We present a socially inspired approach that allows agents in Multi-Agent Systems to speed up their own learning process through communication. Thereby, they are able to trade off impact of knowledge by mutation dependent on the recent performance of the…

What is the best way to understand 'applies to' when it is said of a linguistic theory that it applies to a particular language-user? We can answer by saying that a linguistic theory is applicable to an individual language-user just…

We analyze an alternative to the standard rationalizability requirement for observed choices by considering non-deteriorating selections. A selection function is a generalization of a choice function where selected alternatives may depend on a reference (or status quo) alternative in addition…

We identify conditions under which preferences over sets of consumption opportunities can be reduced to preferences over bundles of \"commodities\". We distinguish ordinal bundles, whose coordinates are defined up to monotone transformations, from cardinal bundles, whose coordinates are defined up…

We provide a survey of the literature on ranking sets of objects. The interpretations of those set rankings include those employed in the theory of choice under complete uncertainty, rankings of opportunity sets, set rankings that appear in matching theory,…

The development of decision support systems for equipment diagnosis has been found to be an iterative process whereby functionality and knowledge are continually added to a prototype until satisfactory performance is achieved. In order to reduce both the dependency on…

Sadr al-Din Qunavi (605/1207-673AH/1274 CE)--stepson and pupil of Ibn $ rm sp{c}$Arabi (d. 638 AH/1240 CE)--played a pivotal role in the development of Islamic intellectual history. His contributions in the medieval period helped alter the course of mystico-philosophical tradition, which…

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the medical data management expert system at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Montreal Children's Hospital. The objective of this study is to provide a systematic method to evaluate and, progressively…

This study examines how prior knowledge influences future learning. Although it has been established that prior knowledge does have a strong impact on later learning, it is not clear how this effect manifests itself. Previous research suggests that one way…

In this thesis, the concept of an intelligent system for the design and planning of electric power systems is developed. Such a system serves to preserve the vast body of power system design knowledge by identifying, structuring and consolidating it…