Artificial Intelligence and Problem Solving

by Danny Kopec, Christopher Pileggi, David Ungar

This book lends insight into solving some well-known AI problems using the most efficient problem-solving methods by humans and computers. The book discusses the importance of developing critical-thinking methods and skills, and develops a consistent approach toward each problem. This book assembles in one place a set of interesting and challenging AI–type problems that students regularly encounter in computer science, mathematics, and AI courses. These problems are not new, and students from all backgrounds can benefit from the kind of deductive thinking that goes into solving them. The book is especially useful as a companion to any course in computer science or mathematics where there are interesting problems to solve.



•Addresses AI and problem-solving from different perspectives

•Covers classic AI problems such as Sudoku, Map Coloring, Twelve Coins, Red Donkey, Cryptarithms, Monte Carlo Methods, Rubik’s Cube, Missionaries/Cannibals, Knight’s Tour, Monty Hall, and more

•Includes a companion disc with source code, solutions, figures, and more

•Offers playability sites where students can exercise the process of developing their solutions

•Describes problem-solving methods that might be applied to a variety of situations

eBook Companion files are available for downloading with order number/proof of purchase by writing to the publisher at info@merclearning.com.

350 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2016

Reviews

[Hồ Vinh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not recommended. The title is misleading and the writing gives me an impression of a series of reports rather than a book that is worth to read.

At first glance, I was instantly hooked up by certain problems listed on the back: Random Walks on Graphs & Monte Carlo Methods, Map Coloring and The Prisoner's Dilemma. It sounds like a book which can provide you with in-depth knowledge of a few selectively interesting problem involving Artificial Intelligence.

Turning out, the book puts more weight on Social Science's perspective than Computer Science, briefly on how human reasoning to solve a problem. It repeatedly introduces a problem, shows the solution, a subsection related to keywords in Computer, and their analysis on real experiments with people. You can't just simply write things like this and expect to receive applause from your audiences. It is too shallow for a Computer Scientist, yet is not fathomable by outsiders either, in my opinion.

Furthermore, the edit of the book has unaccepted errors that offend readers like me, e.g. referring to a figure and it prints out "Error! Reference source not found". The book including a disc with source code of problems, each written in different programming language. It seems they collect the programs from various sources and just store them in one place.

To be fair, the representation introduced in "The Missionaries and Cannibals" and "Monty Hall" are new and intriguing to me.

Thanks for teaching me a valuable lesson: if you want to have a spoiler-free experience and look for a good book, should scan through a few pages before deciding whether to buy it or not.

[Nightshadequeen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contains almost no artificial intelligence.