Pavia, September 14 - 17, 1998

Index Chairmen Program committee Scientific secretary Aims of the workshop  Topics Program Workshop site Workshop modalities		TOPICS AND CONTRIBUTIONS In the last decade, new approaches for machine creativity have been suggested. One of these, is based on the Puzzle Principle introduced by M. Minsky; following this approach, any problem can be solved by trial and error provided one already has some way to recognise a solution when one is found. In this connection, new solutions can be detected for problems that we are not able to deal with and to solve with traditional techniques. It is worth to point out two key problems that arise: the generation of candidate solutions, and the evaluation of their proficiency. The highest efficiency is achieved with the capability of percepting the early emergence of the useful solutions. In this workshop of the series on Human and Machine Perception we will focus on Emergence, Attention and Creativity, analysing and comparing biological and artificial approaches. Emergence: the issue of change Change creates opportunity and devastation alike, depending on how early you anticipate and respond in appropriate way. Attitude to innovation demands a willingness to look on change as an opportunity. Anyway, the interaction between the observer and the system must be taken into account either in case of endogenous competing evolutionary processes, or in case of evoked changes (e.g. the case of heuristic production of candidate solutions). Attention: a trend-forecasting tool For each candidate solution an analysis must be done to determine pros and cons, and the reliability of the foresight. Moreover, in most practical cases the solution space is huge and requires for massive computation. In this connection, a supervisor for exploratory mechanisms is essential to tackle the complexity of the analysis. Selective or diffused attentive strategies can be adopted to solve the cases in which the expected events are known or in surveillance over the parameter spaces, respectively. Creativity: the power of positive dreaming The production of novel and original issues depends on the capability of observing the context but benefits as well from the readiness to discover, that is imagination up to dream and a prepared mind (from Pasteur: Chance favors the prepared mind). Here, a free evolution would provide for the maximum novelty expectation: the stronger the solicitations, the lower originality of the outcomes. In the workshop we intend to investigate the mutual basic principles subtending Emergence, Attention and Creativity, and to discuss modalities and capabilities reached or adopted in important natural and artificial contexts.
URL: http://vision.unipv.it/hmp98 e-mail: hmp@ipvvis.unipv.it