Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-19 Thread Ricardo Barreira
On 2/18/07, Charles D Hixson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: You might check out D ( http://www.digitalmars.com/d/index.html ). Mind you, it's still in the quite early days, and missing a lot of libraries ... which means you need to construct interfaces to the C versions. Still, it answers several of

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-19 Thread Lukasz Kaiser
Hi, I was offline and missed the large discussion so let me just add my 2c: Cobra is currently at a late alpha stage. There are some docs (including a comparison to Python) and examples. (And pardon my plain looking web site, but I have no graphics skills.) Here it is: http://cobralang.com/

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Samantha Atkins
Richard Loosemore wrote: Aki Iskandar wrote: Hello - I'm new on this email list. I'm very interested in AI / AGI - but do not have any formal background at all. I do have a degree in Finance, and have been a professional consultant / developer for the last 9 years (including having

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Samantha Atkins
Eugen Leitl wrote: On Sat, Feb 17, 2007 at 08:24:21AM -0800, Chuck Esterbrook wrote: What is the nature of your language and development environment? Is it in the same neighborhood as imperative OO languages such as Python and Java? Or something different like Prolog? There are

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Eugen Leitl
On Sun, Feb 18, 2007 at 12:40:03AM -0800, Samantha Atkins wrote: Really? I question whether you can get anywhere near the same level of reflection and true data - code equivalence in any other standard language. I would think this capability might be very important especially to a Seed AI.

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Chuck Esterbrook
On 2/18/07, Mark Waser [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Chuck is also absolutely incorrect that the only way to generate code by code is to use Reflection.Emit. It is very easy to have your code write code in any language to a file (either real or virtual), compile it, and then load the resulting

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Aki Iskandar
Before I comment on Mark's response, I think that the best comment on this email thread came from Pei, who wrote ... quote I guess you can see, from the replies so far, that what language people choose is strongly influenced by their conception of AI. Since people have very different

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Aki Iskandar
Chuck, I looked at Cobra yesterday, and I like it :-) I will try to get some time and play with it. My love of Python, and reluctant admittance of appreciating .NET, are pointing me in the direction of using one of 3 languages: In no particular oder: 1 - Python (CPython) 2 - IronPython

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Mark Waser
[Aki] This is by far too strong a statement - and most likely incorrect. Don't play with most likelys. Either disprove my statement or don't waste our time. Mark, do you work at Microsoft? No, but the question is irrelevant (as is your working at Microsoft -- except so far as your

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Aki Iskandar
Mark - I don't know you, and have no bones to pick with you. I have no bases, nor do I have motivations for doing so. Picking a language is not a science - so to prove or test things, well ... If you believe I'm wasting your time - don't bother reading - or replying to my posts. I,

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Chuck Esterbrook
On 2/18/07, Aki Iskandar [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Chuck, I looked at Cobra yesterday, and I like it :-) Glad to hear that. :-) I will try to get some time and play with it. My love of Python, and reluctant admittance of appreciating .NET, are pointing me in the direction of using one of 3

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Chuck Esterbrook
On 2/18/07, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mark Waser wrote: Chuck is also absolutely incorrect that the only way to generate code by code is to use Reflection.Emit. It is very easy to have your code write code in any language to a file (either real or virtual), compile it,

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Chuck Esterbrook
On 2/18/07, Aki Iskandar [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Enough said. I think we can all get along, and learn something from each other. Oh, yeah??? Prove it! LOL No, I'm totally kidding. I couldn't resist making that joke. :-) There are certainly a couple people on this list that take every

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Aki Iskandar
lol ... I enjoy your humor. Good point on the Microsoft thing. And you're right. I certainly didn't mean it to be a snide remark. When I used to work at Microsoft, I got tired of the Microsoft is king attitude - it was rampant - unfortunately. So my comment was only contextual - the

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
Chuck Esterbrook wrote: On 2/18/07, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Heh. Why not work in C++, then, and write your own machine language? No need to write files to disk, just coerce a pointer to a function pointer. I'm no Lisp fanatic, but this sounds more like a case of

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Mark Waser
Aki, Picking a language, like any other choice, should be based upon articulable criteria (even if only because I enjoy writing in it more than anything else). Your e-mail(s) provide(d) no substance other than unsupported opinions (and incorrect facts). I called you on it (and

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Eugen Leitl
On Sun, Feb 18, 2007 at 09:51:45AM -0800, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote: As Michael Wilson pointed out, only one thing is certain when it comes to a language choice for FAI development: If you build an FAI in anything other than Lisp, numerous Lisp fanatics will spend the next subjective

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Jey Kottalam
You might want to consider the Boo programming language for a Python-like language on .NET. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boo_programming_language http://boo.codehaus.org/ /offtopic -Jey Kottalam On 2/18/07, Aki Iskandar [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Chuck, I looked at Cobra yesterday, and I like

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Charles D Hixson
Chuck Esterbrook wrote: On 2/18/07, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mark Waser wrote: ... I find C++ overly complex while simultaneously lacking well known productivity boosters including: * garbage collection * language level bounds checking * contracts * reflection /

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Chuck Esterbrook
On 2/18/07, Charles D Hixson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Chuck Esterbrook wrote: On 2/18/07, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mark Waser wrote: ... I find C++ overly complex while simultaneously lacking well known productivity boosters including: * garbage collection * language

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Russell Wallace
On 2/18/07, Chuck Esterbrook [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: You are absolutely...correct. I think the utility of existing database servers is very underappreciated in academia and many AI researchers are from academia or working on academia style projects (gov't research grants or work to support

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Bob Mottram
I've seen the programming language merry-go-round on AI related forums too many times to become embroiled, but for what it's worth I'm using C# / .NET. My master plan for robotic domination involves using Mono. - This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Samantha Atkins
Eugen Leitl wrote: On Sun, Feb 18, 2007 at 12:40:03AM -0800, Samantha Atkins wrote: Really? I question whether you can get anywhere near the same level of reflection and true data - code equivalence in any other standard language. I would think this capability might be very important

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Samantha Atkins
Mark Waser wrote: And, from a practical programmatic way of having code generate code, those are the only two ways. The way you mentioned - a text file - you still have to call the compiler (which you can do through the above namespaces), but then you still have to bring the dll into the

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-18 Thread Samantha Atkins
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote: If you know in advance what code you plan on writing, choosing a language should not be a big deal. This is as true of AI as any other programming task. It is still a big deal. You want to chose a language that allows you to express your intent as concisely and

Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-17 Thread Richard Loosemore
Aki Iskandar wrote: Hello - I'm new on this email list. I'm very interested in AI / AGI - but do not have any formal background at all. I do have a degree in Finance, and have been a professional consultant / developer for the last 9 years (including having worked at Microsoft for almost

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-17 Thread Chuck Esterbrook
On 2/17/07, Richard Loosemore [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It is not always true that C++ is used (I am building my own language and development environment to do it, for example), but if C++ is most common in projects overall, that probably reflects the facts that: ... Back in the old days, it

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-17 Thread Eugen Leitl
On Sat, Feb 17, 2007 at 08:46:17AM -0800, Peter Voss wrote: We use .net/ c#, and are very happy with our choice. Very productive. I don't know much about those. Bytecode, JIT at runtime? Might be not too slow. If you use code generation, do you do it at source or at bytecode level? Eugen(Of

RE: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-17 Thread Peter Voss
Dynamic code generation is not a major aspect of our AGI. To clarify: While I agree that many AI apps require massively parallel number-crunching, in our AGI approach neither are major requirements. 'Number crunching' is of course part of any serious AI/AGI implementation, but we find that

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-17 Thread Aki Iskandar
I completely agree with you Pei. Language choice is all over the place, and for differing reasons / views. I didn't intend on having people spend so many cycles in offering their input. But it sure is a testament to how friendly, and passionate about AI, the people on this list are :-)

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-17 Thread Pei Wang
On 2/17/07, Aki Iskandar [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If I can ask two quick questions, I'll get busy with following the suggestions :-) They are even more controversial than your previous question. ;-) 1 - Of the many branches of mathematics, which is best as a starting point? Calculus?

Re: Languages for AGI [WAS Re: [agi] Priors and indefinite probabilities]

2007-02-17 Thread Chuck Esterbrook
On 2/17/07, Aki Iskandar [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Richard, Danny, Pei, Chuck, Eugen, Peter ... thanks all for answering my question. ... C# is definitely a productive language, mainly due to the IDE, and it is faster than Java - however, it is strongly typed. Perhaps the disadvantage to C#,