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ICS-275B Fall 2000, Network-Based Reasoning - Belief Networks

Course Reference homeworks & projects | handouts
  • Days: Tuesday/Thursday
  • Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.
  • Room: CS 213
  • Instructor: Rina Dechter

Course Description
One of the main challenges in building intelligent systems is the ability to reason under uncertainty, and one of the most successful approaches for dealing with this challenge is based on the framework of Bayesian belief networks. Intelligent systems based on Bayesian networks are currently being used in a number of real-world applications including diagnosis, sensor fusion, on-line help systems, credit assessment, and data mining.

The objective of this class is to provide an in-depth exposition of knowledge representation and reasoning under uncertainty using the framework of belief networks.  Both theoretical underpinnings and practical considerations will be covered, with a special emphasis on constructing graphical models and on exact and approximate inference algorithms. Additional topics include learning belief network parameters from Data, dynamic belief networks, reasoning about actions and planning under uncertainty.


Prerequisites
  • Familiarity with basic concepts of probability theory.
  • Knowledge of basic computer science, algorithms and programming principles.
  • Previous exposure to AI is desirable but not essential.


Tentative Syllabus

  Topic Date
Week 1
  • Introduction: Reasoning about beliefs using Logic and Probability (Pearl Chapters 1-2)
9/26 
 
  • Basic Bayes inference
Week 2
  • Bayesian network representation I:Independence Properties Syntax and Semantics (Pearl Chapter 3)
10/3
 
  • Bayesian network representation II: Directed graphical models of independence
Week 3
  • Bayesian network representation III: Undirected graphical models of independence
10/10
 
  • Knowledge Engineering of Bayesian networks
Week 4
  • Exact inference using variable elimination methods
10/17
 
  • Complexity of inference tree-width
Week 5
  • Distributed inference I: Polytrees and jointrees (Pearl chapter 4)
10/24
 
  • Distributed inference II: Polytrees and jointrees
Week 6
  • Conditioning schemes Hybrids of inference and conditioning time-space tradeoffs
10/31
 
  • Canonical models & local representation techniques
Week 7
  • Maximal a posteriori computations (MPE, MAP) and their applications (Pearl chapter )5
11/7
 
  • Approximate inference: Stochastistic methods Variables elimination methods Iterative belief propagation
Week 8
  • Learning Bayesian networks
11/14
Week 9
  • Decision and control I: Influence diagrams Maximizing expected utility Dynamic Bayesian networks (Pearl chapter 6)
11/21
 
  • Thanksgiving
Week 10
  • Assorted topics: Markov decision processes Inference: Policy iteration, value iteration Causality and action Students presentation
11/28



Readings (partial list)

Books:
  • Judea Pearl. Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems. Morgan Kaufmann, 1990.
  • Finn V. Jensen. An introduction to Bayesian networks. UCL Press, 1996.
  • Robert G. Cowell, A. Philip Dawid, Steffen L. Lauritzen, David J. Spiegelhalter Probabilistic Networks and Expert Systems Springer-Verlag, 1999
  • Castillo, E.; Gutierrez, J.M.; Hadi, A.S., Expert Systems and Probabilistic Network Models, Springer-Verlag 1997

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Related Links

Assignments:
There will be homework assignments and students will also be engaged in projects.

Grading Policy:
Homeworks and projects (50%), midterm (50%)