Few-Shot Bayesian Imitation Learning with Logical Program Policies

Humans can learn many novel tasks from a very small number (1--5) of demonstrations, in stark contrast to the data requirements of nearly tabula rasa deep learning methods. We propose an expressive class of policies, a strong but general prior, and a learning algorithm that, together, can learn interesting policies from very few examples. We represent policies as logical combinations of programs drawn from a domain-specific language (DSL), define a prior over policies with a probabilistic grammar, and derive an approximate Bayesian inference algorithm to learn policies from demonstrations. In experiments, we study five strategy games played on a 2D grid with one shared DSL. After a few demonstrations of each game, the inferred policies generalize to new game instances that differ substantially from the demonstrations. Our policy learning is 20--1,000x more data efficient than convolutional and fully convolutional policy learning and many orders of magnitude more computationally efficient than vanilla program induction. We argue that the proposed method is an apt choice for tasks that have scarce training data and feature significant, structured variation between task instances.Comment: AAAI 202

Major Thought Restructuring: The Roles of Different Prefrontal Cortical Regions

An important question for understanding the neural basis of problem solving is whether the regions of human prefrontal cortices play qualitatively different roles in the major cognitive restructuring required to solve difficult problems. However, investigating this question using neuroimaging faces a major dilemma: either the problems do not require major cognitive restructuring, or if they do, the restructuring typically happens once, rendering repeated measurements of the critical mental process impossible. To circumvent these problems, young adult participants were challenged with a one-dimensional Subtraction (or Nim) problem [Bouton, C. L. Nim, a game with a complete mathematical theory. The Annals of Mathematics, 3, 35-39, 1901] that can be tackled using two possible strategies. One, often used initially, is effortful, slow, and error-prone, whereas the abstract solution, once achieved, is easier, quicker, and more accurate. Behaviorally, success was strongly correlated with sex. Using voxel-based morphometry analysis controlling for sex, we found that participants who found the more abstract strategy (i.e., Solvers) had more gray matter volume in the anterior medial, ventrolateral prefrontal, and parietal cortices compared with those who never switched from the initial effortful strategy (i.e., Explorers). Removing the sex covariate showed higher gray matter volume in Solvers (vs. Explorers) in the right ventrolateral prefrontal and left parietal cortex

Insight Problem Solving: A Critical Examination of the Possibility of Formal Theory

This paper provides a critical examination of the current state and future possibility of formal cognitive theory for insight problem solving and its associated “aha!” experience. Insight problems are contrasted with move problems, which have been formally defined and studied extensively by cognitive psychologists since the pioneering work of Alan Newell and Herbert Simon. To facilitate our discussion, a number of classical brainteasers are presented along with their solutions and some conclusions derived from observing the behavior of many students trying to solve them. Some of these problems are interesting in their own right, and many of them have not been discussed before in the psychological literature. The main purpose of presenting the brainteasers is to assist in discussing the status of formal cognitive theory for insight problem solving, which is argued to be considerably weaker than that found in other areas of higher cognition such as human memory, decision-making, categorization, and perception. We discuss theoretical barriers that have plagued the development of successful formal theory for insight problem solving. A few suggestions are made that might serve to advance the field

The Alestle - Vol. 56 No. 11 - 10/02/2003

Vol. 56 No. 1

The Ithacan, 2004-01-29

https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_2003-4/1016/thumbnail.jp

The Echo: September 26, 2003

Wilson’s sails above water, fire – Meningitis vaccines strongly encouraged – Phurst to sit for charity – Tin Men Triathalon tests athletes’ perseverance – Faculty take game to court – Broho hits the slopes in September – TU admin ignores students – Transform mind and live with purpose – Letters to the Editor – Letter to the Editor: Lack of respect? Stop the legalistic view of chapel – Letter to the Editor: Basketball practices beat out Five Iron Frenzy – Letter to the Editor: Entrust our lives to God – Take it to Ohio, with Over The Rhine – ‘Jazz’ discusses God’s improvisational love –Taylor music department kicks off this weekend – Film flashback: two rarely seen treasures – W. soccer gaining momentum – Pure Domination – Iowa Wesleyan Preview Wilt Talkhttps://pillars.taylor.edu/echo-2003-2004/1004/thumbnail.jp

Brain Function and Health, Sports, and Exercise

This reprint represents the articles published in the Special Issue “Brain Function and Health, Sports, and Exercise”. Fifteen articles were published, with topics covering the relationship between acute effects of exercise on cognitive function, as well as the influence of exercise on positive medium-term adaptations in populations as children, youth, adults and older. We think that the different approaches used in the different articles will help the readers to have a greater overview of the current research in brain and exercise

The Ithacan, 1985-08-29

https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_1985-86/1000/thumbnail.jp