crop up which never would have if either i or the machine were working alone. apologies for being guilty of the same crime as said reviewer but i feel in this case it's justified.

And the future is...
Genetic programming is like a new Big Bang in computer universe. Why Should You Buy This Book???
Why this book, when there are several shorter books on GP, and its principle author, John Koza, has written two other, more general and equally voluminous books on GP? This book addresses how to evolve program architecture, that's why! Living organisms didn't grow arms and eyes through simple mutation. It required more subtle genetic operators. Traditional genetic operators (as used in genetic algorithms) may be sufficient for evolving solutions to optimization problems where the structure if not the specifics of each solution is pretty much the same. But to effectively evolve program structures, you need architecture altering genetic operators. This book provides motivations in computer science, foundations in biology, and explanations in English. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. Genetic Algorithms    6. Genetic programming (Computer    7. Genetic programming (Computer science)    8. Life Sciences - Genetics & Genomics    9. Circuits & components    10. Computers / Artificial Intelligence    11. Machine learning   

Reviews (3)

Written by a mathematician for mathematicians
The intended audience of this book are mathematicians. To understand this book, you should have prior coursework experience in at least several upper division undergraduate courses in mathematical statistics and probability theory. The structure of this book is also that of a typical math book; full of proposition, corollary, lemma, etc, and very limited use of illustrations (e.g., there is no single figure up to chapter 6). Good material, but you really have to want it.
The book gives outstanding coverage of all that goes into building HMMs - one of the most important tools in genome analysis and structure prediction. It covers the field in extreme depth. More depth, in fact, than needed for building useful HMM systems. It not only presents the forward and backward algorithms leading up to Baum-Welch, it presents all the extras - convergence, etc. Primarily for bio-mathematicians
The field of computational biology has expanded greatly in the last decade, mainly due to the increasing role of bioinformatics in the genome sequencing projects. This book outlines a particular set of algorithms called hidden Markov models, that are used frequently in genetic sequence search routines. The book is primarily for mathematicians who want to move into bioinformatics, but it could be read by a biologist who has a strong mathematical background. The book is detailed at some places, sparse in others, and reads like a literature survey at times, but many references are given, and there are very interesting exercises at the end of each chapter section. In fact it is really imperative that the reader work some of these exercises, as the author proves some of the results in the main body of the text via the exercises.

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Life Sciences - Biochemistry    3. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    4. Mathematics    5. Probability & Statistics - General    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Computers-Artificial Intelligence - General    9. Mathematics / Statistics    10. Probability & statistics    11. Science-Life Sciences - Zoology - General   

Subjects:  1. Applied    2. Artificial Intelligence - General    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computers    5. Life Sciences - Biology - General    6. Mathematics    7. Artificial intelligence    8. Biology, Life Sciences    9. Computing and Information Technology    10. Gene Expression Programming    11. Genetic Algorithms    12. Genetic Programming    13. Mathematics / Applied   

Reviews (5)

An excellent edition, long overdue
Enjoy this profound book by the father of the Digital Age. The Essential Turing is an excellent edition and long overdue. Turing's essential works are finally available in a single volume.Turing is one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century--he was rated up there with Einstein in Time magazine's 'The Century's Greatest Minds'. Copeland's lucid commentaries on Turing's work are fascinating and helpful. OUP is to be congratulated on putting Turing into the hands of the popular science book-buyer at long last.

a long overdue book
A long overdue book. Copeland collects together Turing's greatest papers. As in where Turing tackled the fundamentals of what is now called a Turing machine - ie. a universal computer. Plus other papers where Turing ruminated on artificial intelligence, and founded that field. Plus coming up with the Turing Test for AI.
Most Accessible Introduction to Turing
This is a terrific book. Turing is one of the most important figures of our time.Copeland's lucid and helpful introductions to Turing's key works make fascinating reading.(The hundreds of footnotes are testimony to the depth of scholarship that underlies Copeland's smooth prose.)Copeland makes Turing, and so the origins of the digital age, accessible to all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial intelligence    2. Enigma cipher system    3. General    4. Literature - Classics / Criticism    5. Logic, Symbolic and mathematic    6. Logic, Symbolic and mathematical    7. Mathematics    8. Philosophy & Social Aspects    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Turing, Alan Mathison,    12. Cognition & cognitive psychology    13. Computer modelling & simulation    14. Mathematical theory of computation    15. Philosophy | Science    16. Science / Philosophy & Social Aspects   

