Solving Math Word Problems by Scoring Equations with Recursive Neural Networks

Solving math word problems is a cornerstone task in assessing language understanding and reasoning capabilities in NLP systems. Recent works use automatic extraction and ranking of candidate solution equations providing the answer to math word problems. In this work, we explore novel approaches to score such candidate solution equations using tree-structured recursive neural network (Tree-RNN) configurations. The advantage of this Tree-RNN approach over using more established sequential representations, is that it can naturally capture the structure of the equations. Our proposed method consists in transforming the mathematical expression of the equation into an expression tree. Further, we encode this tree into a Tree-RNN by using different Tree-LSTM architectures. Experimental results show that our proposed method (i) improves overall performance with more than 3% accuracy points compared to previous state-of-the-art, and with over 18% points on a subset of problems that require more complex reasoning, and (ii) outperforms sequential LSTMs by 4% accuracy points on such more complex problems

A Survey of Deep Learning for Mathematical Reasoning

Mathematical reasoning is a fundamental aspect of human intelligence and is applicable in various fields, including science, engineering, finance, and everyday life. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems capable of solving math problems and proving theorems has garnered significant interest in the fields of machine learning and natural language processing. For example, mathematics serves as a testbed for aspects of reasoning that are challenging for powerful deep learning models, driving new algorithmic and modeling advances. On the other hand, recent advances in large-scale neural language models have opened up new benchmarks and opportunities to use deep learning for mathematical reasoning. In this survey paper, we review the key tasks, datasets, and methods at the intersection of mathematical reasoning and deep learning over the past decade. We also evaluate existing benchmarks and methods, and discuss future research directions in this domain.Comment: Accepted to ACL 2023. The repository is available at https://github.com/lupantech/dl4mat

Neural Sequence-to-grid Module for Learning Symbolic Rules

Logical reasoning tasks over symbols, such as learning arithmetic operations and computer program evaluations, have become challenges to deep learning. In particular, even state-of-the-art neural networks fail to achieve \textit{out-of-distribution} (OOD) generalization of symbolic reasoning tasks, whereas humans can easily extend learned symbolic rules. To resolve this difficulty, we propose a neural sequence-to-grid (seq2grid) module, an input preprocessor that automatically segments and aligns an input sequence into a grid. As our module outputs a grid via a novel differentiable mapping, any neural network structure taking a grid input, such as ResNet or TextCNN, can be jointly trained with our module in an end-to-end fashion. Extensive experiments show that neural networks having our module as an input preprocessor achieve OOD generalization on various arithmetic and algorithmic problems including number sequence prediction problems, algebraic word problems, and computer program evaluation problems while other state-of-the-art sequence transduction models cannot. Moreover, we verify that our module enhances TextCNN to solve the bAbI QA tasks without external memory.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, AAAI 202

Effectiveness of Remedial Mathematics Supplemental Instruction: a Community College Study.

The purpose of this mixed method study was to determine if there is a relationship between characteristics of supplemental instructors’ personal traits, teaching skills, subject matter, constructive/active, collaborative learning, effective communication, and their practices (as judged by students) and student success in their remedial mathematics course. The college Provost was contacted by email to request an authorization to conduct this study in his college. Once approved, the investigator contacted face to face his colleagues to ask their students to participate in the study because they enrolled in a remedial algebra class where the instructor is assisted by a supplemental instructor (SI leader). Sixteen algebra classes were selected, and each were assisted by supplemental instructors. Students’ scores on the pre-test (at beginning of the semester) and post-test (at the end of the semester) were collected to gauge their achievement on both tests. Students completed a questionnaire that asked about their perceptions about their supplemental instructors’ personal traits, teaching skills, subject matter, constructive/active, collaborative learning, effective communication, and their practices throughout the semester. Students’ mean scores difference on the post-test were higher in 62.5% of the sections than on the pre-test. The evaluation of achievement on both tests, the responses to the questionnaire and comments from students showed that SI leader’s characteristics associated to effective communication/active learning, teaching skills, and personal traits could be contributor to score achievements. The linear regression in the study shows that the three factors did not significantly predict the post-test score. However, the pre-test did significantly predict the post-test score in a remedial Math 20 at the end of the semester (Beta = .47, t (197) = 6.56, p <.05). In addition, the comments in the questionnaire found that students acknowledged their supplemental instructor role in the classroom and during the SI’s weekly sessions

Natural Language Processing: Emerging Neural Approaches and Applications

This Special Issue highlights the most recent research being carried out in the NLP field to discuss relative open issues, with a particular focus on both emerging approaches for language learning, understanding, production, and grounding interactively or autonomously from data in cognitive and neural systems, as well as on their potential or real applications in different domains

IMPLEMENTING AN ACTING PLAY SCRIPTS TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL (A Classroom Action Research at the Eighth Class Students of SMPN 1 Kalitidu in the Academic Year of 2008/2009)

The research is aimed at (1) identifying whether Acting Play Scripts technique can improve students’ speaking skill; (2) describing to what extent Acting Play Scripts technique improve students’ speaking skill; and (3) describing the classsituation when Acting Play Scripts technique is implemented in speaking class. The research was conducted at SMPN I Kalitidu Bojonegoro; the subjects of the reseach were the eighth grade students in the academic year 2008/2009. The study applied action research technique to improve students’ speaking ability through Acting Play Scripts (APS). Action research is a way of reflecting on teaching which is done systematically by collecting data on everyday practice and analyzing in order to come to some decisions about what the future practice should be. The research consisted of two cycles, with four meetings in each cycles.The research elaborated planning, action, observation and reflection in each cycle.There are two types of data in the research, namely the quantitative and qualitative data which were collected by observation, interview, questionaire, and test. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistic, finding out the mean of the scores in the test and the improvement of thestudents’scores during the research. The qualitative data were analyzed using Constant-comparative technique proposed by Strauss and Glasser consisting of the following steps: (1) comparing incidents aplicable to each category; (2) integrating categories and their properties; (3) delimiting the theory; and (4) writing the theory. The results of the study showed that: (1) APS can improve students’ speaking skill; (2) APS can improve students’ speaking ability in terms of: (a) raising achievement in speaking; (b) raising students’ fluency in speaking; (c) improving students’ ability to express ideas using appropriate vocabulary and grammatical form;and (d) improving students’ speaking level; and (3) APS can improve classroom situation, in terms of: (a) creating live teaching atmosphere; (b) increasing students’s participation, reducing teacher domination, providing bigger oppotunities for speaking practice, enhancing spoken activity; and (c) increasing teacher innovation and understanding about students’ potentials. Realizing that APS technique is beneficial to improve the students’ speaking ability and imrpoving classroom situation, some suggestions are made based on the research findings: (1) English teacher should design teaching materialand action planto conduct APS technique which can be held at school regularly; (2) students should realize that they have potentials to be good speakers and open themselves to any chances of self-development in speaking; and (3) Researcher are expected to use the technique as a startingpoint to conduct further research in the same field

Twelfth Annual Conference on Manual Control

Main topics discussed cover multi-task decision making, attention allocation and workload measurement, displays and controls, nonvisual displays, tracking and other psychomotor tasks, automobile driving, handling qualities and pilot ratings, remote manipulation, system identification, control models, and motion and visual cues. Sixty-five papers are included with presentations on results of analytical studies to develop and evaluate human operator models for a range of control task, vehicle dynamics and display situations; results of tests of physiological control systems and applications to medical problems; and on results of simulator and flight tests to determine display, control and dynamics effects on operator performance and workload for aircraft, automobile, and remote control systems

HyperCell: A Bio-inspired Design Framework for Real-time Interactive Architectures

This pioneering research focuses on Biomimetic Interactive Architecture using “Computation”, “Embodiment”, and “Biology” to generate an intimate embodied convergence to propose a novel rule-based design framework for creating organic architectures composed of swarm-based intelligent components. Furthermore, the research boldly claims that Interactive Architecture should emerge as the next truly Organic Architecture. As the world and society are dynamically changing, especially in this digital era, the research dares to challenge the Utilitas, Firmitas, and Venustas of the traditional architectural Weltanschauung, and rejects them by adopting the novel notion that architecture should be dynamic, fluid, and interactive. This project reflects a trajectory from the 1960’s with the advent of the avant-garde architectural design group, Archigram, and its numerous intriguing and pioneering visionary projects. Archigram’s non-standard, mobile, and interactive projects profoundly influenced a new generation of architects to explore the connection between technology and their architectural projects. This research continues this trend of exploring novel design thinking and the framework of Interactive Architecture by discovering the interrelationship amongst three major topics: “Computation”, “Embodiment”, and “Biology”. The project aims to elucidate pioneering research combining these three topics in one discourse: “Bio-inspired digital architectural design”. These three major topics will be introduced in this Summary. &nbsp; “Computation”, is any type of calculation that includes both arithmetical and nonarithmetical steps and follows a well-defined model understood and described as, for example, an algorithm. But, in this research, refers to the use of data storage, parametric design application, and physical computing for developing informed architectural designs. “Form” has always been the most critical focus in architectural design, and this focus has also been a major driver behind the application computational design in Architecture. Nonetheless, this research will interpret the term “Form” in architecture as a continual “information processor” rather than the result of information processing. In other words, “Form” should not be perceived only as an expressive appearance based computational outcome but rather as a real-time process of information processing, akin to organic “Formation”. Architecture embodying kinetic ability for adjusting or changing its shape with the ability to process the surroundings and feedback in accordance with its free will with an inherent interactive intelligent movement of a living body. Additionally, it is also crucial to address the question of whether computational technologies are being properly harnessed, if they are only used for form-generating purposes in architecture design, or should this be replaced with real-time information communication and control systems to produce interactive architectures, with embodied computation abilities? &nbsp; “Embodiment” in the context of this research is embedded in Umberto Eco’s vision on Semiotics, theories underlying media studies in Marshall McLuhan’s “Body Extension” (McLuhan, 1964), the contemporary philosophical thought of “Body Without Organs” (Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, 1983), the computational Logic of ‘Swarm Behavior’ and the philosophical notion of “Monadology” proposed by Gottfried Leibniz (Leibniz, 1714). Embodied computation and design are predominant today within the wearable computing and smart living domains, which combine Virtual and Real worlds. Technical progress and prowess in VR development also contribute to advancing 3D smart architectural design and display solutions. The proposed ‘Organic body-like architectural spaces’ emphasize upon the realization of a body-like interactive space. Developing Interactive Architecture will imply eliciting the collective intelligence prevalent in nature and the virtual world of Big Data. Interactive Architecture shall thus embody integrated Information exchange protocols and decision-making systems in order to possess organic body-like qualities. &nbsp; “Biology”, in this research explores biomimetic principles intended to create purposedriven kinetic and organic architecture. This involves a detailed study/critique of organic architecture, generating organic shapes, performance optimization based digital fabrication techniques and kinetic systems. A holistic bio-inspired architecture embodies multiple performance criteria akin to natural systems, which integrate structural, infrastructure performances throughout the growth of an organic body. Such a natural morphogenesis process of architectural design explores what Janine M. Benyus described as “learning the natural process”. Profoundly influenced by the processes behind morphogenesis, the research further explores Evolutionary Development Biology (Evo-Devo) explaining how embryological regulation strongly affect the resulting formations. Evo-Devo in interactive architecture implies the development of architecture based on three fundamental principles: “Simple to Complex”, “Geometric Information Distribution”, and “On/Off Switch and Trigger.” The research seeks to create a relatively intelligent architectural body, and the tactile interactive spatial environment by applying the extracted knowledge from the study of the aforementioned principles of Evo-Devo in the following fashion: A. Extract a Self-Similar Componential System based approach from the “Simple to Complex” principle of Evo-Devo B. Extract the idea of “Collective Intelligence” from “Geometric information Distribution” principle of Evo-Devo C. Extract the principle of “Assembly Regulation” from “On/Off switch and trigger” principle of Evo-Devo The “HyperCell” research, through an elaborate investigation on the three aforementioned topics, develops a design framework for developing real-time adaptive spatial systems. HyperCell does this, by developing a system of transformable cubic elements which can self-organize, adapt and interact in real-time. These Hypercells shall comprise an organic space which can adjust itself in relation to our human bodies. The furniture system is literally reified and embodied to develop an intra-active space that proactively provokes human movement. The space thus acquires an emotive dimension and can become your pet, partner, or even friend, and might also involve multiple usabilities of the same space. The research and its progression were also had actively connected with a 5-year collaborative European Culture project: “MetaBody”. The research thus involves exploration of Interactive Architecture from the following perspectives: architectural design, digital architectural history trajectory, computational technology, philosophical discourse related to the embodiment, media and digital culture, current VR and body-related technology, and Evolutionary Developmental Biology. “HyperCell” will encourage young architects to pursue interdisciplinary design initiatives via the fusion of computational design, embodiment, and biology for developing bio-inspired organic architectures