Invited Talks

Mary Lou Maher
Professor and Chair Department of Software and Information Systems, University of North Carolina Charlotte


Encouraging Curiosity in Case-Based Reasoning and Recommender Systems


Talk Abstract: The benefit of Case-based Reasoning (CBR) and Recommender Systems is the direct use of past experience to guide the synthesis or selection of the best solution for a specific context or user. Typically, the solution presented to the user is based on a value system that privileges the closest match in a query and the solution that performs best when evaluated according to predefined requirements. In domains in which creativity is desirable or the user is engaged in a learning activity, there is a benefit to moving beyond the expected or “best match” and include results based on computational models of novelty and surprise. In this presentation, models of novelty and surprise are integrated with CBR and Recommender Systems to encourage user curiosity.

Biography: Mary Lou Maher is Professor and Chair of Software and Information Systems at UNC Charlotte and Honorary Professor of Design Computing in the Design Lab at the University of Sydney. She completed a Bachelor of Engineering at Columbia University in 1979, and a Master of Science and PhD at Carnegie Mellon University, completing the PhD in 1984. Dr. Maher’s research interests include computational creativity, design cognition and computing, and CS education. She is Director of the Center for Education Innovation in the College of Computing and Informatics at UNCC and is Principle Investigator on NSF funded projects on cognitive models of curiosity in learning, crowdsourcing design for citizen science, transforming CS education using active learning.

Mary Lou Maher

Henri Prade
CNRS Research Advisor


Analogical Proportions and Analogical Reasoning: An Introduction


Talk Abstract: Analogical proportions are statements of the form “a is to b as c is to d”. For more than a decade now, their formalization and use have raised the interest of a number of researchers. In this talk we shall primarily focus on their modeling in logical settings, both in the Boolean and in the multiple-valued cases. This logical view makes clear that analogy is as much a matter of dissimilarity as a matter of similarity. Moreover analogical proportions emerge as being especially remarkable in the framework of logical proportions. The analogical proportion and seven other code independent logical proportions can be shown as being of particular interest. Besides, analogical proportions are at the basis of an inference mechanism which enables us to complete or create a fourth item from three other items. The relation with case-based reasoning and decision will be emphasized. Potential applications and current developments will also be discussed.

Henri Prade

Agnar Aamodt
Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, and Head of Research, at the Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Enric Plaza
Research Professor at the IIIA-CSIC (Artificial Intelligence Institute of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research)

Case-Based Reasoning and the Upswing of AI


Talk Abstract: The history and evolution of AI has shaped Case-based Reasoning research and applications. In this talk we start out from the early days of AI, and discuss the alternations of AI winters and AI summers that have encompassed the main AI landmarks. We then turn to the recent growth in scope and strength of AI and Machine Learning in society, discuss its relevance to CBR and which lessons can be learnt, both for data-driven and knowledge-intensive CBR. The influence of recent contributions from Cognitive Science is also discussed. Finally, some uture challenges and opportunities for CBR will be presented for an open debate.

Download the abstract and presentation slides.

Biography: Agnar Aamodt is Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, and Head of Research, at the Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He has more than 30 years of experience within AI and Machine Learning, and more than 20 years within Case-Based Reasoning. His research centers around active computer-support for human problem solving and learning through domain knowledge modelling, automated data analysis, and reuse of human experience. CBR is his main approach to problem solving and learning, targeting situation understanding, decision support, and action control. A particular interest is how reasoning from concrete experiences can be integrated with generalization-based and bio-inspired easoning and learning methods. Application focus is pro-active decision support in complex domains, with oil well-drilling, medicine, transportation, and fish farming as most recent examples. He has been involved in a range of European research projects, including the current H2020 project selfBACK on activity recognition and advice giving to patients with physical disorders. He was Program co-chair of the 1st ICCBR in 1995, and local chair of ICCBR 2003.

Agnar Aamodt

Biography: Enric Plaza holds the position of Research Professor at the IIIA-CSIC (Artificial Intelligence Institute of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research), that he joined in 1988, where he is currently Head of the Learning Systems Department. He holds a title of Engineer in Computer Science by the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) since 1984 and a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence by UPC in 1987. His research has spanned different areas of Artificial Intelligence, including knowledge acquisition and validation for expert systems, case-based reasoning, machine learning, and multiagent systems. His research is now focused on new techniques for case-based reasoning, the web of experiences, learning from argumentation, and computational creativity. He is author or co-author of more than 150 scientific papers in journals and conferences, and has worked on 17 international projects and 24 Spanish projects in Artificial Intelligence. He is also an ECCAI Fellow and has been appointed chairman of several international conferences like EKAW-97, ICCBR-97, ECML-2000 and ICCBR-14. He was the first President of the Catalan Association for Artificial Intelligence (ACIA) from 1994 to 1998.

Enric Plaza

Accepted Papers

Main Track Presentations

Poster Presenations

For the poster session, please prepare posters with a maximal width of 960 mm and height of 1340 mm.

Social Program

Pre-Conference

We are organizing a social program in and around Trondheim on Sunday. It will be possible to attend both, the social gathering and DC opening on Sunday. Participation is at each other's own cost and the cost will be around 40EUR. We will enjoy a sightseeing tour in the harbour area and upward Nidelva where you get to see the inner-city districts of Skansen and Ilsvikøra, as well as the old wharves and the Old Town Bridge in a new way. The trip starts at 12:30 and lasts approximately 1.5 hours. After the boat trip we'll start a guided city walk in the center of Trondheim for about 2 hours. In order to participate, please sign up here: https://goo.gl/forms/wkaQveXPlDqsQiua2

During the Conference

Monday will close with a reception, on Tuesday we're planning the conference dinner at EC Dahls and on Wednesday will go on a hike followed by dinner in the woods around town. Participation and dinners are covered in the conference fee.