Editorial Review

Though its title brings to mind the hubris of Frankenstein, Steve Grand's Read more

Reviews (10)

Disappointing & unenlightening
I seldom pan books, but this one is little more than an egotistic rehash of simplified versions of AI/AL theories of the past 3 decades. The only new data are the author's opinions. If you are looking for anything new and/or in depth, look elsewhere.

Turning the tide on AI research in a sense
I must say I enjoyed the book completely. While I don't agree with the author on all points - the book is incredibly though provoking. I was so glad to see such a book written that after I read the book (in 3 nights - short book) I bought three copies for co-workers who I wanted to read it. Steve Grand is now quite famous (or should I say even more famous) after writing this book. He has challenged traditional thought on the subject of AI and in a way made converts out of many. Lots and lots of buildup ... and very little payoff.
Grand's book isn't that at all, although it tries to be.He starts out with his definition of life, and builds (slowly, oh so slowly you could cry) up to the point where the rubber hits the road, so to speak.At that point, he imply handwaves the entire process of programming a-life.Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence    2. Artificial Intelligence - General    3. Artificial life    4. Biological systems    5. Computer Engineering    6. Computer Simulation    7. Life (Biology)    8. Life Sciences - Biology - General    9. Life Sciences - Evolution    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Biotechnology    13. Popular science    14. Science / General    15. Topics in philosophy   

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. General    5. Information Theory    6. Life Sciences - Botany    7. Mathematical models    8. Phyllotaxis    9. Physics    10. Plant Morphology    11. Plant morphogenesis    12. Science    13. Artificial intelligence    14. Computers / Information Theory    15. General Theory of Computing    16. Groups & group theory    17. Mathematical foundations    18. Medical-General    19. Science / Botany    20. Science-Physics   

Editorial Review

Will quantum physics let us reduce consciousness to computation? Roger Penrose says "no" with great force and eloquence in Read more

Reviews (11)

Lucid approach to establish a quantum-based mind theory
Penrose concisely manages to give us an overview about 3 somehow interconnected fields, the mathematically described large-scale world, the deterministic quantum microcosm and the recently emergent mind science. His major aspiration is to see the new generation of scientists erecting a bridge between the quantum world and the always controversial substance of conscience. Biology Contradicted.
What I am writing here in no way does justice to the book, I am merely trying to add a corrective to the way the book is reviewed.With Penrose, biology and the brain itself become epiphenomena. Biology loses its status as protected economic mythology (by default, not in the book). To become a neurobiologist (for instance) one usually has to accept at least some of the assumptions of the discipline or accept some responsibility for them; even by the questions Penrose raises he is fundamentally undermining such disciplines (even categorically) and at the same time seriously calling into question the judgment of their adherents.After all why would one have accepted or promoted such polluted theories when (after the fact) clarity was there all along... unless there was another motive.So more than their judgment is at stake, this work even calls into question their character as reflected in their basic sense of things.What are they going to do? Reform? It calls into question their basic forum.

