perm filename S78.IN[LET,JMC]1 blob
sn#365723 filedate 1978-07-03 generic text, type C, neo UTF8
COMMENT ⊗ VALID 00240 PAGES
C REC PAGE DESCRIPTION
C00001 00001
C00024 00002 ∂04-May-78 1403 STEFFERUD at USC-ISI Re: reaction
C00025 00003 ∂04-May-78 1653 JMC at SU-AI (John McCarthy) MSGGROUP# 692 reaction
C00027 00004 ∂04-May-78 1934 RWW
C00032 00005 ∂04-May-78 2103 ZELLICH at OFFICE-1 Re: MSGGROUP# 692 reaction
C00041 00006 ∂05-May-78 0300 RAK An example
C00044 00007 ∂05-May-78 1002 LES Thomas thesis
C00045 00008 ∂05-May-78 1214 ZELLICH at OFFICE-1 MSGGROUP# 693 INOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING PUBLICATION
C00053 00009 ∂05-May-78 1235 LANKFORD at USC-ISIB (Response to message)
C00054 00010 ∂05-May-78 1306 DEW sl
C00056 00011 ∂06-May-78 0947 REM
C00058 00012 ∂06-May-78 1417 RSP EFIND/SSORT
C00060 00013 ∂06-May-78 1417 RWW
C00061 00014 ∂06-May-78 1815 RWW
C00062 00015 ∂07-May-78 1149 REM
C00064 00016 ∂07-May-78 2240 MRC phone lines for Dialnet
C00066 00017 ∂08-May-78 0116 KRD encyclopedia article
C00067 00018 ∂08-May-78 0631 JM at MIT-MC (Joel Moses)
C00068 00019 ∂08-May-78 0652 TOB
C00069 00020 ∂08-May-78 1319 RAJ REDDY at CMU-10B (A610RR29) Re: Russian desire to reprint paper
C00070 00021 ∂08-May-78 1349 Hart at SRI-KL (Peter Hart) Panel reminder
C00074 00022 ∂08-May-78 1553 Stefik at SUMEX-AIM Computers in Russia
C00075 00023 ∂08-May-78 1815 DCL
C00076 00024 ∂09-May-78 0147 MRC Host-Host and ICP protocol revisions
C00077 00025 ∂09-May-78 1123 100 : martin brooks logic
C00078 00026 ∂09-May-78 1648 IAZ FTP protocol
C00079 00027 ∂09-May-78 2235 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM Draft Advanced Automation Center proposal
C00082 00028 ∂10-May-78 0837 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Divekar
C00083 00029 ∂10-May-78 1615 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Divekar
C00084 00030 ∂10-May-78 1758 MRC For your information
C00088 00031 ∂10-May-78 2034 DGR via NBS-TIP#34 David Roode has applied for an opening we have at NIH
C00089 00032 ∂10-May-78 2056 TOB system
C00090 00033 ∂10-May-78 2222 JBR
C00091 00034 ∂11-May-78 0316 LLW
C00096 00035 ∂11-May-78 0653 Barr at SUMEX-AIM CSD Picnic
C00097 00036 ∂11-May-78 1219 Levin at SUMEX-AIM mtgs
C00098 00037 ∂11-May-78 1431 JJK
C00100 00038 ∂11-May-78 1943 MRC
C00101 00039 ∂12-May-78 1213 JJK
C00102 00040 ∂12-May-78 1333 RAK
C00105 00041 ∂14-May-78 2000 WD
C00106 00042 ∂14-May-78 2117 PRATT at MIT-AI (Vaughan Pratt)
C00112 00043 ∂15-May-78 0649 FXB via AMES-TIP#14 terminals
C00115 00044 ∂15-May-78 0921 GHG F. L. Bauer's visit
C00116 00045 ∂15-May-78 1140 HEDRICK at RUTGERS-10 sail maintenance
C00119 00046 ∂15-May-78 1245 JJK
C00122 00047 ∂15-May-78 1614 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
C00123 00048 ∂15-May-78 1651 ME
C00124 00049 ∂16-May-78 0627 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
C00125 00050 ∂16-May-78 0632 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
C00127 00051 ∂16-May-78 1104 JJK I give up!
C00128 00052 ∂16-May-78 1214 100 : fxb via AMES-TIP#14 terminals
C00132 00053 ∂16-May-78 1239 FXB via AMES-TIP#14 mail
C00136 00054 ∂16-May-78 1708 JJK More on acquisitions
C00138 00055 ∂16-May-78 1807 MRC Dialnet monitor code
C00139 00056 ∂17-May-78 0020 RWG
C00140 00057 ∂17-May-78 0619 FXB via AMES-TIP#66 file system
C00144 00058 ∂17-May-78 0750 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM ai qual for this spring
C00146 00059 ∂17-May-78 0903 JJK transcribed remarks
C00147 00060 ∂17-May-78 1059 LLL passport photo
C00148 00061 ∂17-May-78 1126 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Message from Gene Golub
C00149 00062 ∂17-May-78 1136 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Textbooks for Autumn 78-79
C00151 00063 ∂17-May-78 1138 RWW
C00153 00064 ∂17-May-78 1138 RWW
C00155 00065 ∂17-May-78 1400 RPG
C00158 00066 ∂17-May-78 1649 LES E hiseg lock
C00159 00067 ∂18-May-78 0905 Bmoore at SRI-KL AI and Philosophy
C00161 00068 ∂18-May-78 1258 Bmoore at SRI-KL
C00163 00069 ∂19-May-78 0008 Friedland at SUMEX-AIM sky hook
C00164 00070 ∂19-May-78 0023 RWG
C00167 00071 ∂19-May-78 0637 Allen Newell at CMU-10A (A310AN02) Re: von Neumann lecture
C00168 00072 ∂19-May-78 1424 Levin at SUMEX-AIM faculty meeting
C00169 00073 ∂19-May-78 1846 HERB.SIMON(A350HS02) at CMU-10A von Neumann's RAND lecture on chess-playing computers.
C00173 00074 ∂20-May-78 1325 gls,gjs at MIT-AI EVALQUOTE
C00175 00075 ∂20-May-78 1338 gls,gjs at MIT-AI EVALQUOTE
C00177 00076 ∂20-May-78 1839 GJS at MIT-AI (Gerald Jay Sussman) The Art of the Interpreter
C00178 00077 ∂21-May-78 1641 WP via SU-TIP#1 change of address
C00179 00078 ∂21-May-78 1841 DCL
C00181 00079 ∂22-May-78 1106 BTH May 25 - If at first ...
C00183 00080 ∂22-May-78 1211 RWW NSF
C00184 00081 ∂22-May-78 1258 REF Comp
C00185 00082 ∂22-May-78 1510 ZM
C00186 00083 ∂22-May-78 1542 Levin at SUMEX-AIM faculty meeting
C00187 00084 ∂22-May-78 1812 Danielson at Rand-Rcc Account at SU-AI
C00189 00085 ∂22-May-78 2042 JBR Dial
C00190 00086 ∂23-May-78 0848 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) Trip to Berkeley
C00191 00087 ∂23-May-78 0952 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) (Response to message)
C00192 00088 ∂23-May-78 1020 Levin at SUMEX-AIM AI Qual
C00193 00089 ∂23-May-78 1348 RWW NSF
C00194 00090 ∂24-May-78 1127 DON
C00196 00091 ∂24-May-78 1421 Levin at SUMEX-AIM AI Qual
C00197 00092 ∂24-May-78 1652 100 : CJS
C00198 00093 ∂24-May-78 2241 RWW
C00199 00094 ∂24-May-78 2243 RWW
C00201 00095 ∂24-May-78 2356 GJS,GLS at MIT-MC SCHEMELI
C00202 00096 ∂25-May-78 2249 Levin at SUMEX-AIM cordell green and zohar manna
C00204 00097 ∂26-May-78 0956 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) Your book
C00205 00098 ∂26-May-78 0955 AJT AIMEMO?
C00206 00099 ∂26-May-78 1104 Levin at SUMEX-AIM faculty meeting
C00207 00100 ∂26-May-78 1128 TM 9600 baud line
C00208 00101 ∂26-May-78 1137 ZM
C00209 00102 ∂26-May-78 1227 Levin at SUMEX-AIM CSD Department meeting
C00210 00103 ∂26-May-78 1751 TM 9600 baud line
C00213 00104 ∂27-May-78 0727 ZM biography
C00215 00105 ∂27-May-78 1302 FXB via AMES-TIP#66 terminals and lisp
C00216 00106 ∂27-May-78 1312 FXB via AMES-TIP#66 terminals
C00217 00107 ∂27-May-78 1338 BPM We love you, Niklaus Wirth, oh yes we do
C00219 00108 ∂27-May-78 1637 Action at SRI-KL Accounts
C00220 00109 ∂27-May-78 2204 TK via MIT-AI
C00221 00110 ∂27-May-78 2241 LLW S-1 Enemies
C00227 00111 ∂27-May-78 2343 100 : 100 via MIT-TIP#24 MAIL
C00229 00112 ∂29-May-78 0332 DCL
C00234 00113 ∂30-May-78 1031 CET
C00236 00114 ∂30-May-78 1157 RWW
C00238 00115 ∂30-May-78 1305 DEW Hans's visit
C00239 00116 ∂01-Jun-78 0947 JJK
C00243 00117 ∂01-Jun-78 1219 DCO
C00244 00118 ∂01-Jun-78 1253 DEW Reading committee
C00245 00119 ∂01-Jun-78 1555 DCL
C00247 00120 ∂02-Jun-78 1018 REF Sonia Lerner
C00248 00121 ∂03-Jun-78 0658 MRC Dialnet system calls
C00250 00122 ∂04-Jun-78 1226 DCL Project quotas
C00251 00123 ∂05-Jun-78 0107 JB RAMSEY.
C00252 00124 ∂05-Jun-78 0828 DEK a-w
C00253 00125 ∂05-Jun-78 0832 DEK p.s.
C00254 00126 ∂05-Jun-78 0915 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Wed Seminar Summer Quarter???
C00256 00127 ∂06-Jun-78 0034 MRC meeting today at 2pm
C00257 00128 ∂06-Jun-78 0802 JOSEPH at MIT-ML (Joseph Weizenbaum)
C00258 00129 ∂06-Jun-78 1211 ZM
C00259 00130 ∂06-Jun-78 1227 CR Flights for Thursday
C00260 00131 ∂06-Jun-78 1301 CR NEW Flight plans
C00261 00132 ∂06-Jun-78 1313 REM at SU-AI at MIT-ML (Robert Elton Maas) Datacomputer status
C00263 00133 ∂06-Jun-78 1322 MRC DC stuff
C00264 00134 ∂06-Jun-78 1426 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) Richard Weyhrauch Talk
C00266 00135 ∂06-Jun-78 1548 KJK
C00267 00136 ∂06-Jun-78 1550 TOB visitor
C00268 00137 ∂06-Jun-78 1606 TOB for your interest
C00269 00138 ∂06-Jun-78 1559 TOB visitor
C00271 00139 ∂06-Jun-78 1623 HVA NSF GRANT AWARD-FOUNDATIONS OF VERIFICATION ORIENTED PROGRAMMING
C00272 00140 ∂06-Jun-78 1845 MRC Dialer
C00273 00141 ∂07-Jun-78 0000 Geoff at SRI-KA (Geoffrey S. Goodfellow) Klatu/Quasar shows at the NCC
C00276 00142 ∂07-Jun-78 1140 ZM
C00277 00143 ∂08-Jun-78 0917 CJS diploma for A. Thomas
C00278 00144 ∂08-Jun-78 0939 RWW my sri talk today
C00279 00145 ∂08-Jun-78 1304 JBR
C00280 00146 ∂08-Jun-78 1557 REF Sonia Lerner
C00281 00147 ∂08-Jun-78 1919 Levin at SUMEX-AIM department meeting
C00282 00148 ∂08-Jun-78 2151 REF
C00283 00149 ∂09-Jun-78 0716 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM lerner dinner
C00290 00150 ∂09-Jun-78 0800 JMC*
C00291 00151 ∂09-Jun-78 0838 Levin at SUMEX-AIM faculty meeting
C00292 00152 ∂09-Jun-78 1100 JMC*
C00293 00153 ∂09-Jun-78 1530 DCO
C00294 00154 ∂09-Jun-78 1933 Levin at SUMEX-AIM AI Qual
C00295 00155 ∂10-Jun-78 1352 EPP
C00296 00156 ∂10-Jun-78 1957 MRC PLEASE NOTE THIS!
C00301 00157 ∂11-Jun-78 1005 SSO Modal logic seminar
C00302 00158 ∂11-Jun-78 1235 RWW arpa
C00303 00159 ∂11-Jun-78 1306 RWW
C00304 00160 ∂11-Jun-78 1441 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
C00306 00161 ∂11-Jun-78 1507 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
C00308 00162 ∂11-Jun-78 2011 HOROWITZ at USC-ISIB Publishing arrangements
C00311 00163 ∂11-Jun-78 2019 REM at MIT-MC (Robert Elton Maas)
C00313 00164 ∂12-Jun-78 1105 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM ( Forwarded Mail )
C00316 00165 ∂12-Jun-78 1522 DCL
C00318 00166 ∂13-Jun-78 1121 DCL via SU-TIP#10 hung phonelines
C00319 00167 ∂13-Jun-78 1446 Creary at SUMEX-AIM Request for Appointment
C00324 00168 ∂13-Jun-78 1951 JJK
C00327 00169 ∂13-Jun-78 2046 WINOGRAD at PARC-MAXC2 AI qual
C00333 00170 ∂14-Jun-78 0610 FB via AMES-TIP#66 VAX
C00339 00171 ∂14-Jun-78 0934 Buchanan at SUMEX-AIM Re: AI qual
C00341 00172 ∂15-Jun-78 0656 RSMITH at RUTGERS-10 QUASAR
C00344 00173 ∂15-Jun-78 0944 FB via AMES-TIP#66 computers
C00345 00174 ∂15-Jun-78 1437 SSO Modal logic
C00346 00175 ∂15-Jun-78 1641 Creary at SUMEX-AIM ARPA Proposal
C00347 00176 ∂15-Jun-78 2022 JJK time for system development meeting
C00348 00177 ∂15-Jun-78 2147 PLS Wiseman axioms
C00349 00178 ∂15-Jun-78 2210 SSO
C00350 00179 ∂16-Jun-78 0125 PLS
C00351 00180 ∂16-Jun-78 0917 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM Re: Fall AI Qual
C00352 00181 ∂17-Jun-78 1352 SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki) Modal logic seminar
C00353 00182 ∂17-Jun-78 1411 SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki) An introduction to Modal Logic
C00354 00183 ∂17-Jun-78 2120 RDR FYI--CBBS (Santa Clara) and digicasting
C00357 00184 ∂17-Jun-78 2236 MRC CCBS & digicasting
C00358 00185 ∂18-Jun-78 0530 RWG
C00359 00186 ∂18-Jun-78 0740 RWG
C00360 00187 ∂18-Jun-78 1710 DCL
C00361 00188 ∂19-Jun-78 0955 JJK Confirming Friday meeting
C00362 00189 ∂19-Jun-78 1453 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM appointments
C00363 00190 ∂19-Jun-78 1508 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Hardware Documentation Specialists Openings
C00365 00191 ∂19-Jun-78 1516 SYS
C00366 00192 ∂19-Jun-78 1639 TED DIALNET MODEM - LOTS AT "HIGH SPEED"
C00368 00193 ∂20-Jun-78 1235 PLS
C00369 00194 ∂20-Jun-78 1602 ZM celebration
C00370 00195 ∂21-Jun-78 0137 MRC Dropped characters on Dialnet line
C00371 00196 ∂21-Jun-78 0925 MRC
C00372 00197 ∂21-Jun-78 1158 TOB
C00373 00198 ∂21-Jun-78 1250 REM via AMES-TIP#14 Reply to your warning about reading your mail.
C00376 00199 ∂21-Jun-78 1636 Levinthal at SUMEX-AIM SAAC
C00379 00200 ∂21-Jun-78 2112 DAVID.JEFFERSON(C410DJ51) at CMU-10A An old publication of yours
C00381 00201 ∂22-Jun-78 0225 LLW Drastic Treatment for Mail Snoops
C00384 00202 ∂22-Jun-78 0830 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM meltzer
C00385 00203 ∂22-Jun-78 0845 Allen Newell at CMU-10A (A310AN02) meltzer
C00388 00204 ∂22-Jun-78 0906 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM LISP CAI
C00390 00205 ∂22-Jun-78 0949 DPB
C00392 00206 ∂22-Jun-78 1500 Moore at SRI-KL (J Moore) A Manuscript
C00394 00207 ∂22-Jun-78 1514 Moore at SRI-KL (J Moore) Thanks for your note
C00395 00208 ∂22-Jun-78 1543 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
C00413 00209 ∂22-Jun-78 1915 LCW Mail Snooping
C00415 00210 ∂22-Jun-78 2043 HENRY at MIT-AI (Henry Lieberman)
C00418 00211 ∂23-Jun-78 1648 PAT kyoto paper
C00419 00212 ∂23-Jun-78 2329 MRC
C00422 00213 ∂24-Jun-78 1514 DCL SOB statistics for June
C00424 00214 ∂25-Jun-78 0038 MRC Dialnet modem at LOTS
C00425 00215 ∂25-Jun-78 1304 DCL
C00428 00216 ∂26-Jun-78 0323 DCL
C00432 00217 ∂26-Jun-78 1351 REF
C00435 00218 ∂26-Jun-78 1620 JB knowledge problems.
C00436 00219 ∂26-Jun-78 2136 CLT
C00437 00220 ∂27-Jun-78 1507 FB via SU-TIP#2 IBM
C00438 00221 ∂28-Jun-78 0617 FB via SU-TIP#1 IBM & Imlac
C00439 00222 ∂28-Jun-78 0637 FB via SU-TIP#1 Terminal
C00440 00223 ∂28-Jun-78 1404 FB via SU-TIP#1 IBM
C00441 00224 ∂28-Jun-78 1901 BH forwarded system message from MIT-AI
C00442 00225 ∂28-Jun-78 2148 KEN at MIT-AI (Kenneth Kahn) Ascribing Mental Qualities to Machines
C00443 00226 ∂29-Jun-78 0019 LLW PARTY
C00445 00227 ∂29-Jun-78 0721 FB via SU-TIP#1 IBM
C00446 00228 ∂29-Jun-78 0758 SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki) Modal logic seminar
C00447 00229 ∂29-Jun-78 0835 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM (Response to message)
C00448 00230 ∂29-Jun-78 0959 FB via SU-TIP#3 IBM
C00449 00231 ∂29-Jun-78 1730 MRC RST opcode
C00450 00232 ∂29-Jun-78 2051 CLT
C00451 00233 ∂30-Jun-78 0914 SSO via SU-TIP#1 Modal logic
C00452 00234 ∂30-Jun-78 0927 SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki) Modal logic seminar
C00453 00235 ∂30-Jun-78 1000 JMC*
C00454 00236 ∂30-Jun-78 1521 FB via SU-TIP#1 disks
C00455 00237 ∂01-Jul-78 0400 RWG*
C00456 00238 ∂01-Jul-78 1944 EK Computer chess newsletter
C00457 00239 ∂02-Jul-78 0919 MRC via WPAFB-TIP#7 Vadic modem
C00458 00240 ∂03-Jul-78 0816 JLH Meeting to discuss Pascal
C00459 ENDMK
C⊗;
∂04-May-78 1403 STEFFERUD at USC-ISI Re: reaction
Date: 4 MAY 1978 1347-PDT
Sender: STEFFERUD at USC-ISI
Subject: Re: reaction
From: STEFFERUD at USC-ISI
To: JMC at SU-AI
Cc: stefferud
Message-ID: <[USC-ISI] 4-MAY-78 13:47:16.STEFFERUD>
In-Reply-To: Your message of MAY 4, 1978
Fine - that is the first cogent framing of the question on the
DEC announcement that I have seen, though I had similar but
fuzzy notions of it. May I forward your note to MsgGroup to
focus that issue? Perhaps you would like to edit it some before
publication?
Best - Stef
You may forward it.
∂04-May-78 1653 JMC at SU-AI (John McCarthy) MSGGROUP# 692 reaction
Mail-from: SU-AI rcvd at 4-MAY-78 1043-PDT
Date: 4 May 1978 1040-PDT
From: JMC at SU-AI (John McCarthy)
Subject: MSGGROUP# 692 reaction
To: stefferud at USC-ISI
CC: pbaran at USC-ISI
Redistributed-To: [ISI]<MsgGroup>Mailing.List;153:
Redistributed-By: STEFFERUD (connected to MSGGROUP)
Redistributed-Date: 4 MAY 1978
There was no threat; it just seemed that people were wasting
each other's time in meta-discussions, and I think Mark was
wasting his time and mine, and I am worried about whether we
will complete Dialnet on time. However, if you like
meta-discussions consider this. The DEC message about the
2020 demonstration was a nuisance. At SU-AI, the main nuisance
was that 19 copies of it, consisting mostly of distribution list,
took up scarce disk space. Nevertheless, the announcement was
appropriate, and, while the audience was somewhat random, it is
probably no more so than the mailing list that brought me a paper
copy of the same announcement. Query: leaving questions peculiar
to ARPANET aside, how should advertising be handled in electronic
mail systems?
-------
∂04-May-78 1934 RWW
MAY 4/1978
This responds to the dallas langford and dave musser article
ON SEMDECIDING FIRST ORDER VALIDITY AND INVALIDITY
The decision procedure for tautologies for JMC68s variation of propositional
logic is just equivalent to truthtables. This is because the rules T1-T5
are just a disguised version of the reduction of a propositional formula
to conjunctive normal form. Imagine that W is in IF.THEN.ELSE form and
let us imagine that all applications of T1, T2 and T3 have been done.
We define the path tree of W as follows. Using their f notation
paths(W) = if W=f(P1,P2,P3)
then (if ATOM P1
then (IF P1=T THEN paths(P2) ELSE
IF P1=F THEN paths(P3)
ELSE (P1.<paths(P2),paths(P3)>) )
else (IF P1=f(Q1,Q2,Q3) THEN paths(Q1,f(Q2,P2,P3),f(Q3,P2,P3)))
ELSE ERROR )
else if ATOM(W) then W
else ERROR ;
This tree then defines a lexigraphically (with respect to W) collapsed set
of lists of each of which represents one of the conjuncts in the
conjunctive normal form of W. The above routine could be replaced by
only considering Ws which are maximally simplified with respect to rules
T1 through T4. Then the definition of paths becomes trivial.
Rule T5A and T5B then amount to doing truthtables.
Each path in the tree corresponds to an assignment to of truth values to
ATOM in the following way.
Suppose W=f(P1,P2,P3) then we eliminate P1 by substituting T for all
occurences of P1 in P2 and F for all occurences of P1 in P3. This is the
effect of doing T5A and T5B at the top level. These rules allow you to
do local substitutions, but no special use seems to be made of this feature.
In the Sherlis, German, Oppen and Nelson simplifier this is done more
efficiently by NOT removing negations. They simply have to check that the
leaf at the end of any path is the negation of one of the literals on
the path.
By being more careful you don't even need to apply rule T4 first but it
can all be done on the fly. (I think SGON do this).
Notice also that the proof of termination is exactly that of ND for
the boyer and moore taut routine. In fact they are the same routines.
In all I think that the rest of this paper is a disguised version of the
old putnam davis algorithm. In this sense it suffers because it destroys
the semantics of sentences in a particularily bad way that conjunctive
normal form (or disjunctive also) does, that is, it replaces a sentence
that you have some hope of understanding by one which enumerates the
models of the language. This seems to me an impossible way to proceed.
PS although not all one would like the techniques of JBs work do not suffer
from this difficulty.
∂04-May-78 2103 ZELLICH at OFFICE-1 Re: MSGGROUP# 692 reaction
Date: 4 May 1978 2102-PDT
From: ZELLICH at OFFICE-1
Subject: Re: MSGGROUP# 692 reaction
To: JMC at SU-AI, stefferud at USC-ISI
cc: pbaran at USC-ISI, ZELLICH, msggroup at ISI
In response to the message sent 4 May 1978 1040-PDT from JMC@SU-AI
A partial answer to John's query on how advertising should be handled in
electronic mail systems is contained in the following article on "Innovations
in Engineering Publications" - note the paragraph on the user-specified
keyword "items of interest" profile. Perhaps each site could have it's
own profile of local users and all advertising and community bulletin board
type items would be broadcast to each host? Of course, there would have
to be something in the incoming item (the To/Cc address(es) maybe) to tell
the local mail receiver/deliverer that the message required special handling,
but then we all know that the mail system maintainers have just loads of spare
time they don't know what to do with anyway, don't we? What say ye, msggroup?
This sounds interesting, desirable, and maybe even attainable - anybody want
to try defining a way to send/identify/deliver such items (the local profile
facility could be unique at each host - I don't see any need for standardization
there)?
Cheers,
Rich [zellich@office-1]
***************************************************************************
INNOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING PUBLICATION
Innovations in Engineering Publication. Center;
The Western Development Laboratory is participating in a study,
"Innovations in Engineering Publications" sponsored by the National
Science Foundation. The study seeks to assess electronic delivery of
time-valued publications to aerospace engineers, scientists, and
technical managers.
We will receive access through computer terminals to at least three
publications, Aerospace Daily, SRI's DATALOG, and IEEE Transactions on
Aerospace and Electronic Systems. Aerospace Daily publishes daily
brief items gathered mostly in Washington of technical and market
interest in aerospace. DATALOG publishes monthly abstracts of research
at SRI and related information in Aerospace and other disciplines. The
abstracts of the technical articles on aerospace engineering
development in the bimonthly IEEE Transactions will be published.
As copy is prepared by the publisher, it is entered simultaneously into
the online system and immediately becomes available to the users. Note
this means online readers will get their publication from a couple of
days to a couple of months ahead of paper delivery. A display terminal
with a special two-dimensional viewing system will be installed at a
single location at Western Lab and hooked directly via telephone line
to a computer at SRI where the publications are stored. It will also
be possible for users at Western Lab who have full duplex teletype-type
terminals and couplers or modems to have access to the publications at
the SRI computer.
Each user may build a keyword profile which will notify him or her of
new items of interest, and retrospective searches of the publications
by keywords are possible. Users can also send messages or questions to
the publishers or other users through an electronic mail system.
The National Science Foundation foresees that technical publications
will be distributed increasingly through computers in the future both
to take advantage of rapid delivery and automated filtering, and to
avoid rising costs associated with conventional publications methods.
This is a chance for them, the publisher involved, and us, to get a
taste of what is too come.
As part of the project, investigators are making a descriptive study of
the use of the system which will require a certain number of interviews
and questionnaires. In addition, a monitor built into the computer
system will record commands used in reading the publications.
The present schedule calls for:
A Preliminary screening questionnaire to possible participants which
will take about 10 minutes. About half of those responding will be
scheduled for further participation.
Those who agree to participate and are selected will fill in a
second questionnaire in somewhat greater depth.
A demonstration training period of about 2 hours will be some time
in May.
The program will run about nine months. During this time
participants will be interviewed three times, not more than half an
hour each time.
There will be a final evaluation questionnaire.
-------
∂05-May-78 0300 RAK An example
To: LES, JMC, DCL
This evening I was making relatively little progress. RWW was running a big
job--he had SL-- and was entitled to it as he has been trying to get this
particular run done for a long time. The problem was this--there was enough
hiseg
for him and me; things would have been reasonably well. However, someone
named RGS who is supposed to be running as a CS student "only for mail"
had a monstrous PUB job in for well over 2 hours. The resulting addition
to the HISEG caused much more hiseg swapping and slowed me down radically,
I believe.
After about 2 hours, RGS's pub pass1 (it was still pass1) got a nofill
line too long or something like that and went dormant. So, in particular
whoever it was fired it off and left it.
As long as processor time is totally free, there is no incentive to
chop a big PUB job into pieces, is there? Especially if you can run
and sleep at the same time. And the net effect can be deadly on everyone
trying to get something done at the lab except for the one or two who happen
to pounce on the SL first. And it only takes 1 person (out of the how many
on the lab list?) to do it. What are the odds that 1 such exists on a
given night?
With that sort of thing going on, there is no reason to come in at night--even,
if all the SL is available, 200 bams doesn't buy enough to keep one in SL
for the evening.
To me, this remains a very important problem. In the event nothing changes now
I think it is fair to deduce that nothing will ever change. After all, after
the memory arrives, we can use the imminent arrival of the next hardware
wonder --the S-1? -- to justify another delay.
End of discussion. I will attempt to write no more essays
in the immediate future.
Dick
∂05-May-78 1002 LES Thomas thesis
210 pages x 100 copies (?) x 2 cents = $420 (approx.)
∂05-May-78 1214 ZELLICH at OFFICE-1 MSGGROUP# 693 INOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING PUBLICATION
Mail-from: OFFICE-1 rcvd at 4-MAY-78 2104-PDT
Date: 4 May 1978 2102-PDT
From: ZELLICH at OFFICE-1
Subject: MSGGROUP# 693 INOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING PUBLICATION
To: JMC at SU-AI, stefferud at USC-ISI
cc: pbaran at USC-ISI, ZELLICH, msggroup at ISI
Redistributed-To: [ISI]<MsgGroup>Mailing.List;153:
Redistributed-By: STEFFERUD (connected to MSGGROUP)
Redistributed-Date: 5 MAY 1978
In response to the message sent 4 May 1978 1040-PDT from JMC@SU-AI
A partial answer to John's query on how advertising should be handled in
electronic mail systems is contained in the following article on "Innovations
in Engineering Publications" - note the paragraph on the user-specified
keyword "items of interest" profile. Perhaps each site could have it's
own profile of local users and all advertising and community bulletin board
type items would be broadcast to each host? Of course, there would have
to be something in the incoming item (the To/Cc address(es) maybe) to tell
the local mail receiver/deliverer that the message required special handling,
but then we all know that the mail system maintainers have just loads of spare
time they don't know what to do with anyway, don't we? What say ye, msggroup?
This sounds interesting, desirable, and maybe even attainable - anybody want
to try defining a way to send/identify/deliver such items (the local profile
facility could be unique at each host - I don't see any need for standardization
there)?
Cheers,
Rich [zellich@office-1]
***************************************************************************
INNOVATIONS IN ENGINEERING PUBLICATION
Innovations in Engineering Publication. Center;
The Western Development Laboratory is participating in a study,
"Innovations in Engineering Publications" sponsored by the National
Science Foundation. The study seeks to assess electronic delivery of
time-valued publications to aerospace engineers, scientists, and
technical managers.
We will receive access through computer terminals to at least three
publications, Aerospace Daily, SRI's DATALOG, and IEEE Transactions on
Aerospace and Electronic Systems. Aerospace Daily publishes daily
brief items gathered mostly in Washington of technical and market
interest in aerospace. DATALOG publishes monthly abstracts of research
at SRI and related information in Aerospace and other disciplines. The
abstracts of the technical articles on aerospace engineering
development in the bimonthly IEEE Transactions will be published.
As copy is prepared by the publisher, it is entered simultaneously into
the online system and immediately becomes available to the users. Note
this means online readers will get their publication from a couple of
days to a couple of months ahead of paper delivery. A display terminal
with a special two-dimensional viewing system will be installed at a
single location at Western Lab and hooked directly via telephone line
to a computer at SRI where the publications are stored. It will also
be possible for users at Western Lab who have full duplex teletype-type
terminals and couplers or modems to have access to the publications at
the SRI computer.
Each user may build a keyword profile which will notify him or her of
new items of interest, and retrospective searches of the publications
by keywords are possible. Users can also send messages or questions to
the publishers or other users through an electronic mail system.
The National Science Foundation foresees that technical publications
will be distributed increasingly through computers in the future both
to take advantage of rapid delivery and automated filtering, and to
avoid rising costs associated with conventional publications methods.
This is a chance for them, the publisher involved, and us, to get a
taste of what is too come.
As part of the project, investigators are making a descriptive study of
the use of the system which will require a certain number of interviews
and questionnaires. In addition, a monitor built into the computer
system will record commands used in reading the publications.
The present schedule calls for:
A Preliminary screening questionnaire to possible participants which
will take about 10 minutes. About half of those responding will be
scheduled for further participation.
Those who agree to participate and are selected will fill in a
second questionnaire in somewhat greater depth.
A demonstration training period of about 2 hours will be some time
in May.
The program will run about nine months. During this time
participants will be interviewed three times, not more than half an
hour each time.
There will be a final evaluation questionnaire.
-------
∂05-May-78 1235 LANKFORD at USC-ISIB (Response to message)
Date: 5 MAY 1978 1236-PDT
From: LANKFORD at USC-ISIB
Subject: (Response to message)
To: JMC at SU-AI
cc: LANKFORD
In response to your message sent 4 May 1978 1335-PST
Thanks for the information on the conditional forms. I will be
glad to include your remarks in a future revision of the paper. Also, I
would appreciate any additional comments you might have in the future.
Best regards, Dallas
-------
∂05-May-78 1306 DEW sl
To: JMC, LES
Everyone knows how crowded the system is. I now develop my program
the way I did when I put cards in an IBM cardreader: namely run it
batch at 4 am, come in the next day and look for errors, then submit
batch at 4 am the next night with bunches of print statements in the
code, then come it the next day and anaylze the dump to fix a bug.
All in all it takes 3 days to find a bug that I could find in 10 minutes
if I were able to use the interactive features of MACLSP.
What I'm leading up to is this: Hans Berliner is flying out the week
of MAY 15 to check my work before I submit my thesis and take my oral.
Unfortunately, I will have to tell him that he can't watch my program
run or experiment with it unless he wants to come in at 3 am some night.
I can think of only one possible solution: could you give me enough
whams during that one week so that I could reserve 50% SL for maybe
4 hours in a row? If not, could you suggest some other solution to
this problem? (He'll be here May 15 to 22)
Thanks, Dave
Yes, we can give you the service level you request for two or three
mornings or evenings. Perhaps mornings are better.
∂06-May-78 0947 REM
To: JMC, WD
∂04-May-78 1848 Fylstra at SRI-KL English word-length statistics
Mike and Robert,
Can you point me at any statistics on the number of alphabetic
letters in English words vs. frequency of occurence?
This info might prove useful for the design of the printer/display for
the handheld terminal for the deaf (see the '78 SRI annual report).
The idea is to do an automatic cr-lf when a space is detected within
the last N columns of the right margin, where N is selected to avoid
breaking most English words at the right margin.
One manufacturer to our knowledge uses this kind of approach, and has
selected N=8, which he claims includes the majority of English words.
Thanks very much for your time,
Dave Fylstra
[REM - TO: REM and WILBER%SRI-KL already, forwarded in case you
have any good bibliographic references or other good info.]
∂06-May-78 1417 RSP EFIND/SSORT
I think I've got an SSORT/EFIND combination that will take care of
the problem at hand. REM will install the new SSORT as soon as he has had
a chance to archive it. Its new /U switch provides for sorting without
case significance. EFIND has been modified to assume that its input file
has been sorted without case significance. Both exact and inexact
searches should work with roughly equal efficiency. Please let me know if
you have any further problems.
FOO[1,RSP] was sorted with the new SSORT using /b/r/u. One hand
modification had to be done -- The "blank line" between "Gregory" and
"Cook, Thos." is actually not blank in FOO[ESS,JMC]. SSORT requires a
null line. This was fixed and the file was then sorted. After the sort I
broke the file into pages of roughly 50 lines without regard for breaks in
the alphabet. Let me know when you have grabbed FOO (if you intend to)
and I will then flush it.
∂06-May-78 1417 RWW
another late decision
POT lUCK DINNER
SUNDAY MAY 8 at 6pm
at Richard Weyhrauch's
12625 LA CRESTA DRIVE, LOS ALTOS HILLS.
948-2149
IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE COMING PLEASE LET ME KNOW
HOW MANY AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BRING.
THANKS. I HOPE YOU CAN COME.
∂06-May-78 1815 RWW
WRONG DAY
*****PLEASE NOTE PREVIOUS NOTE CONTAINED WRONG SAID MAY 8 DATE!!!! *****
POT lUCK DINNER (BRING FOOD, WINE, MEN, WOMEN, AND SONG ...)
SUNDAY MAY 7 at 6pm
at Richard Weyhrauch's
12625 LA CRESTA DRIVE, LOS ALTOS HILLS.
948-2149
IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE COMING PLEASE LET ME KNOW
HOW MANY AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BRING.
THANKS. I HOPE YOU CAN COME.
DIRECTIONS TO THE HOUSE CAN BE FOUND IN MAP[S,RWW]
∂07-May-78 1149 REM
∂07-May-78 0106 JMC
How is compression?
[REM - Have't gotten around to working on left-context yet...
I do have an idea how to do it, namely copy the complete histogram
from null-context as-is whenever creating a son (copy histogram
from any context when creating a son of it) and then update the
original and the sun independently from then on. Uses more core
than other methods but is much faster and simpler. - Will install
counters soon to see what average search depth is, if very bad
then will install balanced search trees to replace linear search,
however will wait until context installed because context causes
crunch to be more efficient which means that the distribution of
the histogram is more skewed which means linear search with largest
key first wouldn't be so bad after all.]
∂07-May-78 2240 MRC phone lines for Dialnet
To: LES, JMC, TED
I think that we should get TWO lines, and a hairy frob to switch them. The
other line would be (of course) a centrex line. While we cannot sacrifice
the capability to talk long distance, talking to LOTS will be something
we'll be doing enough so that the other line will pay for itself in free
calls.
The frob will need to be hairy enough to handle incoming calls and seize
the modem for that line, busying out the other line; and when the line
is freed to unbusy out the other line.
I think this should be taken care of now while there is some time, while
neither the hardware nor the software is ready.
Oh, if you're interested, the Dialnet monitor routines now "work" to the
point where they should be assemblable into the system without crashing
it. Trying to use any Dialnet UUO's will just hang the job, though,
since the I-level stuff isn't going to drain any output buffers or feed
any input buffers.
∂08-May-78 0116 KRD encyclopedia article
I still have my comments from the original (never got to putting them on-line).
I think it would be easiest if we took a few minutes the next time we're both
at the lab and I gave them to you verbally. I'll be around most evenings.
If you'd prefer something more specific (if you've got a deadline perhaps),
let me know and we can work out a time to meet.
Randy
∂08-May-78 0631 JM at MIT-MC (Joel Moses)
Date: 8 MAY 1978 0931-EDT
From: JM at MIT-MC (Joel Moses)
To: jmc at SU-AI
The weizenblast is on the 11/70 which is not easily accessible from
the arpanet. We'll try to send you an old style paper copy. BTW,
he's toned it down a bit after I stopped talking to him for a few
weeks.
∂08-May-78 0652 TOB
John
I had spoken with Hans and we agreed that his Raw Power ...
was not the desired demonstration of knowledge. He is working
on the chapter reviewing the field, as part of his thesis and
will soon have something on that. Your suggestion on a review
of Marr's work would be useful for him. He should review stereo
also.
tom
∂08-May-78 1319 RAJ REDDY at CMU-10B (A610RR29) Re: Russian desire to reprint paper
Date: 8 May 1978 1616-EDT
From: RAJ REDDY at CMU-10B (A610RR29)
Subject: Re: Russian desire to reprint paper
To: JMC at SU-AI (John McCarthy)
CC: Raj Reddy at CMU-10B
In-Reply-To: John McCarthy's message of 4 May 78 21:32
Dear John,
It is ok to reprint your paper from IJCAI-77.
Regards,
Raj
∂08-May-78 1349 Hart at SRI-KL (Peter Hart) Panel reminder
Date: 8 May 1978 1349-PDT
From: Hart at SRI-KL (Peter Hart)
Subject: Panel reminder
To: Bobrow at XEROX-PARC, NILSSON, jmc at SU-AI,
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM, reddy at CMU-10A
Date: 6 Apr 1978 0901-PST
From: Hart
Subject: Panel discussion
To: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM, JMC at SAIL, Bobrow at XEROX-PARC,
To: TENENBAUM
cc: hart
I would like to invite you to be on a panel to discuss "The Future of AI."
The panel discussion will be held at Stanford on Thursday, May 11, at
3:45 (room to be arranged) as the last of a mini-series of one hour
seminars on AI.
Although one hour is obviously insufficient to examine issues in detail,
I would hope that the panel could address the following types of questions:
1. What are the most significant technical problems facing AI?
2. What progress is likely to be made on these problems in the
next 10 years?
3. What effect would such progress have on the world outside
AI (practical systems, perhaps societal implications, etc.)
4. What, if anything, could be done in an institutional or
political vein to speed up progress beyond its present rate
("more of the same," or is something more imaginable possible)?
I believe that an occasional panel of this type is valuable to get
graduate students thinking about longer-term issues, and I hope that you
will be able to participate. Please let me know by Tuesday, April 11,
if you can attend.
Cheers,
Peter
-------
=========================================================================
Just a reminder that these were the questions for discussion.
The room, Psych 420-041, is in the basement of the Pscyh. Dept., located
in the Outer Quad just to the right of the main entrance to the quad at
the end of the Palm Drive oval. Parking is guaranteed to be a problem,
so please plan to arrive earlh.
Raj Reddy will join us on the panel as a distinguished if un-advertised
guest.
See you all then...
Peter
-------
∂08-May-78 1553 Stefik at SUMEX-AIM Computers in Russia
Date: 8 May 1978 1554-PDT
From: Stefik at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Computers in Russia
To: mccarthy at SAIL
Prof McCarthy,
A student in CS101 wants to write a paper on computer technology
in Russia -- hdwe, software, uses, comparison with US technology. I have
had trouble locating recent articles on this. Can you suggest anything?
Mark Stefik
(TA CS101)
-------
It seems to me I have seen one recent article, but I can't recall where.
∂08-May-78 1815 DCL
To: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
JOINT SEMINAR
CONCURRENT SYSTEMS
and
VERIFICATION GROUP
TUESDAY 9TH MAY is cancelled in favor of Suzuki's CS Colloquium at 4.15pm.
TUESDAY 16TH MAY: Sue Owicki.
∂09-May-78 0147 MRC Host-Host and ICP protocol revisions
Major revisions to the Host-Host and ICP protocol documents have been made.
Byte allocations have been flushed and the window has been made optional.
Channel 0 is the only channel that is ever connected, to make things simple
and to prevent the abuse of channels as multiplexed connections.
The default window size is now 2 packets. 2 is now the minimum window size.
This was necessitated by problems in the SU-AI implementation of having only
one window, but seems to be a good idea in any case.
∂09-May-78 1123 100 : martin brooks logic
Do you understand the MIT Memo by David Harel on "Characterizing Second Order
Logic with First Order Quantifiers"? (I have a copy.)
Martin
I haven't seen it.
∂09-May-78 1648 IAZ FTP protocol
An FTP protocol for Dialnet is available in FTP.PRO[1,iaz]. Commets, critics
and suggestions all wellcome.
∂09-May-78 2235 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM Draft Advanced Automation Center proposal
Date: 9 May 1978 2236-PDT
From: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Draft Advanced Automation Center proposal
To: levinthal, tob at SAIL
cc: jmc at SAIL, feigenbaum
I have read the draft proposal and find nothing with which I take issue.
I don't even mind being an advisor but, honestly, I don't have any time for
new activities, so please hold down the advising load.
Caution: the CSD faculty has not seen any of this yet. Since the department
is involved, I will have to get the advice and consent of the faculty. I
don't anticipate any problems, but you never know...
Your specification that the Adjunct Professor billets be supplementary
(p.6) is quite important to the Department.
As I mentioned many times in the past, CSD can not give you much space in the
new building beyond that which Tom would get in the normal course of events to
house his AI Lab activity. Not that we don't love the new center, but we're
really short.
I'd be glad to attend the meeting with Miller, but take my schedule as a
second-order constraint in scheduling the meeting.
Best of luck,
Ed
-------
I also have no problems with the Automation Center Proposal and would
be glad to be present at the meeting with Miller.
∂10-May-78 0837 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Divekar
Date: 10 May 1978 0838-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Divekar
To: JMC at SAIL, RAK at SAIL
cc: Tajnai
John, would you please send msg to me confirming that
Dileep Divekar passed the Ph.D. minor exam.
Ed Feigenbaum said he checked his messages and did not
receive a msg from you.
Either Tajnai%Sumex or CET@SAIL is fine.
Thanks, (and thank you for giving the exam).
Carolyn
-------
Dick Karp said he would take care of notifying you that Dileep Divekar
passed. He did.
I tole 'em.
∂10-May-78 1615 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Divekar
Date: 10 May 1978 1616-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Divekar
To: JMC at SAIL
Laurie Levin brought me a memo from RAK to EAF today.
So "belay" (I'm reading sea stories) the request fo a net msg
re Divekar's minor exam.
Thanks, Carolyn
-------
∂10-May-78 1758 MRC For your information
∂10-May-78 1757 MARTIN at USC-ECL MSGGROUP# 700 MAY 1979 IFIP TELEINFORMATICS CONFERENCE IN PARIS
Mail-from: USC-ECL rcvd at 10-MAY-78 1501-PDT
Date: 10 MAY 1978 1506-PDT
From: MARTIN at USC-ECL
Subject: MSGGROUP# 700 MAY 1979 IFIP TELEINFORMATICS CONFERENCE IN PARIS
To: MSGGROUP at ISI
cc: MARTIN
Redistributed-To: [ISI]<MsgGroup>Mailing.List;154:
Redistributed-By: STEFFERUD (connected to MSGGROUP)
Redistributed-Date: 10 MAY 1978
I AM US REPRESENTATIVE FOR A CONFERENCE EXPLORING
APPLICATIONS OF DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS. THE
CALL FOR PAPERS IS LATE IN ARRIVING AND SO I AM TRING TO
GET THE WORD OUT SO WHEN IT DOES ARRIVE IT GETS TO THE
RIGHT PEOPLE AND THEY ARE READY TO RESPOND. THE DATE FOR
STATEMENTS OF INTENT IS JUNE 20TH OF THIS YEAR. THE TOPICS ARE
- OFFICE AUTOMATION AND WORD PROCESSING
-TELECONFERENCING AND MGT OF DISTRIBUTED ORGANIZATIONS
-NEW MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
-VIEWDATA AND LIKE SERVICES
-ELECTRONIC MAIL
-ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE ACTIVITY
-COMPUTER-AIDED INSTRUCTION AND EDUCATION
-ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER AND AUTOMATED BANKING
-ELECTRONIC NEWSPAPERS
-PUBLIC INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
-SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION
-IMPEDIMENTS TO PROGRESS -TECHNICAL AND POLITICAL
-STANDARDIZATION
-VALUE ADDED SERVICES
-COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES
-MICROELECTRONICS
THEY WANT A SIGNED STATEMENT THAT THE PAPER HAS NOT BEEN
SUBMITTED ELSEWHERE AND THAT IF ACCEPTED THE AUTHOR
AGREES TO SHOW UP IN PARIS TO PRESENT IT. FINAL PAPERS
HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED BY SEPT 15TH. PAPERS ARE TO FIT UNDER
JUST ONE TOPIC.
IF THIS LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, HOW ABOUT
SENDING ME A NOTE WITH A MAILING ADDRESS SO I CAN SEND YOU
THE CALL FOR PAPERS WHEN IT ARRIVES. I CAN BE REACHED AT
MARTIN@USC-ECL. BY MAIL IT IS DR. TOM MARTIN, ANNENBERG SCHOOL,
UNIV. OF SO. CAL., LA, CALIF. 90007. BY PHONE ITS (213)741-7414.
I WON'T BE CONTACTABLE AT ANY OF THESE PLACES AGAIN UNTIL NEXT
MONDAY. IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED (OR ARE INTERESTED AND DON'T
FEEL PROTECTIVE) PLEASE PASS THE MESSAGE ALONG TO PEOPLE YOU
KNOW WHO ARE INTERESTED -- WHETHER OR NOT ON THE NET.
THANK YOU. TOM MARTIN
-------
∂10-May-78 2034 DGR via NBS-TIP#34 David Roode has applied for an opening we have at NIH
and cited you as a reference. We need a reasonably strong and somewhat
careful systems programmer who will also double at times as course
instructor, technical writer, and user consultant. Has to be able to
work independently for the most part and follow through on projects.
Is David the kind of person you think would work in well at NIH?
If you wish, we can discuss this via telephone.
∂10-May-78 2056 TOB system
Concerning our discussion of big jobs,
There are now two music jobs of 242p, XM.
Karp says they lock themselves in core also.
Tom
John, what was the outcome of the musicians' meeting?
∂10-May-78 2222 JBR
[How come doing a finger takes more than three seconds of computer time
and occupies 32 pages?]
Probably because it is written in a so-called "high level language", namely SAIL.
∂11-May-78 0316 LLW
To: JMC, LCW, LLW
Invitation
Dear John:
The Navy is sponsoring an ad hoc review of the S-1 Project by a group
assembled by Ugo Gagliardi acting in a private consulting capacity (the
principal of Gagliardi Systems Group). I believe that you are already
generally aware of this event via Curt, and through Jeff's hoped-for
participation in its software portion. Both Joel Trimble (the immediate
Navy sponsor of the review) and I would be delighted to have you attend
for any portion of it which might be of interest to you, and to have you
speak (formally or informally) to any of the topics to be addressed,
either as an individual, or as the Principal Investigator of the systems
software R&D portion of the Project. Either Curt or I would be happy to
provide details which might be of interest to you in this regard.
Best regards.
Lowell
DRAFT AGENDA FOR GSG REVIEW OF S-1 PROJECT, 5/15-17/78:
TOPIC/TIME SPEAKER
*** Begin Monday (0900)
Opening remarks Wood
Evaluation Criteria Comments
Explanation of Agenda
Overview and Perspective
Applications Wood
Navy
Non-Navy
Hardware McWilliams
Computer-aided Design McWilliams
Software Widdoes
Project Documentation Widdoes
*** Lunch (1215-1300)
Uniprocessor
Architecture Widdoes
Mark I Implementation McWilliams
Mark IIA Implementation McWilliams/Farmwald
Perspective McWilliams
*** End Monday (1730)
*** Begin Tuesday (0900)
Multiprocessor Widdoes
Architecture
Switch/Memory Implementation
Perspective
*** Lunch (1215-1300)
Design System McWilliams
Current Status
Planned Extensions
Perspective
Laboratory Tour/Hardware Demonstration McWilliams/Farmwald
*** End Tuesday (1730)
*** Begin Wednesday (0900)
Software Widdoes
Current Status
Languages
Operating System
Planned Extensions
Languages
Operating System
Perspective
Summary Wood
Goals and Progress
*** Lunch (1215-1300)
Review Team Caucus
*** End Wednesday
COFFEE to be served daily at 1015 and 1515, at 5 minute session breaks.
∂11-May-78 0653 Barr at SUMEX-AIM CSD Picnic
Date: 11 May 1978 0643-PDT
From: Barr at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: CSD Picnic
To: siglunch:
Just a reminder that the Computer Science Department's Annual Picnic
is happening tomorrow afternoon. If you can join us, please sign up
today with Laurie LEVIN@SUMEX.
-------
Thanks for the reminder. Alas, I shall be in L.A.
∂11-May-78 1219 Levin at SUMEX-AIM mtgs
Date: 11 May 1978 1216-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: mtgs
To: jmc at SAIL
john:
a&p mtg. today...2:00, polya 204.
Panel discussion today, 3:45, psy. bldg. 420-041.
..laurie
-------
∂11-May-78 1431 JJK
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
As a result of various development and fundraising efforts by different
people, we are approaching the point where we may get several new
computers and attendant projects in the department. Several people have
pointed out the potential dangers of spreading ourselves too thin. Ed
has suggested a meeting to discuss our plans, priorities, and resources
for computer acquisition and use before we become overcommitted. Here
are some possible meeting times:
Monday May 22, 4pm
Tuesday May 23, 9am
Wednesday May 24, 10am
Wednesday May 24, 4pm
Please indicate your preference; please suggest a better time if none of
these dates fits your plans.
∂11-May-78 1943 MRC
To: LES, JMC
Ryland is back; he says he was smamped with school and just finished.
∂12-May-78 1213 JJK
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
Concernng the general meeting on computer acquisitions:
We have substantial conflicts in the proposed times. Several people
have suggested alternatives. Here is a new list of proposed times:
Thurs May 25, Noon
Thurs May 25, 5pm
Fri May 26, 9am
Fri May 26, Noon
Fri May 26, 5pm
Sorry about this reschedule but it will probably result in better attendance.
If not, we have enough time to try once more.
∂12-May-78 1333 RAK
To: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
***********************************************************************
JOINT SEMINAR
CONCURRENT SYSTEMS
and
VERIFICATION GROUP
TUESDAY 16TH MAY
PLACE: ERL 237
TIME: 2:30 p.m.
TITLE: "Verifying hierarchical concurrent systems"
SPEAKER: Susan Owicki
VERY BRIEF ABSTRACT
I will discuss how to specify and verify modules in concurrent
systems, and how the specifications of a set of modules can be
combined into a larger abstraction. Both partial correctness and
liveness will be considered.
***********************************************************************
∂14-May-78 2000 WD
To: JMC, WD
F. M. Borras and R. F. Christian, "Russian Syntax: Aspects of Modern
Russian Syntax and Vocabulary" Oxford University Press, 1959.
page 159, paragraph # 279
279. A special emphatic form of infinitive construction may be used
in Russion to express "all right" in such contexts as:
They spent the whole day firing their machine
gun at their fuhrer and at night stole a scarescrow.
They stole it all right but lost three men in the
process. (V. Nekrasov)
Well, but what's the Russian?
∂14-May-78 2117 PRATT at MIT-AI (Vaughan Pratt)
Date: 15 MAY 1978 0017-EDT
From: PRATT at MIT-AI (Vaughan Pratt)
To: jmc at SU-AI
Some students here are trying to mass-purchase some 16k chips from
TI @ $14 or so. As you can see from the enclosed, they have run into
a bureaucratic snag. Is what they say about Stanford true, and/or
can you offer any suggestions as to their course of action. I guess
I can contact the officials in question tomorrow, but I thought
I'd give you a try now since you're there.
PGA@MIT-ML 05/14/78 14:56:14 To: PRATT at MIT-AI, PGA at
MIT-AI
I wish I could say I had sent the order out by this time,
but0 unfortunately I still have it in a drawer. As I have
been telling others I have talked to in the last couple of
weeks, a problem has developed in the Deans' office. As it
turns out the dean has decided he does not want a student
organization to be involved with the handling of huge
quantities of money, and involved in what amounts to
business. HIs reasons for objecting are quite debatable
especially in the light of the precedents set by other
institutions. Stanford, for example has a stockroom which
does a brisk business in components and group purchasing, I
am led to understand.
Do you have any suggestions about how I might go about
getting the support of the EE dept?
---------
(back to PRATT again) Incidentally, the organization in question is our
local students electronic society, an MIT sanctioned entity (entered sanctity).
I will try to figure out to whom I might refer your message who might
know what Stanford does.
∂15-May-78 0649 FXB via AMES-TIP#14 terminals
What is the status of departmental terminal projects, if any? I guess
I would like to get involved and do something although it would likely
be something that didn't quite fit your view (as I have understood it
in the past). Are you thinking about this subject these days?
As you know, I have wanted bit map terminals but found your old
terminal too expensive; a centralized memory seems to be cheaper.
I have delayed the project in the AI Lab, at LOTS and in the
Department for two reasons. Mainly, the new 16 bit large address
microprocessors forthcoming from Intel and Zilog has made me
want a larger address, because squeezing all the fonts, etc. into
the 12K address space that remains in a PDP-11 after 16K is used
to address the bit map seems marginal. A larger address space
makes the size and shape of the bit map more flexible, and we can
contemplate a system that will grow to high resolution and even color
if we have enough address space. A secondary reason is that the
price of 16K RAMs hasn't declined as rapidly as was expected.
In short the project is delayed but not forgotten. Johnathan
King has been pursuing money, and he has different ideas. I
propose to argue for my ideas when money arrives or the technology
is ready - whichever is first.
It seems to me that agreement will be easier, when we are ready to
go financially, because some of the options will be clearer.
∂15-May-78 0921 GHG F. L. Bauer's visit
To: RWF, DEK, JMC
CC: GHG
Bauer will probably be arriving on Monday, May 29 (a university holiday)
and he'll be staying until the late afternoon on May 31. He asked to
see each of you. Is there any time that would be especially convenient
for you?
∂15-May-78 1140 HEDRICK at RUTGERS-10 sail maintenance
Date: 15 May 1978 (Monday) 1440-EDT
From: HEDRICK at RUTGERS-10
Subject: sail maintenance
To: les at SU-AI, jmc at SU-AI
cc: RSMITH, SYSTEM, jfr at SU-AI, rdr at SU-AI
I am concerned about the state of SAIL maintenance. It
seems that no one is now maintaining the sources at
SU-AI. I am not so concerned with the fact that no one
is doing actual code changes (though this might be
helpful in some cases), as with the fact that there is
now no way for sites that are doing local fixes to get
them put back in the master sources. We have done a
few fixes for Tops-10. NIH is sponsoring a project at
Rochester for fairly large-scale fixing up (including
fixing up double precision, at long last). I now hear
that LOTS has done some useful things for Tops-20. It
is clear that very soon there will not be such a thing
as SAIL, but rather NIH SAIL, LOTS SAIL, etc. In the
past that was prevented by the willingness of SU-AI to
accept worthwhile changes into the master copy.
If necessary, I am prepared to have the Rutgers system
staff do this locally. We are already committed to
doing a low-profile maintenance job on Tops-20. (NOT
changes in the language, but an attempt to track
developments in the monitor, so that SAIL is as well-
fitted for Tops-20 as Tenex.) This makes some sense
for us because of having Bob Smith here. (No, he isn't
going to turn into a programmer, but at least he can
look at things and try to see to it that proper
standards are maintained.) I can't promise to do
as much as SU-AI did at their heyday, but I think
some effort in this regard is better than none, assuming
that we don't damage the integrity of the system (which
I feel sure we won't do).
Regards,
Chuck Hedrick
Computing Director,
Rutgers LCSR
∂15-May-78 1245 JJK
To: MAIL.FAC[CSD,JJK]:
Dear CSD/DSL Faculty Member or Research Associate --
Two new publications are being prepared which will include information
about the department's faculty members and research associates. The
first is tne department annual report for the 1977-78 academic year.
This will be similar to the last annual report originally prepared for
the Computer Science Advisory Committee in October. The second
publication is a collection of "thumbnail sketches" which will have a few
sentences on faculty interests and activities.
Information is needed from faculty members to complete these publications.
1. Annual report. There will be a paragraph describing your work of the
past year and plans for the year ahead. Your previous entry is enclosed
for reference.
2. Thumbnail sketches. A line or two on current interests will be
included, as well as information on professional activities and awards.
Citations of two or three representative recent publications should
also be included.
To allow publication within June, it is important to have this information
soon. I would greatly appreciate receiving it by May 24. Thank you for
your assistance.
Sincerely,
Jonathan King
(P.S. The texts of last year's annual report faculty paragraphs
are in FACUL.77[BRO,JJK]; associate paragraphs are in ASSOC.77[BRO,JJK];
corresponding Sumex versions are <KING>FACUL.77 and <KING>ASSOC.77. You
will also receive a hardcopy version of this message and of your entry in
last year's report)
∂15-May-78 1614 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
Date: 15 MAY 1978 1914-EDT
From: MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
To: jmc at SU-AI
When is the Behavioral Science thing? Someone here thought it was next fall, but
I thought it was the year after that?
You are correct. It is the academic year 1979-80. Gardner Lindsey would
like you to call him at (415)321-2052.
∂15-May-78 1651 ME
New E up making αβ↑ and αβ↓ always put you into line insert mode -- ET ?<cr>.
∂16-May-78 0627 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
Date: 16 MAY 1978 0927-EDT
From: MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
To: jmc at SU-AI
I spoke to Lindsay yesterday (monday). Is this a duplicate?
Yes, it would be.
∂16-May-78 0632 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
Date: 16 MAY 1978 0932-EDT
From: MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
To: jmc at SU-AI
CC: MINSKY at MIT-AI
Reason I asked is someone said, perhaps erroneously, that
Dennett was going there next term.
Incidentally, I have been talking to Dennett a lot lately, and I agree
that it is very much worth while.
Not only is he good in the philosophical areas you work in but he
has a lot of good sense about the
"psychological realism" approach I have been
pushing lately.
Previous message might have been mis-sent.
I got your note about 1979-80
and calling Lindsay. I spoke to Lindsay on Monday, confirming my
interest. Are you saying I should call him again?
∂16-May-78 1104 JJK I give up!
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
It has proved very hard to coordinate this meeting by message. Laurie
Levin is taking over and will be in touch with you by phone.
I must confess that I instigated worry about the problem of too many
computers, but I don't see that a meeting is needed until some decision
has to be made. I there money burning a hole in some pocket?
∂16-May-78 1214 100 : fxb via AMES-TIP#14 terminals
With respect to waiting for high resolution, Motorola has a new monitor,
the M4408, which is a high resolution monitor (780 wide by 1024 high)
that is supposed to sell for $500 in one's. That makes me think that
we may not need to wait for high resolution although we will still
apparently have to wait for color. I agree about the need for a big
address space and the Zilog Z8000 looks like a good candidate. The
Intel 8086 is a loss in my mind and the I have my doubts about the
Intel 8800. The Motorola MACS will probably be even better than the
Z8000 and I should have access to a good supply of either. So why
not have one in every terminal? Oh yes, the memory. Do you know
how Tektronics did the display list in the 4025? Maybe that's the
answer. It is very flexible and doesn't use much memory at all and
can do all the bit mappy things (more slowly than I would like).
What have you thought about or done about campus computer networks?
I gathered up all the details on the Chaos Net at MIT that Tom Knight
did. Why don't we just duplicate that? The cost is roughly $200
per transceiver plus the digital inteface to your favorite computer
and it is 8 megabits at healthy distances. Distributed processing
makes sense with the donations we can get if we can just
share a file system and things like a Dover.
∂16-May-78 1239 FXB via AMES-TIP#14 mail
Please forward my previous message to JJK and tell me how to
copy a message as I send it.
I have forwarded your previous to JJK.
The addressees of a message are separated by commas, and an addressee
who receives just a copy has /cc after his initials. As in
mail jmc,jjk/cc
I had not heard of the Motorola micro-processor, and I am glad to
have your opinion of the relative merits of the different models,
although I don't think I have any immediate decisions to make.
It wasn't the ccst of monitors that worried me as much as the ccst
of memory and perhaps the cost of higher band with communication (of
which I know nothing). As to the relative cost of centralized and
distributed memory, I was enthusiastic about your old terminal
design till I heard the ccst. I think we should cost out both
approaches. The M.I.T. chaos net looks attractive. The fundamental
terminal system objective is to get one for each faculty member and
at least one for each grad student office. Once a way of achieving
that objective is found, then we can devote further resources to
improving quality.
It looks like the CSD will have computers running out of its ears -
maybe more than we can support. JJK is taking a census of plans and
aspirations.
My other ambition is a giant file for Stanford. SCIP had a plan to
get one, but they wanted to charge $15 per megabyte month, and we can
amortize imitation 3330s at that price in 4 months. Since the rental
to them from IBM was $.30 per megabyte month, it was their sterling
personnel again that contributed the costs. These facts came from
the IBM salesman, and I fired off a memo that apparently helped put
the project into a dormant state. I would like to find a way to revive
such a project managed in a cost-effective way, but the price of
entry seems very high. Have any interesting salemen been around to
see you about such things? Does Los Alamos have a giant file or
plans for one?
∂16-May-78 1708 JJK More on acquisitions
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
John McCarthy and I have talked over whether we should get everyone
together at this time. He allowed that it would be worthwhile to
acquaint everyone with everyone else's "plans and aspirations".
Also, there isn't exactly Money burning a hole in some pocket, but
there are some things we may want to decide rather soon, such as
what kind of donation if any we want to seek from DEC.
To lay groundwork for a meeting (and perhaps eliminate the need for it
altogether), I agreed to survey the group on their equipment
acquisition/development plans or desires, and to make the information
available to all. John will be the first subject. The writeups will be
in EQUIP[CSD,JJK]. You can enter your information directly into the file
on a new page, send me a message, or talk to me in person or on the phone
(after which I will transcribe your remarks, send it to you for "clean
up", and enter it in the file). Please let me know what method you prefer.
I think this information will be extremely interesting for everyone.
Try to answer fairly soon so that we can aim for a meeting in the
early part of June if it seems worthwhile.
∂16-May-78 1807 MRC Dialnet monitor code
To: JMC, LES
To all intents and purposes, it is complete. It won't work, of course,
(whadda ya expect, a program that actually does the right thing?), but
the stuff is there. There are unresolved questions as to how to dial
and how to break the initial deadlock (both sides are locked up waiting
for a window allocator which doesn't exist yet to allocate some windows),
but there's enough to go on when the hardware is ready.
∂17-May-78 0020 RWG
from p 130 of the Jensen tool catalog:
COMPLIANCE SIGNS: Heavy duty high impact plastic safety signs help prevent
OSHA citations...
∂17-May-78 0619 FXB via AMES-TIP#66 file system
To: JMC
CC: JJK
LASL does have a giant file, we have two (2!) 3850's (IBM's mass store)
connected to a 148 connected to the network store and forward machines.
As best I can tell, there are two mass store's on the market, the IBM
one and the CDC one. Lawrence Livermore has one of the CDC type.
Neither of them work very well (mechanical monsters). In a large
system the IBM one is by far the cheapest. However,
the CDC one comes in much smaller sizes so the entry and incremental
capital costs for the CDC one are lower (although not the cost per byte).
In terms of getting something like this managed in a cost effective
way, I share your doubts about our friends in Encina. I think it is
important to demonstrate that we can do cheap and high speed network-
ing among ourselves (AI, DSL, SUMEX, LOTS) before we try to acquire a
giant file. There is a good chance that SLAC will split off from SCIP
altogether and that suggests to me that we might then be able to
find floor space and cost effective management for a cooperative
effort. If you haven't seen the computer room at SLAC, you should some
time. If this approach has any appeal to you, I can talk to Ballum to
see if there is any chance for it. SLAC wants to get a mass store
and the fact that DOE is leasing big things like that right now, might
make the usual problems less difficult.
On terminals, the cost of my original design is down to $1500
on a build it yourself basis and I think I can get donations that
get it down to less than a thousand.
On having more computers than we can support, again I think a network
makes a big difference. If you can do development and support work on
a developed computer for an undeveloped one easily, productivity
goes up, probably by an order of magnitude. Doing work in an easily
transported and semistandard language also helps a lot. The pascal
compiler for the Cray-1 and the S-1 both developed (quickly and
easily) from the Pascal compiler done by one of my students at SLAC
for the 370. I guess I'm not worried as long as we try to be sensible.
∂17-May-78 0750 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM ai qual for this spring
Date: 17 May 1978 0749-PDT
From: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: ai qual for this spring
To: jmc at SAIL, winograd at PARC, buchanan
cc: feigenbaum, dpb at SAIL
Dear AI faculty:
We jointly have to administer seven one-hour oral exams around mid-June.
We can do it in two teams of two, or we can recruit help (e.g. from among
our senior res. associates or res. associates, or from SRI,e.g. Nils, Peter,
etc.) Any suggestions along this line?
If there is to be a reading list, I would prefer to keep it very short.
Can anyone recommend high-priority items for a short list? Books or papers.
Your own books or papers are fair game.
Please give me some feedback, especially on the reading list, ASAP.
Ed
p.s. each canddidate will come to the exam with a substantial amount of
writing previously done, in satisfaction of the other portion of the exam.
We can use the writing as springboard to questioning if we choose.
-------
∂17-May-78 0903 JJK transcribed remarks
My understanding of your current thoughts from our conversation
yesterday is in EQUIP[CSD,JJK]/3P. Editions and additions are
welcome.
∂17-May-78 1059 LLL passport photo
john:
i have them...will have them delivered to the lab...laurie
∂17-May-78 1126 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Message from Gene Golub
Date: 17 May 1978 1127-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Message from Gene Golub
To: faculty.list:
cc: Tajnai
Prof. F. L. Bauer will be visiting Stanford on Tuesday, May 30. He
will present a CS Colloquium at 4:15 entitled "A Philosophy of
Programming". He has some time available in the morning and in the
afternoon. If anyone wishes to meet with him, call Gene Golub.
-------
∂17-May-78 1136 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Textbooks for Autumn 78-79
Date: 17 May 1978 1136-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Textbooks for Autumn 78-79
To: GHG at SAIL, Wiederhold, JMC at SAIL, TOB at SAIL,
To: JMB at SAIL
cc: Tajnai
Gentlemen,
The Autumn Textbook orders are due this week. They request orders early
so they can give students a better buy-back price on their used books.
Also, Mr. Arnold makes bookbuying trips during the summer looking for good
buys in second hand books for the students. Therefore, if you have chosen
a text, it is important to get the order in.
If you are not planning to use a text, please let me know and I can stop
reminding you.
Thanks,
Carolyn
-------
I will use a newer edition of the course notes Carolyn Talcott and I
are making into a book. As usual, the best version will be ready at
the last minute. We may also use the Maclisp manual if one is available
by then.
∂17-May-78 1138 RWW
To: JMC, LES, JBR, ME, BH
I am concerned about the recent change in the system locking the E
upper into core. What seemed to have been a good idea has made
it impossible for jobs which prireviously ran to not run. The
FOL group has not been able to run a job (JB excepted) since that
change.
This seems totally unreasonable to me. It simply means we can't run,
and this seems unacceptable. So I am suggesting we change back.
Any argument about waiting until the new core seems to me to
be saying little more than thee FOL group has been administratively
declare unrunnable. Administration by complaint seems is not a
reasonable way to decide to excise an entire project from this lab.
Last night there were 5 people here and the load average was
frequently below 1. The entire set of people here (with the exception
of MRC) agreed that this was ridiculus and was willing to roll
the system back to an earlies version. We couldn't do this
because MRC (the only one who knew how, refused).
I repeat, I think this state is unacceptable.
∂17-May-78 1138 RWW
To: JMC, LES, JBR, ME, BH, JC
I am concerned about the recent change in the system locking the E
upper into core. What seemed to have been a good idea has made
it impossible for jobs which prireviously ran to not run. The
FOL group has not been able to run a job (JB excepted) since that
change.
This seems totally unreasonable to me. It simply means we can't run,
and this seems unacceptable. So I am suggesting we change back.
Any argument about waiting until the new core seems to me to
be saying little more than thee FOL group has been administratively
declare unrunnable. Administration by complaint seems is not a
reasonable way to decide to excise an entire project from this lab.
Last night there were 5 people here and the load average was
frequently below 1. The entire set of people here (with the exception
of MRC) agreed that this was ridiculus and was willing to roll
the system back to an earlies version. We couldn't do this
because MRC (the only one who knew how, refused).
I repeat, I think this state is unacceptable.
∂17-May-78 1400 RPG
To: JBR, LES, JMC
rpg - Though I originally agreed with the principle of locking in E's
hiseg, apparently the idea is either technically unfeasible given the
current configuration of our machine or has been implemented in a
grievously poor manner. The situation of interest was last night (may 16)
when DEW was attempting to demo his program to his advisor. DEW had 50%
sl, a 300 page job (approx 200 lower and 100 upper), the load average was
.64 (!!!) and only E's, a DIAL, and a TELNET were running besides him.
Nevertheless, he was locked out of core for 10 minutes.
Now the comment that the "systems" people have is: well if you're going to
run a 300 page job YOU DESERVE TO LOSE. It is evident that these people
don't look at the name on the front of the building which states that we
are an Artificial Intelligence project or else they have a simplistic and
naive view of what it means to do AI. It does not mean writing short,
elegant programs where the interest lies in doing it as efficiently as
possible; it means trying to figure out how in the hell to write them in
the first place! And that means they're usually quite large. But that is
the business we are in.
Since the claim is that in 2 weeks we'll not need such measures due to an
extra 512k, and since we were doing better before this change, I suggest
we revert to the old system of things.
∂17-May-78 1649 LES E hiseg lock
To: RPG
CC: JMC
It was unlocked a couple of hours ago.
∂18-May-78 0905 Bmoore at SRI-KL AI and Philosophy
Date: 18 May 1978 0911-PDT
From: Bmoore at SRI-KL
Subject: AI and Philosophy
To: jmc at SAIL
I just received a letter from the CASBS inviting me to be a Fellow for the
AI-Phil program, provided support can be found for me. I was wondering what
you could tell me about the money question, such as how much outside support
I should be looking for, whether there is a possibility of general funding for
the whole program (Sloan Cognitive Science money, for instance), etc. Basically
I would like to know what the overall picture is as to the various possibilities.
Also, I was wondering if any more people have been invited, other than those I
knew about last month.
John Haugeland has been invited and most likely Drew McDermott has also
been invited. I think Sloan was contacted and was not encouraging, but
I think they'll manage somehow. Professors are encouraged to use
sabbatical money. I'll have more information for you later.
∂18-May-78 1258 Bmoore at SRI-KL
Date: 18 May 1978 1303-PDT
From: Bmoore at SRI-KL
To: jmc at SAIL
I am very pleased to hear about Drew being invited to the Center.
If you are sure that he has been asked I would like very much to get in touch
with him to encourage him to accept. I would apreciate it if you could
confirm his invitation, since I wouldn't want to be premature in this.
Bob
-------
You may phone Lindzey to ask, but he has already discussed the possibility
with Drew, so I don't think there is anything wrong with your calling
Drew directly, since if the matter is still undecided, he will know
that.
∂19-May-78 0008 Friedland at SUMEX-AIM sky hook
Date: 19 May 1978 0010-PDT
From: Friedland at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: sky hook
To: mccarthy at SU-AI
I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your discussion
tonight and appreciated your hanging around to answer questions. Do you have
a reference on that sky hook idea?
Thanks,
Peter Friedland
-------
∂19-May-78 0023 RWG
have you heard this claim that nuclear plant construction somehow involves the
creation of a huge energy debt, which is paid back only very gradually while
the plant operates? It sounds totally nonsensical to me, but it has resurfaced
in a letter to the PA Times.
Yes, the argument is an old one. It originally took the form of claiming
that the energy debt was larger than the plant would produce in its
liftime. This is absurd on the face of it since any energy used in
in constructing the plant and its components, etc. had to be paid for
and hence would show up in the price of the plant. The person who
originated the argument in New Scientist some years ago recanted
shortly thereafter. I have more recently heard numbers of .5% and
3% of the energy produced by the plant and have also heard the figure
of 6 months to repay the energy debt. If we imagine that construction
of the plant is of average energy intensity (which I don't especially
claim), that half the cost of the electricity generated is capital cost,
and that energy costs are 4% of the GNP (which is also a guess), then
the plant would incur an energy debt of 2% of the energy produced
and if the life were 40 years, it would take 10 months to pay back
the debt.
∂19-May-78 0637 Allen Newell at CMU-10A (A310AN02) Re: von Neumann lecture
Date: 19 May 1978 0935-EDT
From: Allen Newell at CMU-10A (A310AN02)
Subject: Re: von Neumann lecture
To: JMC at SU-AI (John McCarthy)
Message-ID: <19May78 093555 AN02@CMU-10A>
In-Reply-To: John McCarthy's message of 19 May 78 04:16
John: I know about the talk, but do not remember attending it, though
I may have. Herb did here it; I'll forward this on.
AN
∂19-May-78 1424 Levin at SUMEX-AIM faculty meeting
Date: 19 May 1978 1425-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: faculty meeting
To: faculty.list:
cc: bs at SAIL, dan at SAIL, azs at SAIL
There will be a faculty meeting TUESDAY, MAY 23 at 2:00, Polya 204.
Agenda:
1. recommendation of A&P of new assistant professor, Doug Lenat
(material sent in the mail)
2. CSD affiliation of proposed new Center for Advanced Automation
(material sent in the mail)
3. Various personnel actions
...laurie
-------
∂19-May-78 1846 HERB.SIMON(A350HS02) at CMU-10A von Neumann's RAND lecture on chess-playing computers.
Date: 19 May 1978 2146-EDT
From: HERB.SIMON(A350HS02) at CMU-10A
Subject: von Neumann's RAND lecture on chess-playing computers.
To: JMC at SU-AI
John: Al Newell communicated your inquiry to me. In 1952, a summer
seminar was held at RAND (actually held at the Santa Monica
High School) which resulted in a book on Decision Theory, edited
by Bob Thrall. One afternoon, von Neumann gave a very pessimistic
talk on the possibility of a chess-playing program, emphasizing various
difficulties, but particularly the difficulty of constructing a good
evaluation function. I thought he was far too pessimistic, and this
first lighted in my breast the desire to construct such a program. As
appendix to a working paper I wrote during the seminar (later published
without the appendix in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and republished
in my Models of Man), I showed a hand-simulated example of how a selective
search strategy might work with a very limited amount of search, and
without a sophisticated evaluation function, in a complex tactical
position. Then nothing more was done for a couple of years until Al did
his first theoretical piece on a chess program, and much later we took
up the NSS program, which stressed selectivity rather than speed. AT any
rate, the point for your purposes is that von Neumann did give such a
speech in 1952, but in a negative, not a positive vein. He was
also pessimistic about the relevance of computers to psychology, as
evidenced by a talk he gave at an Econometrica Society meeting in December
1950, a meeting which I chaired, and which I also commented on his paper.
Here he ignored the possibility of simulation at an abstract level
(considering only physiological analogies), and hence missed considering
an information-processing analogy. On artificial intelligence and
computer simulation, his crystal ball was not at all clear. Herb S.
P.S. Von Neumann's RAND talk was not reprinted in the Thrall volume,
but the fact that he gave it is probably noted in a list at the beginning
or end of that volume.
Thanks for facts about von Neumann and chess.
∂20-May-78 1325 gls,gjs at MIT-AI EVALQUOTE
Date: 20 MAY 1978 1626-EDT
From: gls,gjs at MIT-AI
Sent-by: GJS at MIT-AI
Subject: EVALQUOTE
To: jmc at SU-AI
We were speculating on exactly why EVALQUOTE happened as a top level
for LISP. One theory is that LISP was viewed as a sort of universal
Turing machine, and what you did was give it the Goedel number
(S-expression description) of a machine, and the data on which it
is to operate. Another, more prosaic theory is the observation
that in a pure recursion equations interpreter, typing a variable
to the top level doesn't make any sense (as there are no useful
global values), so the only reasonable thing to type is DEFINE-forms
and procedure applications, so the top level was optimized to the latter.
(These are respectively sort of the "noble vision" and "hairy hack"
theories.) We don't really believe either of them, and would like
to find out what the real story is as to how it happened.
-- Guy and Gerry
∂20-May-78 1338 gls,gjs at MIT-AI EVALQUOTE
Date: 20 MAY 1978 1639-EDT
From: gls,gjs at MIT-AI
Sent-by: GJS at MIT-AI
Subject: EVALQUOTE
To: jmc at SU-AI
Also, precisely WHY was it called EVALQUOTE? Because it was
just like EVAL of the form with all arguments implicitly quoted,
or was there some other reason?
Thanx, Guy and Gerry.
I think the "hairy hack" theory is more nearly correct. However, EVALQUOTE
wasn't the original form, I think. We were in the original habit of
hand coding LISP, so that the first APPLY written by Steve Russell
simply read three lists and did apply[f,arglist,alist] or perhaps it
just read two taking the alist as NIL. In any case, I remember that
there weren't outer parentheses, so it was possible to get out of sync.
You might ask Steve Russell who is now at D.E.C. Maynard, and I would
be glad to know what he says.
In any case, I don't remember aiming my desire for mathematical elegance,
which showed up elsewhere in LISP, at this particular question.
∂20-May-78 1839 GJS at MIT-AI (Gerald Jay Sussman) The Art of the Interpreter
Date: 20 MAY 1978 2140-EDT
From: GJS at MIT-AI (Gerald Jay Sussman)
Subject: The Art of the Interpreter
To: jmc at SU-AI
CC: GLS at MIT-AI
is about half done. The current document has Parts Zero, One,
and Two; Parts Three and Four will get written next fall.
The TJ6 source is SCHEME;LI > @ MIT-AI, and an XGP version
is SCHEME;LI XGP . A LPT version of it is SCHEME;LI LPT .
∂21-May-78 1641 WP via SU-TIP#1 change of address
To: CET, CJS, DPB, GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
My new address is:
W. Polak
1950 Cooley # 3212
Palo Alto CA 94303
Tel: 326-9475
Wolf
∂21-May-78 1841 DCL
To: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
***********************************************************************
JOINT SEMINAR
CONCURRENT SYSTEMS
and
VERIFICATION GROUP
TUESDAY 23RD MAY
PLACE: ERL 237
TIME: 2:30 p.m.
TITLE: "Verifying hierarchical concurrent systems Part II"
SPEAKER: Susan Owicki
VERY BRIEF ABSTRACT
I will finish the discussion of partial correctness proofs for
concurrent systems, then discuss how a form of modal logic (called
temporal logic by Pnuelli) can be used to verify liveness properties.
NEXT WEEK: Jim King
***********************************************************************
∂22-May-78 1106 BTH May 25 - If at first ...
To: EE385E.DIS[1,SSO]: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
EE385E - Concurrent Processes Seminar
Thursday, May 25 - 4 pm.
Speaker: Brent Hailpern
Title: Dataflow Programming Model of Communicating Processes
Abstract:
The dataflow model is an alternative to the shared-
memory/critical-region models for parallel process communication.
Dataflow involves processes talking via established communication lines
only. The talk will describe the concept of the dataflow model, current
work in the field and the relative advantages and disadvantages of
particular language features.
∂22-May-78 1211 RWW NSF
LES SAYS THAT YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR NSF GRANT PROPOSAL CAN BE FOUND.
COULD YOU SEND ME A POINTER AS GETTING A PROPOSAL OUT IS ON THE TOP OF
MY STACK.
THANKS RICHARD
∂22-May-78 1258 REF Comp
I have your comprehensive questions. I finished the A.I. section, so
you get verification and logic.
The committee is meeting on Wednesday at 1:30 in Frances' office.
I think they want the grades before then, but you can probably stretch it.
Bob.
∂22-May-78 1510 ZM
Hi John,
I had a marvelous time in Brazil and Peru. Is there any progress with my
appointment ? Zohar
The last time I talked to Feigenbaum, his subjective probability was .99.
It had passed the Appointments and Promotions Committee and the Dean of
Humanities and Sciences and was on Miller's desk.
∂22-May-78 1542 Levin at SUMEX-AIM faculty meeting
Date: 22 May 1978 1532-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: faculty meeting
To: faculty.list:
cc: bs at SAIL, tajnai, dpb at SAIL, azs at SAIL, dan at SAIL
The Faculty Meeting for tomorrow, 5/23 is CANCELLED. Too many
of the faculty will be unable to attend. It is rescheduled for:
TUESDAY, May 30, 2:00, Polya 204.
I hope this new meeting time is more satisfactory for everyone.
...laurie
-------
∂22-May-78 1812 Danielson at Rand-Rcc Account at SU-AI
Date: 22 May 1978 at 1749-PDT
From: Danielson at Rand-Rcc
Subject: Account at SU-AI
To: JMC at SU-AI
I would like to request an account at SU-AI to be used by
myself to assist in testing user and server ARPANET
software which I am responsible for here at RAND. My usage
would be limited and primarily during the early evening (our
systems time is from 6-8 PM) and late evening hours. I try to
have some sort of account on the various types of systems on
the ARPANET to try and catch any inconsistancies that might
arise between the two hosts.
An appropriate account designation would be 1,BRD
My network mailing address is: DANIELSON at RAND-RCC
Bill Danielson
Liaison, RAND-RCC
∂22-May-78 2042 JBR Dial
I was just able to dial 4935505 from 4935506 and it worked just fine. Perhaps
you can try dialing IBM sometime while I'm watching.
∂23-May-78 0848 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) Trip to Berkeley
Date: 23 May 1978 0850-PDT
From: Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson)
Subject: Trip to Berkeley
To: JMC at SU-AI, Bobrow at XEROX-PARC
cc: Nilsson
John and Danny: I hear from Lotfi that you two are also on
his panel today. I'll volunteer to drive to Berkeley; would
either of you like a ride there and back? If so, let me know.
We can meet at some central spot (e.g. SRI or intersection of
Alpine Rd. and 280) around 2:30pm. --Nils
-------
Yes, if we can return soon after the panel.
∂23-May-78 0952 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) (Response to message)
Date: 23 May 1978 0947-PDT
From: Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson)
Subject: (Response to message)
To: JMC at SU-AI
cc: NILSSON, Bobrow at XEROX-PARC
In response to your message sent 23 May 1978 0924-PDT
Lotfi says there is a dinner scheduled after the panel. I would
like to stay for that. He says we should be finished about 8:30 or
9:00. --Nils
-------
Please transmit my regrets to Lofti. I am much too far behind in
my own work. It occurs to me that Bob Moore at SRI has views somewhat
similar to mine.
∂23-May-78 1020 Levin at SUMEX-AIM AI Qual
Date: 23 May 1978 1020-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: AI Qual
To: jmc at SU-AI
john:
i need to know when you'll be available for the Qual. Of the following
dates, which to you prefer and what times during the day: June 9, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14?
thanks...laurie
-------
Any of those days is ok with me.
∂23-May-78 1348 RWW NSF
Les said that you knew the location of your NSF proposal, I wouuld
like to extract my part as we discussed. Do you want me to do anything
the ARPA proposal. We should try hard or money even if our chances
are small.
rww
∂24-May-78 1127 DON
To: LES, JMC
I answered a question from DS asking how one goes abut changing one's
password. Out of curiosity, I used FIND to find out who DS is, and
found he is unknown to the system files. I asked him about this; his
reply is appended below. I assume he is indeed authorised--why isn't
this fact reflected in the system records?
∂24-May-78 1110 DS via BBN-TENEX RESPONSE
To: DON
CC: SHLDSD at NYU
Thanbks. This is Dave Shields at NYU. I beleive that I am an authorized
user. I was given this account by Jack Schwartz of the Computer Science
department at NYU who is currently at SU. If there are any problems plase
speak to either him or Prof. John McCarthy.
Yes, he is. We are merely slow bureaucrats.
∂24-May-78 1421 Levin at SUMEX-AIM AI Qual
Date: 24 May 1978 1422-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: AI Qual
To: JMC at SU-AI
john:
You and Bruce Buchanan will be giving oral exams on monday, June 12th
to the following students:
9:00 -- Steve Tappel
10:00 -- Anne Gardner
11:00 -- Jim Davidson
AND
you and Terry Winograd will give an oral exam mon. afternoon on the 12th
from 1:00 - 2:00 to Jim Bennett.
...laurie
-------
∂24-May-78 1652 100 : CJS
Bob Filman never returned to the Lab this afternoon, nor was I able to reach
him at home by phone. I looked everywhere in his office for the exams you
wanted xeroxed, but they weren't there. I assume he had already taken them
down to campus earlier. Sorry.
Connie
∂24-May-78 2241 RWW
DID YOU FIND THE PROPOSAL YET?
∂24-May-78 2243 RWW
∂11-May-78 1406 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) Talk by Richard Weyrauch
Date: 11 May 1978 1358-PDT
From: Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson)
Subject: Talk by Richard Weyrauch
To: AIC Staff:
cc: RWW at SU-AI
Richard Wehyrauch is going to speak in the SRI AI Center conference room
at 1:30 on Thurs., May 25, 1978. His topic will be "How Seriously
Should AI Take Formal Logic?" Richard will describe his "FOL" project
and applications. This will be a good opportunity for people interested
in theoretical issues to find out what Richard has been up to for the
past couple of years.
--Nils Nilsson
-------
∂24-May-78 2356 GJS,GLS at MIT-MC SCHEME;LI
Date: 25 MAY 1978 0256-EDT
From: GJS,GLS at MIT-MC
Sent-by: GLS at MIT-MC
Subject: SCHEME;LI
To: jmc at SU-AI
Newer version available on MIT-AI - lots more hair added.
Cheers, Gerry&Guy
∂25-May-78 2249 Levin at SUMEX-AIM cordell green and zohar manna
Date: 24 May 1978 1125-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: cordell green and zohar manna
To: jmc at SU-AI
john:
i need to pieces of info from you:
1. a brief memorandum explaining why cordell was denied tenure.
2. biography of zohar for the board of trustees in the following
format:
you should describe in a paragraph zohar's academic field and
highlight his major scholarly work, achievements and publications
in clear and non-technical language.
And in another brief paragraph outline his teaching role, why he is
important to the department, and what contributions within the
School and/or Univ. he has made.
would like to see it let me know.
thanks...laurie
-------
∂26-May-78 0956 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) Your book
Date: 26 May 1978 0957-PDT
From: Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson)
Subject: Your book
To: jmc at SU-AI
cc: nilsson
If you and Caroline do not have a publisher picked out for
your LISP book yet, you might consider the North Holland
AI series of which I am the consulting editor. Let me know if
I can give you any info about it. --Nils
-------
∂26-May-78 0955 AJT AIMEMO?
HI,
DID YOU EVER DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT/CAN AFFORD TO HAVE MY THESIS
PUBISHED AS AN A.I. MEMO?
ARTHUR
∂26-May-78 1104 Levin at SUMEX-AIM faculty meeting
Date: 26 May 1978 1104-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: faculty meeting
To: faculty.list:
cc: bs at SAIL, dpb at SAIL, tajnai, dan at SAIL, azs at SAIL
NOTICE OF FACULTY MEETING
Date: Tuesday, May 30
Time: 1:30
Place: 204 Polya
-------
∂26-May-78 1128 TM 9600 baud line
To: JMC, LES, TED, JBR
CC: LCW, LLW, PMF, TM, HWC, JRS
I just found out that we can get a leased line plus two modems
from the phone company for $125/month that supports 9600 baud
full duplex. If it is alright with SAIL, we would like to have
this line installed between SAIL and our switcher LSI-11, which
would allow file transfer, terminal use, from LLL to SAIL, and
would allow the S-1 and LSI-11's at LLL to be used from SAIL.
Tom
∂26-May-78 1137 ZM
Please send me a copy of the request for my biography.
∂26-May-78 1227 Levin at SUMEX-AIM CSD Department meeting
Date: 26 May 1978 1219-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: CSD Department meeting
To: faculty.list:
cc: bs at SAIL, tajnai, friendshuh, ijcai79, jsw at SAIL
There will be a CSD Department meeting for ALL Faculty, students
and staff.
Date: Friday, June 9th
Time: 4:30
Place: Polya 111
After the meeting there will be a wine and cheese party in the
Polya Courtyard.
-------
∂26-May-78 1751 TM 9600 baud line
To: JMC, LES, JBR, TED
CC: LLW, LCW, PMF, TM, JRS, HWC
It should be pointed out that the 9600 baud line would be just
for interim use
of the S-1 Mark I processor, until we get the Mark IIa working,
and can transfer the Mark I over to SAIL. The phone lines will
then be serve to access the Mark IIa prototype, until we get
the second Mark IIa working, and can transfer the first over
to SAIL.
Tom
∂27-May-78 0727 ZM biography
To: JMC
CC: ZM
Here is a "modest" biography; I asked Richard Waldinger to write it. I hope this
is more or less what is needed.
∂27-May-78 1302 FXB via AMES-TIP#66 terminals and lisp
What would you think about a 50 chip version of my original terminal?
It occured to me for the first time this week to wonder where the name
Lisp came from.
A 50 chip version sounds good, although I don't know how many your original
terminal had or how much the new one would cost. The name LISP is an
acronym of "LISt Processor coupled with a taste for a slightly self-deprecating
name - in reaction to something that seemed pompous - I can't remember what.
∂27-May-78 1312 FXB via AMES-TIP#66 terminals
The original had over 200 chips in it, 100 for memory. At 50 chips
with a system cost of roughly 20 dollars a chip (maybe closer to 10 dollars
for such a small system and with a good price on memory) the terminal cost
begins to be influenced by monitor and keyboard costs. What
is the state of the DataDisk these days?
Datadisk lives, but its replacement is waiting availability of large
address micro-processors such as Zilog 8000. Then it will probably also
wait a bit for engineering manpower and money.
∂27-May-78 1338 BPM We love you, Niklaus Wirth, oh yes we do
To: JMC, LES, RPG, ME, JBR, TED, PMF, MRC, Swinehart at PARC-MAXC
To: DaveSmith at PARC-MAXC
Double Bucky
[to be sung to the tune of "Rubber Duckie"
from "The Sesame Street Songbook"]
Double bucky, you're the one!
You make my keyboard lots of fun.
Double bucky, an additional bit or two:
(Vo-vo-de-o!)
Control and meta, side by side,
Augmented ASCII, nine bits wide!
Double bucky! Half a thousand glyphs, plus a few!
Oh,
I sure wish that I
Had a couple of
Bits more!
Perhaps a
Set of pedals to
Make the number of
Bits four:
Double double bucky!
Double bucky, left and right
OR'd together, outta sight!
Double bucky, I'd like a whole word of
Double bucky, I'm happy I heard of
Double bucky, I'd like a whole word of you!
-- The Great Quux 5/27
(with apologies to Jeffrey Moss)
(c) 1978 Guy L. Steele Jr. All rights reserved. [Also all wrongs--BPM]
∂27-May-78 1637 Action at SRI-KL Accounts
Date: 27 May 1978 1636-PDT
From: Action at SRI-KL
Subject: Accounts
To: McCarthy at SAIL, LES at SAIL
cc: Lynch
Information exchange seems to be in our mutual interest. However, SAIL
has a general account (SU-AI) at SRI while SRI has no general access to
SAIL. We find this objectionable and would suggest reciprocation in
this area. Since we are tight on account space, the arrangement
established between SAIL and SRI on accounts is hard to justify without
similar priviledges granted to SRI by SAIL. Please respond.
-------
∂27-May-78 2204 TK via MIT-AI
GIVE ME A PHONE # AND I WILL CALL YOU.
∂27-May-78 2241 LLW S-1 Enemies
To: JMC
CC: LLW
There are indeed some gentlemen in DoD who are less than totally
enthusiastic about the S-1 Project, most of whom are known to me by name
and viewpoint. They fall into two basic groups: those who don't know
much more about the Project than who initially sponsored it and dislike it
for such reasons, and those who stand to have oxen gored by it and would
like to avoid this. Essentially everybody to whom the Project has been
briefed has been enthusiastic about it to greater or lesser degrees,
except those whose minds have been thoroughly made up in advance (the latter crowd
being very small in numbers, but considerable in aggregate political
clout). Indeed, our Washington friends have been pleasantly surprised by
the uniformity of good opinions and nice noises which have followed our
presentations back there (and there have been a huge number of them, all
over town, from NSA to Capitol Hill).
Our basic approach in dealing with these problems is one of classic
simplicity: enlist the maximum number of supporters all over DoD (of all
stripes, not just Navy ones) through briefings and personal discussion
arranged through mutual friends, attacks ad hominem on the expertise and
objectivity of our opponents, decently synchronized bringing to bear of
massive political pressure onto the recalcitrant, and doing the best and
most rapid technical jobs we can on the home front (to at once hearten our
friends and dismay our enemies).
There are 3 reviews of the S-1 Project going on at the present time (to my
certain knowledge), and there may also be covert ones, in adddition. The
one that Tom Knight served on was just one of these. These are merely
delaying actions by the opposition to intimidate us and/or to starve us
out; neither goal is even remotely attainable, but letting the opposition
try and fail is bound to have salutary effects on their morale.
The support which we have been promised from very high political levels of
several different types is more than sufficient to sweep the field clear
of opposition, but we have been asked to not invoke it until the bad faith
of the opponents of the S-1 Project has been so clearly demonstrated by
events that much more than just the matters at issue re the S-1 Project
may be resolved on the occasion of their intervention. We're therefore
suffering along with all the serenity of the early Christian martyrs,
confident of salvation, of ample divine succor (as it may be required),
and of the dismal fate awaiting our tormentors. (Of course, our suffering
is under rather more sumptuous conditions and of more bounded duration
that that of the early Church, but hopefully this won't detract overmuch
from its spiritual merits.)
In any event, your friendly interest and offer of aid in our political
brawling is very sincerely appreciated. I'll certainly be interested to
hear of any information which comes your way re the non-technical aspects
of the S-1 Project, as more information is always better than less;
however, please don't inconvenience yourself overmuch to aid us in our
transient political problems.
On the other matter, I agree with your remark re tertiary storage
'afterthoughts' and will be very interested to hear of your suggestions
in these respects. What possibilities to pursue or avoid along these
lines occur to you?
Lowell
∂27-May-78 2343 100 : 100 via MIT-TIP#24 MAIL
To: JMC
CC: RAH, MUZ, RDG
I am stuck outside of your system (I am in Massachusetts) and really am having
a hard time getting on. If you are not to annoyed by this, I would appreciate
your writing me I am at MIT-TIP #24 and will be here for a little while longer(IT is
3 hours later here, you know. Thankx)
∂29-May-78 0332 DCL
To: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
***********************************************************************
JOINT SEMINAR
CONCURRENT SYSTEMS
and
VERIFICATION GROUP
TUESDAY 30TH MAY
PLACE: ERL 237
TIME: 2:30 p.m.
TITLE: A temporal logic for program verification
SPEAKER: Susan Owicki
VERY BRIEF ABSTRACT
I will discuss the definition of modal operators which can be used to
express a number of properties of parallel and sequential program
behavior. Applications for verification of parallel program termination
and other liveness properties will be considered.
JUNE 7TH: Jim King
***********************************************************************
∂30-May-78 1031 CET
∂25-May-78 1644 JMC xeroxing part of the qual
I would like to to get xerox copies of two pages of the students' solutions
to the qual. The two pages contain the two problems on verification
and the solutions given. The first problems gives a program, asks what
it does and for the student to give an invariant that proves it. The
second problem starts on that page and also occupies the next page. There
is no need to xerox the answers of the students who did nothing at all
on the problems. My purpose is to convince the faculty interested in
verification that we need to teach more of it.
John, I just got your msg this morning. I have xeroxed the pages for you
but some did not copy too well. Carolyn
∂30-May-78 1157 RWW
∂30-May-78 0902 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) Weyhrauch Talk
Date: 30 May 1978 0902-PDT
From: Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson)
Subject: Weyhrauch Talk
To: AIC Staff:
Richard Weyhrauch has kindly agreed to present another talk about
his FOL methodology. This one will deal with reasoning about
actions using Blocks World examples. The talk will be this
Thurs., June 1, at 1:30 pm in Conf. Room J1018 (Same room as the
last talk.) Anyone who wants to get together for a no host lunch
with Richard before the talk, meet at my office J1051 at 11:45.
If it's a nice day, maybe we'll get some sandwiches at the Alpine
Delicatessen and eat outside. -Nils
-------
∂30-May-78 1305 DEW Hans's visit
Thanks for making it possible for Hans to come out. We got a lot of work
done together. I'm sure my thesis will be better because of the ideas we
exchanged. We also clearly defined what I still have to do, and hopefully
it will be done in less than a year.
Dave
∂01-Jun-78 0947 JJK
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
1. I have not heard from many people about their planning ideas for the
file EQUIP[CSD,JJK], the subject of my last message. Please contact me if
you haven't already. Your ideas will be helpful to everyone on the list.
Thanks.
2. The following information should be of interest to all those involved with
computer system planning around here.
----------
Gene Franklin informed me today about preliminary discussions being held
between Stanford (SCIP) and IBM concerning a possible joint study of
distributed computing and distributed data bases. The outiline of the
plan would be for IBM to give SCIP a 145 and several System 1 computers,
plus operators for the 145 and system programmers for the entire operations.
The 145 and some of the 1s would be located in the new SCIP building now
under construction. Other 1s would be around campus.
These computers would be networked together.
For its part,
Stanford professors would conduct distributed computing research of
mutual interest to them and IBM, in collaboration with IBM scientists.
The origin of this possible study is somewhat conjectural, but it seems
that Frank Cary (IBM head) serves on the Business School's advisory
committee. At its last meeting, he found that talk of computers there
was entirely of DEC and HP equipment. He decided that IBM should be
involved with Stanford computing and contacted the local IBM scientific
office, which in turn contacted Chuck Dickens of SCIP. There are various
issues to be resolved and it is by no means certain that the study will
take place.
A further meeting will be held to discuss things between SCIP and IBM
on June 5, so the prospects should then be clearer. Meanwhile,
one issue that needs to be explored is who at Stanford is
interested in such a study. If think you may be interested, please
contact Gene Franklin.
-------
∂01-Jun-78 1219 DCO
John - do you know how I can get one of Vera's Annapurna t-shirts?
Order form in your box.
∂01-Jun-78 1253 DEW Reading committee
Hans said you did not think Bruce Buchanan was acceptable as a reader (I assume
becuase he is not an academic council member). Both Bruce himself and
Denny Brown assured me that Bruce is an Academic Council member. Do you
think not? Or is there something else you were concerened about?
Dave
I don't recall saying it. He is acceptable as far as I am concerned.
∂01-Jun-78 1555 DCL
To: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
***********************************************************************
JOINT SEMINAR
CONCURRENT SYSTEMS
and
VERIFICATION GROUP
TUESDAY 6th JUNE
PLACE: ERL 237
TIME: 2:30 p.m.
TITLE: Program Crrectness: On Inductive Assertion Methods
SPEAKER: James C. King
ABSTRACT
A study of several of the proof of correctness methodologies will be
presented. In particular, the form of induction used will be explored
in detail. A rather elementary viewpoint will be taken in order to expose,
as simply as possible, the basic differences of the methods and the
underlying principles involved. These results were obtained while
attempting to thoroughly understand the "subgoal induction" method
of correctness proving.
∂02-Jun-78 1018 REF Sonia Lerner
To: REF, JMC
Call from Commitee of Concerned Scientists (Dorothy Hersch)
Sonia will arrive at 10:55 A.M. Friday, June 9 on flt 449 (United A.) from
Milwaukee.
They'd be interested to know where she's staying, what she's doing, etc.
She's about 30, pettit, once had shoulder length brown hair.
bob
We propose to house her Friday. Saturday too unless someone else puts in
a claim. Can you arrange to be sure she is picked up?
∂03-Jun-78 0658 MRC Dialnet system calls
MTAPE function 5 on the DLN device will force the current packet out. This
is useful in applications which intentionally do not want to send out a
full-sized packet; for example, in FTP or TELNET when a string has to be
sent out and then the user process wants to wait for a reply. MTAPE 5 barfs
if there is no connection open; also, if the window has filled up it will
hang UNTIL the window opens up for at least one packet. This is because the
UUO code assumes that the UUO PDB pointer always points to a packet in the
list and writable.
A new program, DLNSTAT, is being written for real-time examination of the
status of the Dialnet world. It is basically the ARPAnet IMPSTAT program
suitably modified for Dialnet hackery. Programmers writing high-level
protocol implementations will probably find this program to be as useful
as it will be to me!
∂04-Jun-78 1226 DCL Project quotas
To: JMC, LES
Music has not kept to its "gentleman's agreement" during May. SOB gives it
24.1%. In fact this would have been higher except that FOL has increased its
usage to 16% and CS has increased to 12%.
Now what?
I'll be happy to administer John's idea of group monthly quotas if neither of
you want to do it.
-David
0=A*j+W9k9a↓↓β A\&T⊃↓&∀
6N⊗Jq↓↓hR2εN"α:&≡E!α%α4J:&ND*⊃αRD)αBJ|z→α>2αJε6≤*e84TIα2>|Yα~>∃:εJ⊃¬"=αR b.&::αR=αLzUαε∀zVQαM!84(hP0=A*j+W9k9a↓↓βAI`&$*-↓N 7]hR%β#∂3∃βπg;πgMεCπ⊃β/C∂↔3f+;Qβ/CC↔KN+;∂↔~β←'SBαπ∪∪O≠?96>+O3↔Jaβπ3&C?W∨B4+?≡≠πO'}sπ33Jα%β#∞!βS=εkπ/∃ε βOS⊗{;≥β≡ O∃β6{Iβ←F Qα%π;π;S.!βS#/Iβ↔[.sSWπfcd4+∞;K↔↔"aβπ;"βS#↔JβπK∃εkπ';& ';'v9β¬β'∪π∪'&K?9β6{Iβ#N;!βG. 3'SJp4*K.;πK∪Ns≥βSF)βSgε+O↔S&+I1β&C↔eβε '⊃↓# B-β&{←πK'→β'S~βCWK≡CπO∃bβ WQπ##'LhS←πMε β∨'7!βS=¬≠Sπ;6{K⊃β6{IβC/∪C?O/→β?→π#gC↔≡+SS'v9β∪↔6+3?Cn+;Q1π##↔eεCπ[∀hS;=βε KS'∞aβ?←v+KO#O↓β?→π##∃βn ∂#'v)9α?rβS#↔O⊃β ?}[Mβ'"β'Mβ≡CπK∨.!βπMελ4+∪/≠'∨9ε≠?OQε3?Iβ&C∃β }{/Mβ}1β7eπ≠↔K'/→84(hP0=A*j+W9k9a↓↓βAMH&$*-↓O↓;M8hRn eα∪?9β&C↔'Iε∪??/~⊃α%βn+π;Qπ##↔'∩β ??↑[↔↔CNs≥β }{/M1εs?Qβ&C↔'Iπ#↔cS⊗{?/M
h4(4P0=A*j+W9k9a↓↓βIET&& +;πJβπQα≥*6⊗al
&5M;↔⊃α≡+7';∂⊃αOWnk↔Iα∂+πKS/⊃⎇⎇|hR∪πS+Q↓↓U∧SW9↓ I]a↓βIEU6∧"P4*7∪?5i¬#π+;∞IβπQ¬~V6⊗Bjε&4hROW V+∂Qi¬;↔⊃α≡+7';∂⊃αOWnk↔Iα∂+πKS/⊃⎇⎇|hRS=iα↓β≠π∨+3Sevc'OQPh(4(hRCπWf αC↔↔∪?9β Applied Physics called this a.m.
inquiring about the call she received requesting
Applied Physics 200 every Wed Summer Quarter
at 4:15 p.m. for a seminar.
She did not get the person's name, and I have no
information regarding the matter. Hopefully it was
not someone in Computer Science, because I would be
disappointed if someone would schedule a seminar for
summer quarter and schedule a conference room without
going through the Department Office.
Carolyn
-------
∂06-Jun-78 0034 MRC meeting today at 2pm
I'm going to the hospital first thing this morning to check out a
probable fungus infection I have. The whatever-it-is is spreading
and I'm slowly itching to death! I am going to try to be in long
before the the meeting with the DEC guys, but I'm telling you what's
up just in case. If it looks like I will be late I will try to call
the lab.
∂06-Jun-78 0802 JOSEPH at MIT-ML (Joseph Weizenbaum)
Date: 6 JUN 1978 1102-EDT
From: JOSEPH at MIT-ML (Joseph Weizenbaum)
To: JMC at SU-AI
Sonya Lerner is with me now. I understand she will be seeing you
Friday and Saturday. Suggest you invite Paul Armer (home phone
854-3063) to join you in at least one meeting. He is good friends
with Yershov and might be able to plut some pressure there.
Best luck. Joe W.
∂06-Jun-78 1211 ZM
Please send me all the information you have concerning Sonia(?) Lerner's
visit.
I shall be happy to pick her up at the airport and host her Saturday night. ZM
∂06-Jun-78 1227 CR Flights for Thursday
To: LES, JMC
Here are the flight plans and they are CRUMMY! You are confirmed on Flight 116
which leaves SFO at 10:30 a.m. and arrives at Santa Anna at 11:35 a.m. You are
on waiting lists for two flights home. Flight 457 leaves Santa Anna at 7:20 pm
and arrives in San Francisco at 8:20 p.m. Flight 8381 leaves Santa Anna at 9:15 and
arrives in San Jose at 10:15. These worthless tickets will be delivered tomorrow
morning. All alternatives are full.
∂06-Jun-78 1301 CR NEW Flight plans
To: LES, JMC
Leave SJ on PSA 162 AT 8:45, ARRIVE LAI AT 9:40. HERTZ RENTAL AT $18.95 + 23
CENTS A MILE. LEAVE LAI ON PSA 563 AT 5:55 PM AND ARRIVE IN SJ AT 6:50. THERE
IS A FLIGHT LEAVING LAI AT 7:15 PM WHICH IS STILL OPEN. IF YOU WANT THE LATER
FLIGHT LET ME KNOW ASAP
∂06-Jun-78 1313 REM at SU-AI at MIT-ML (Robert Elton Maas) Datacomputer status
Date: 6 JUN 1978 1613-EDT
From: REM at SU-AI at MIT-ML (Robert Elton Maas)
Sent-by: REM at MIT-ML
Subject: Datacomputer status
To: LES at SU-AI, JMC at SU-AI, MRC at SU-AI
In case you haven't noticed, the Datacomputer has been down all weekend
and is still down "until late this afternoon" but possibly later...
Thus it remains in the status of really nice when up, but you wouldn't
want to rely on it alone, best to have local tape backup also. I
prefer to wait for it to come back and suspend most activities for a
few days, rather than hassle with magtapes for each file I want, but
if I really needed a file I would retrieve from DART..... sigh
∂06-Jun-78 1322 MRC DC stuff
To: REM
CC: LES, JMC
For heaven's sake, REM, stop bothering me with this sort of cruft message!
Everybody has hardware problems sometime. It's to their credit that they've
never lost any user data. If I so desperately need a file that I can't work
without it, there is such a thing as a vacation.
∂06-Jun-78 1426 Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson) Richard Weyhrauch Talk
Date: 6 Jun 1978 1427-PDT
From: Nilsson at SRI-KL (Nils Nilsson)
Subject: Richard Weyhrauch Talk
To: AIC Staff:
Richard Weyhrauch will conclude his interesting series of talks
this Thurs. (June 8) at 1:30pm in Conf Room J1018. The subject
this week will be "Reflection and Self-Reflection." I've invited
Richard over for lunch; people who want to join us are invited to
show up outside my office (J2051) around 11:45 on the day of the
talk. =Nils
-------
∂06-Jun-78 1548 KJK
I talked to Amy today. Bob and I goofed--now think she deserves pass
∂06-Jun-78 1550 TOB visitor
John
I have a request for a visitor to come here in
August. He has support. The visit will overlap
a little our move to the new building, so I have
arranged space for him with either Roth or DeBra.
He is very strong in the area of Computer-Aided Design,
an area that is interesting and important. He has high
recommendations, has four years of experience at
Center for Industrial Research, Norway. I want him and
would like you to approve his visit. Do you agree?
Tom
Bjorn Hasselknippe,
OK for Hasselknippe
∂06-Jun-78 1606 TOB for your interest
To: JMC, LES
Westphal, the German student whom we agreed to
invite (with German fellowship), has been admitted
to the CS dept.
Tom
∂06-Jun-78 1559 TOB visitor
To: JMC, LES
Bjorn Hasselknippe,
Central Institute for Industrial Research,
Oslo, Norway
∂06-Jun-78 1623 HVA NSF GRANT AWARD-FOUNDATIONS OF VERIFICATION ORIENTED PROGRAMMING
CC: DCL, JMC, LES, HVA
Sponsored Projects Office has just called me to say the NSF Award in amount
of $186,103. has been rec'd. Original Proposal Budget totalled $188,473; the
difference (decrease) of $2,370. is disallowance of Foreign Travel (incl.
Indirect Cost for same). Sponsored Projects Office wants to know if we
will accept the Award at the lower figure.(I would say "Yes", happily, but
thought I should defer to the P.I. Pls.advise soonest. Thks, Hersche.
∂06-Jun-78 1845 MRC Dialer
To: TED, BH, JMC
Well, I pawed over it just now, and dialing LOTS gave me a B back, which
seems to say that they ain't set up yet. But it seems to win.
∂07-Jun-78 0000 Geoff at SRI-KA (Geoffrey S. Goodfellow) Klatu/Quasar shows at the NCC
Date: 6 Jun 1978 2330-PDT
Sender: GEOFF at SRI-KA
Subject: Klatu/Quasar shows at the NCC
From: Geoff at SRI-KA (Geoffrey S. Goodfellow)
To: [ISI]<MsgGroup>Mailing.List;157:
Cc: JMC at SAIL, LES at SAIL, Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM,
Cc: hart at KL, Sacerdoti at KL, Amarel at RUTGERS-10,
Cc: PHW at AI, Minsky at AI
Message-ID: <[SRI-KA] 6-Jun-78 23:30:58.GEOFF>
Those of you who are able to attend the NCC here in smogy Santa
Ana/Los Angeles can get your first hand chance at looking Klatu
right in the blinking eye. Klatu can be found at the Datamation
booth drawing crowds. The routine seemsto be the usual; two guys
in the crowd, one of them with his hand to his mouth talking
away, and insulting people (to get a laugh) and another guy with
his right hand inside an airline flight type bag with a shoulder
strap. First the guy with the remote control seeks out a
promissing female in the crowd, then the guy with the mike takes
over and insults her, and then usualy convinces her to give klatu
a hugg (really!!) at which time the guy with the remote sets off
a siren.
I will say one thing; at least they are/seem-to-be doing this as
more of an amusement trick rather than promoting the 'domestic
home android' with all the AI, and speech features built in.
I'v been doing my best to point out to everyone just who is
running this thing, and there has been no hassles with attempts
to stop me from doing that as have been done at previous displays
in random stores.
g
∂07-Jun-78 1140 ZM
Official information. My appointment is on the agenda of the June 16 meeting
of the board of trustees.
∂08-Jun-78 0917 CJS diploma for A. Thomas
Graduate Studies says that tomorrow between 8am and 5pm (but not during the noon
hour) is the last day you have to go over to the Old Union-room 132 to sign the
diploma for Author Thomas.
∂08-Jun-78 0939 RWW my sri talk today
Last night I decided to use the implementation of your minimalization
schema as the main example of reflection in my talk today, so I thought
that I would just let you know.
rww
∂08-Jun-78 1304 JBR
To: LES, JMC
If this is true, we had better start worrying:
∂08-Jun-78 0144 TM
To: JBR, TED, LCW, PMF, TM
Just for your information, Joe heard that AMPEX is discontinuing
the SAIL disk drives. I believe that there is no problem with
getting one now though.
Tom
∂08-Jun-78 1557 REF Sonia Lerner
To: JMC, REF
(Karla?) Sagan of Amnesty Internation wants to speak with Sonia
for about an hour. I arranged that she should pick Sonia up at your house
on Saturday morning at 10:00, and return her when she's done. Okay?
bob
Zohar was going to pickk her up at 9am. Please co-ordinate with him.
∂08-Jun-78 1919 Levin at SUMEX-AIM department meeting
Date: 8 Jun 1978 1639-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: department meeting
To: faculty.list:
Friday is the Department meeting for ALL faculty, students and
staff.
4:30, Polya 111, followed by wine and cheese...polya courtyard
-------
∂08-Jun-78 2151 REF
Morry Shapiro (V.P. of Bay Area Concerned Jewery...) and his wife want to attend
the dinner tomorrow night. He requests a veggie or fish dinner
for them (you know, not dreck).
∂09-Jun-78 0716 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM lerner dinner
Date: 9 Jun 1978 0713-PDT
From: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: lerner dinner
To: jmc at SAIL
The way things are working out I may not be able to get there tonight.
Or I may be able to get there for the talk but not the dinner.
I will see what I can do.
Ed
-------
∂09-Jun-78 0800 JMC*
∂08-Jun-78 0917 CJS diploma for A. Thomas
Graduate Studies says that tomorrow between 8am and 5pm (but not during the noon
hour) is the last day you have to go over to the Old Union-room 132 to sign the
diploma for Author Thomas.
∂09-Jun-78 0838 Levin at SUMEX-AIM faculty meeting
Date: 9 Jun 1978 0839-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: faculty meeting
To: faculty.list:
cc: dan at SU-AI, azs at SU-AI, bs at SU-AI, dpb at SU-AI
Reminder:
Faculty meeting, Tuesday, June 13, 2:15. Note place: DSL, Room 237.
-------
∂09-Jun-78 1100 JMC*
call mazda
∂09-Jun-78 1530 DCO
To: DCL, JMC
Woody Bledsoe will be visiting the Bay area in early August.
I told him I will be away, and he will phone before coming to see who
is around.
∂09-Jun-78 1933 Levin at SUMEX-AIM AI Qual
Date: 9 Jun 1978 1933-PDT
From: Levin at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: AI Qual
To: feigenbaum, buchanan, winograd aC, jmc at SU-AI
reminder...reminder..reminder
AI Qual exams monday, june 12th
Terry and Ed:
9:00...Steve Westfold
10:00...Rod Brooks
11:00...Rich Pattis
in Polya 204
Bruce and John:
9:00...steve tappel
10:00...anne gardner
11:00...jim davidson
John and Terry:
1:00...jim bennett
...bruce and john in polya 152
---laurie
-------
∂10-Jun-78 1352 EPP
my office addres is
∂10-Jun-78 1957 MRC PLEASE NOTE THIS!
To: LES, JMC
∂10-Jun-78 1955 Feinler at SRI-KL (Jake Feinler) Honeywell H316 hardware - