Has anybody read Artificial Intelligence A Modern Approach?

[Gucko]

Hi guys, I'm a computer engineering student (third year) and I'm reading this textbook:

Artificial Intelligence A Modern Approach second edition.

I wonder if somebody has read it.

Today I read the first chapter of the book and I found it difficult, I understood about 50%. The first chapter is all about the historical background of AI. It has LOOOOOTS and tooo much information about the historical AI bg. There are lots of terms that I didn't/don't understand in this chapter. Did you face this problem with this chapter also?

This chapter includes info about everything! It mentions terms, experitments, methdologies and other things without fully explanation. The first few pages are easy....but the rest are awful!

I don't know but I feel the rest of the chapters are a lot easier, right?

[.Maleficus.]

It's in my collection, but I haven't read it. I skimmed the first chapter and it looked interesting, but it did also look pretty dry.

Unfortunately, I don't think it will get easier. Artificial intelligence is a huge and complex topic - certainly not for the faint of heart.

[Gucko]

We are studying this book in my university. My prof uses the slides of the book, we studied three chapters until now. I understood 90% of the second and third chapter slides, but I really think that the first chapter is too much in depth in some topics. Anyway I understood the MAIN ideas of the first chapter and answered most of the exercises correctly. But really I don't find AI too much hard :)

I really want to know if you had the same problem with the first chapter.

[hobo14]

On the desk next to me, but I haven't read it...

I just use it as a reference when doing assignments ;)

[mohitchawla]

Its a great book. Its actually the first chapter that got me so interested in studying the subject further. But then we have Rich & Knight as the prescribed text book in my college, so I read that more. But when I need inspiration I pick up Russel & Norvig (the book that you mentioned, that is).

[Gucko]

I attached some examples of what I find fuzzy.

what does NP-complete mean?!?! Do you see it's just fuzzy!

Also I didn't understand what Aristotle said! The English is hard. I'm not a native English speaker but my English is very good. I read a lot of books and the English was really easy. Like Java How to program 7th, Discrete Mathematics with Application Susana App, Fundementals of Database Systems...etc the English of these books are really easy.

Also see, what the hell is Goal-based analysis? It doesn't say! Do you see what I mean. They just mention terms and subjects and don't explain them.


I don't know but I'm sure the rest of the chapters are easy cuz the first chapter is all about historical things, and I think if they are going to explain every term, the chapter will be about 100 pages!

[betrunkenaffe]

The book is assuming some prior knowledge about computational problem solving if it doesn't explain NP-Complete Problems but talks about them...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NP-complete

Enjoy.

PS: I just read most of those pages that you posted, that first chapter was written that way on purpose, it's giving you way too much information and no explanations, it's more of a summary chapter.

[Gucko]

The book is assuming some prior knowledge about computational problem solving if it doesn't explain NP-Complete Problems but talks about them...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NP-complete

Enjoy.

PS: I just read most of those pages that you posted, that first chapter was written that way on purpose, it's giving you way too much information and no explanations, it's more of a summary chapter.


Do you mean that I should have taken Theory of Computation course before this one? I don't know NP-Complete problems :( I'm going to take Theory of Computation course next semester. It's not a precondition for the AI course, also the book doesn't mention that. It only mentions that I should have taken a discrete mathematics and Algorithms & Data Structure courses before this one.

So as I understood from you is that I don't have to worry about the rest of the chapters.

[Gucko]

Aha I think I understood what you mean.This chapter is written with too much info and terms, but in the coming chapters they are going to explain everything. Yeah it's like a summary chapter.

[Gucko]

Aren't there any MIT students here? I know this textbook is their main textbook for AI.

[sujoy]

we read it for AI too in university. NP-complete and NP-hard etc was covered in algorithm analysis class in the previous year so it wasn't much of a hassle really.

[Gucko]

I haven't heard about NP-complete. I don't know if we were supposed to study it in Algorithm & Data structure course or in Formal Language and Computer Theory course. I found that this topic is covered in chapter 27 in Introduction To Algorithm book ( MIT press book and MIT course ) and also I found it in page "nearly" 250 in "Introduction to the Theory of Computation" . So I don't think it's a gap in my courses because I haven't studied Formal Language and Computer Theory course. I think the topic is advanced or something cuz where I found it in those textbooks.

This is not the only problem of the first chapter, it has a lot of similar points and terms that the book doesn't explain....some of them in medicine!!! The first chapter I think is just a summary book.

[Gucko]

Yes my professor confirmed what I mentioned. He also added that this textbook isn't intended only for undergraduates (like me) i.e only the first few chapters are for undergraduates, he said the rest are for higher educations like master and PHD.

[Gucko]

The book is very philosophical.....this is logical cuz Artificial Intelligence has its roots in philosophy.

[Daveski]

... it has a lot of similar points and terms that the book doesn't explain....some of them in medicine!!!

Wikipedia is your friend. Failing that, try Googling those terms.