With reservations, a fascinating discussion
As my background is mainly in the brain sciences, I was most interested in what Penrose had to say about consciousness and the brain in this book, so I'll concentrate mostly on the chapter that had to do with that. This is not to say I didn't enjoy the other chapters, just that I'm not as qualified to critique those as I am the one on the brain. There has been a lot of speculation in recent years about such things as computability and the brain, quantum consciousness, and so on, and I was interested to find out what Penrose might have to say about that.Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence    2. Artificial Intelligence - General    3. Computers    4. Life Sciences - Human Anatomy & Physiology    5. Physics    6. Quantum Theory    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Science / Gravity    10. Theoretical methods   

Reviews (2)

If you read mondo 2000, there are no surprises here, but...
If you have read Mondo 2000 before, then nothing in this book will be much of a surprise.In fact in 1998 this book is clearly retro.Still, to the new reader you will find much of the information interesting.The format is basically an A-Z of popular memes and cultural phenomena with a pseudo hypertext interface. Very '1990' look at the future
A very 1990 look at the future, but well done withgood graphics. Covers music, fashion, Industry,etc. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - General Information    2. Controversial Knowledge    3. Future Studies    4. General    5. New Age movement    6. Sociology   

Reviews (4)

Great Content, Author Can't Explain Clearly Though
I bought this book to understand the mathematics and physics in A-Life and Complexity.Instead I found this bookvery long winded and difficult to comprehend exactly what was trying to be said.The content and layout of the book is great, just wish a better writer had been the author of this book. Lots of fancy, big words that are not needed to get the basic points across.Very hard to understand what is being said.It takes smarts and skill to explain complicated, abstract ideas in a meaningful manner.This book does not do that.I wish it did!

At times cryptic, but nevertheless marvellous
This is the ONLY book I have seen which brings together all the many and various strands which are essential to the exciting new subjects arising currently around the question: What is Life? It is a stunning tour de forceof the basic knowledge you need to possess to work in the areas of A-lifeor biological complexity. Hard Science
Adami demonstrates how to use the tools of artificial life to conduct pure scientific research. A very clear and readable textbook on the subject, Adami makes me want to go back to graduate school. Here is a chance to take an introductory course in an exciting field of research that is truelytable-top science. I loved the book and I didn't even use the CD andsoftware that came with it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence    2. Artificial Intelligence - General    3. Artificial life    4. Computer Books And Software    5. Computer Science    6. Computers    7. Computers - General Information    8. General    9. Life (Biology)    10. Neural networks (Computer scie    11. Neural networks (Computer science)    12. Science / Physics   

Reviews (1)

diverse examples
The book is recognition of the fact that computational biology is only now starting to emerge as an important scientific discipline in its own right. The book addresses 2 audiences whose research intersects. One is those doing other computational work and who perhaps already use these kernel methods, and who are unaware of issues in biology that need to be studied. While the other is those already in computational biology, but who have never used kernel methods. Essentially, the early chapters address these needs.
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Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Computational biology    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Science    5. Computers    6. General    7. Kernel functions    8. Life Sciences - Biology - Molecular Biology    9. Science    10. Biology, Life Sciences    11. Machine learning    12. Science / Microbiology   

Reviews (1)

Artificial Life is the new Artificial Intelligence.
If you are intrested in how biological systems can be simulated via computer or in what contect computer programs or computer simulations can be called alive -- this is the book to read.
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Subjects:  1. Biological systems    2. Computer Bks - General Information    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer simulation    5. Congresses    6. Ecology    7. General    8. Robotics    9. Simulation methods    10. Biology, Life Sciences   

Editorial Review

Some great science fiction has asked about robots and the right to vote--but what happens when we're 51 percent artificial ourselves? Cyberculture scholar Chris Hables Gray looks at the ever-changing human body in Read more

Reviews (6)

Half of a dissapointment
I had a high level of interest upon picking up this book, as cyborg technology and the philosophy behind it, after reading it; however, I have to say I was a bit disappointed.I gave it a rating of 3 stars, but I think it deserves more along the lines of a 2.5.This book professes to be about cyborgs, and it is, but Gray's definition of "cyborg" is so incredibly broad that it loses a huge part of its relevancy.He defines a cyborg as "a self-regulating organism that combines the natural and artificial into one system," and takes that as far as it can possibly go, calling unborn fetuses cyborgs if they are viewed by ultrasound, and the average citizen a cyborg for having immunizations.I am a cyborg because I wear glasses.
A man with a vision
Not only does his book have a dazzling perspective into all the ways that the body is modified within modern practice he also brings it to a level that even the most novice of readers can grasp.Having been a philosophy student of Mr. Gray's in 1997 I must say it is not quite as enlightening as being in person with him, but it still shows his brilliance and true connection to the cyborg-mentality.Frankly if you can find a way to meet him, every second is worth it.But if you can't, this book is a good close second, and well worth your $ and reading time.

An intriguing survey of changing images of civil rights
In Cyborg Citizen, the author argues that the creation of cyborgs calls for new definitions of citizenship. Examples can include Internet offerings and the legal and political issues raised by its use, and issues affecting the mechanization of humans with artificial parts. An intriguing survey of changing images of civil rights and liberties. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Cyborgs    3. History & Theory - General    4. Human-machine systems    5. Life Sciences - Evolution    6. Life Sciences - Genetics & Genomics    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Robotics    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Social Aspects - Human-Computer Interaction    12. Computers / Artificial Intelligence    13. Impact of science & technology on society   

Reviews (1)

Thorough and well-organized reference
After an introductory review of the literature, Gen and Cheng write a chapter on each class of optimization problems that have been solved with genetic algorithms.Within the chapters they systematically describe eachtechnique that has been used to apply genetic algorithms to the particularproblem.Descriptions include the underlying math and a step-wiseprocedure for implementation.These are backed up with multiple graphs andillustrations, and copious references (737 references in all).A few moreactual examples would have helped, especially in the MultiobjectiveOptimization chapter.The clear organization and number of references makethis an excellent reference for the practitioner, but the level of detailcould make it difficult for someone new to the technique. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Computers - General Information    3. Engineering - Industrial    4. Genetic Algorithms    5. Industrial Engineering (General)    6. Industrial engineering    7. Life Sciences - Genetics & Genomics    8. Mathematical models    9. Mathematical optimization    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Technology    12. Computer aided manufacture (CAM)    13. Computers / Artificial Intelligence    14. Genetic engineering    15. Science-Life Sciences - Genetics & Genomics    16. Technology / Engineering / Mechanical    17. Technology-Engineering - Industrial   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Communications / Networking    4. Database Management - General    5. General    6. Neural Networks    7. Neural networks (Computer science)   

Reviews (1)

A great compilation of new Systems Biology concepts and tools
This book is a worthy successor to the well-received "Foundations of Systems Biology" edited by Kitano in 2001.That earlier book provided, under a single cover, Kitano's perspective of the central aspects of this emerging field.Five years hence, many things have changed in this fast evolving field, but the changes have been more in terms of the increased volume and improved clarity of detail of the constituents of the central core topics rather than in the core topics themselves.In this edited volume, Dr. Kriete and Dr. Eils have provided the Systems Biology community with a timely update of the central topics of systems biology, emphasizing computational tools and bioinformatics, and showcasing newer modeling, simulation and analysis techniques such as multi-scale modeling and analysis.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a broad but carefully presented overview of the current state of the art in computational systems biology; it should also become an invaluable part of the library of anyone engaged in systems biology research. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Bioinformatics    3. Biological systems    4. Biostatistics    5. Biotechnology    6. Computer Books: General    7. Computer simulation    8. Computers    9. Life Sciences - Biology - General    10. Life Sciences - Biophysics    11. Science    12. Applications of Computing    13. Biology, Life Sciences    14. Medical / General   

Reviews (5)

Misleading title, a useful book otherwise
Look through this book to convince yourself that an exact brain theory does not exist. The arrangement of the articles by the first letter of their title tells it all (consider classifying animals by the first letter of their name). The editors wrongly assume that mathematical methods equal theory; actually, theory is a small conceptual tent under which a large number of experimentally established facts can be gathered. In most cases, mathematics is a very useful tool in pitching this tent, but it has little to do with the tent itself.
Basic sciencefor consciousness
Research is tedious, but if you want to know the nitty-gritty of mind-brain theory and neural networking, this book is an invaluable resource for basic, relevant, and accessible papers on the subjects.Encompassing seminal works from an unusually broad range of disciplines, here is an outstanding reference for those concerned with the mechanisms of intelligence.

Excellent compilation
This complilation of articles by leading experts in the field gives an excellent overview of studies in cognitive theory and the theory and applications of neural networks. The first two parts of the book give an overview and background of the properties of neurons and gives guidance to the reader on what sequence the articles are to be read. I did not read all of the articles, but only those that piqued my interest. I found the following articles particularly well-written and informative: 1. "Applications of Neural Networks": Outlines the diverse applications of neural networks to signal processing, time series, imaging, etc. 2. "Astronomy": Neural network applications in astronomy, such as adaptive optics and telescope guidance. 3. "Chains of Coupled Oscillators": Their connection with the lamprey central pattern generator.4. "Chaos in Axons": An excellent review of chaos experimentally in squid axons and numerically with nerve equations.5. "Collective Behavior of Coupled Oscillators": A study of the phase and complex Ginzburg-Landau model.6. "Computer Modeling Methods for Neurons": Good overview of numerical modeling of neurons.7. "Computing with Attractors": Overview of omputing and feedback networks with attractors and a fascinating discussion of the possible existence of attractors in the brain.8. "Constrained Optimization and the Elastic Net": Useful discussion of application of neural networks to optimization problems.9. "Data Clustering and Learning": Good discussion of parameter estimation of mixture models by parametric statistics and vector quantization of a data set by combinatorial optimization.10. "Diffusion Models of Neuron Activity": Discusses 1-dimensional stochastic diffusion models for the neuron membrane potential.11. "Disease: Neural Network Models": Interesting overview of neural net computational models of various mental illnesses.12. "Dynamics and Bifurcation of Neural Networks": Discussion of neural nets and their behavior as dynamical systems.13. "Emotion and Computational Neuroscience": Fascinating discussion of computational models of emotion.14. "Investment Management": A discussion of tactical asset allocation neural network methods in asset management.15. "Learning and Centralization: Theoretical Bounds": Overview of computational learning theory.16. "Locust Flight": Interesting neural network study of the locust flight system. 17. "Neural Optimization": Discussion of combinatorial optimization using Ising and Potts neural networks.18. "PAC Learning and Neural Networks": Overview of the Valiant "probabilistically correct learning paradigm in neural networks.19. "Protein Structure Prediction": Neural network applications to prediction of protein secondary structure.20. "Schema Theory": Extremely interesting overview of schemas.21. "Speech Recognition: Pattern Matching": Excellent discussion of the applications of hidden Markov models to speech recognition.22. "Statistical Mechanics of Neural Networks": Discussion of the use of the Hopfield model in neural networks.23. Vapnik-Chervonenkis Dimension of Neural Networks": Very interesting discussion of the VC-dimension of neural networks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Computer Science    3. Life Sciences - Biology - General    4. Medical    5. Medical / Nursing    6. Neural Computing    7. Neurobiology    8. Neurology - General    9. Neuroscience    10. Science    11. Medical / Neuroscience    12. Neural networks    13. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology    14. Neurosciences    15. Physiological & neuro-psychology   

Editorial Review

Here's a mesmerizing account of the evolution of machines and thoughts about machines, woven into a story about the evolution of intelligence. Read more

Reviews (22)

Maybe not scientific, but that's not the point anyway...
Several have criticized Dyson's philosophical and historical treatise "Darwin Among the Machines" for not articulating exactly how a global intelligence might emerge from today's synthetic biological and computational networks. But as Dyson says in the preface, the past is where we find answers, and the future merely a fog of questions "to which the answers are up to us." In the next 200 pages, Dyson explores the history of an idea: that man will someday create a form of artificial life, with intelligence that may match or exceed our own.