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<TITLE>Adaptive Intelligence, M.Sc. in Cognitive Science</TITLE>
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Adaptive Intelligence<BR>
(<A HREF="http://www.cognitivescience-postgrad.phs.uoa.gr/">M.Sc. in Cognitive Science, University of Athens</A>)

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<LI><A HREF="#Objectives">Objectives</A>
<LI><A HREF="#Syllabus">Syllabus</A>
<LI><A HREF="#Material">Course material</A>
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<A NAME="Objectives">
<H2>Objectives</H2>
The objective of the course is to familiarise students with the fundamental approaches,
methodologies and techniques involved in the synthesis and the design of "atomic"
intelligence, that allows an artificial individual to face a particular problem and that
entails a number of cognitive functions. The major approaches are surveyed: both the
traditional classical centralised approaches that rely basically on logic and tackle issues
such as problem-solving, planning, learning, board games etc., as well as the modern situated,
behaviour-based and distributed approaches that follow a systemic and algorithmic methodology.
Special emphasis is put on the study of adaptive behavior in a bottom-up manner, that
investigates first the cognitive equipment of lower organisms that scale in higher-order
organisms and that focuses on problems and environments where behavioral plasticity and
adaptivity are of paramount importance, such as spatial learning or modelling and synthesis
of attention and imitation. Besides essays and assignments, the students have to carry out
substantial experimental work with real systems and models related to synthesis, simulation
and experimental analysis of computational adaptive systems.

<H3>Instructor</H3>
<PRE>
	<B>Elpida Tzafestas</B>
	Associate Professor
	Cognitive Science Laboratory
	Department of History and Philosophy of Science (M.I.Th.E.)
	National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
	University Campus, Ano Ilisia 15771 Athens
	GREECE
	Tel. (+30) 210-727 5522,
	     (+30) 210-727 5506
	Fax. (+30) 210-727 5530

	<IMG ALIGN=MIDDLE SRC="../Images/mail.gif"> <A HREF="mailto:etzafestas@phs.uoa.gr"><EM>etzafestas@phs.uoa.gr</EM></A>
	<IMG ALIGN=MIDDLE SRC="../Images/www2.gif"> <A HREF="http://users.softlab.ntua.gr/~brensham"><EM>http://users.softlab.ntua.gr/~brensham</EM></A>
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<A NAME="Syllabus">
<H2>Syllabus</H2>
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<LI><B>Introduction</B><BR>
History, Roots, Cybernetics and classical AI
<LI><B>Basic models</B><BR>
Turtles, Braitenberg Vehicles, Toda, Situatedness
<LI><B>Neural modelling</B><BR>
Artificial neural networks, Neuroethology, Advanced models (Spiking/Recurrent etc.)
<LI><B>Animats</B><BR>
Animat locomotion and perception, Motivational control, Communication, Learning,
Social models, Emotion/Agency
<LI><B>Evolution</B><BR>
Genetic algorithms, Robot evolution, Darwin/Lamarck/Baldwin, Biological topics
<LI><B>Theoretical issues</B><BR>
Grounding, Embodiment/Situatedness, Representations, Autonomy, Autopoiesis
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<A NAME="Material">
<H2>Course material</H2>
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<LI>Lecture slides
<LI>Readings (papers and chapters)
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<LI><A HREF="Readings.html">Fundamental readings</A><BR>
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<LI>Lab material (code and short tutorials)
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<H2>Practical assignments (indicative)</H2>
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<LI>Neural modelling
<LI>Artificial ethology
<LI>Evolution of behavior
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<EM>Page last updated 09 March 2012</EM><BR>
<A HREF="mailto:etzafestas@phs.uoa.gr">
<EM>Send me mail (etzafestas@phs.uoa.gr)</EM></A><BR><BR>

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