Outlines a new approach to the design of learning machines which can be taught how to solve problems in industrial automation and other fields; and describes PURR-PUSS, a working system embodying this approach. The two key features of the system are "multiple context" and "novelty"; their contribution to the teachability of…

This paper is concerned with providing automatically generated online explanations to the user of a user interface or "tool" about what the interface can and cannot do, and what parameters or options are available or required with a given command. The COUSIN interface system, developed at Carnegie-Mellon, supplies a cooperative…

EASY ENGLISH IS A NATURAL COMMAND LANGUAGE DESIGNED TO SIMPLIFY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MAN AND MACHINE THROUGH A REMOTE TYPEWRITER CONSOLE. IT IS MADE UP OF READILY RECONIZED SENTENCES OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, SENTENCES WHICH ANY LAYMAN MIGHT BE EXPECTED TO USE IN EVERYDAY REQUESTS FOR SERVICES OR ARTICLES FROM A FAMILIAR SOURCE. EASY ENGLISH WAS…

The currently operational version of the INGRES data base management system gives a relational view of data, supports two high level, non-procedural data sublanguages, and runs as a collection of user processes on top of a UNIX operating system. The authors stress the design decisions and tradeoffs in relation to (1) structuring the system into…

The need for and development of computer programs using natural or native tongue languages are discussed. Two programs which attempt to use English Script Applier Mechanism (SAM) and Semantic Information Retrieval (SIR) are described. (MK)

The potentialities of specialized languages, in comparison to those of other types of specialized systems, are discussed. The point is made that these languages have been invented by information processing professionals in order to assist the problem-solving activities of computer users by providing them with appropriate interfaces to the…

Emphasis on interfacing -- the various processes for passing information into or out of computers -- is suggested. Why the Texas Instruments microcomputer is plausible for this is noted, followed by specific interfacing suggestions, including programs for a timer and the assembly language subroutine. (MNS)

This report describes the development of computer programs called user agents, which, through interaction with users, can either learn new facts and store them in a data base or learn new procedures for data manipulation and represent them as programs. These programs are written in RITA, the Rule-directed Interactive Transaction Agent system, and…

This paper describes the construction and implementation of an autoprogramming system. An autoprogrammer is an interactive computer programming system which automatically constructs computer programs from example computations executed by the user. The example calculations are done in a scratch pad fashion at a computer display, and the system…

Research on man-machine communication was examined to gain insight into techniques for improving interactive programs through the enhancement of communicative style. The human-computer interaction is compared to a conversation, and specific recommendations for improving this interaction are enumerated. The suggestions are general in nature and are…

A system of computer-assisted data analysis (CADA) was developed at the University of Iowa to handle the mechanical, arithmetical and computational tasks associated with Bayesian statistical analysis. The original programs were subsequently expanded and a CADA monitor constructed to aid their use; a search was then undertaken to find a means of…

An attempt was made to develop human-like behavior in the computer. A theory of the human learning process was described. A computer game was presented which simulated the human capabilities of reasoning and learning. The program was required to make intelligent decisions based on past experiences and critical analysis of the present situation.…

The Multilingual Interpreter (MI), a language processor capable of executing more than one language, is being used at Western Washington State College to enhance interactive computing for computer-assisted instructional (CAI) users. The MI's two major functions are, first, that of scanning and translating a source language into internal…

The need for traps, a program routine which checks the validity of the user's response to the computer's request for input, in Computer Assisted Learning Packages, is discussed. Several example traps are described. (MK)

Three outstanding features of the Rapidly Extensible Language (REL) System are discussed. REL itself is an integrated software system designed to facilitate conversational interaction with the computer, especially by those working with dynamic, highly interrelated data. The system's main parts are: 1) the operating system, which manages the…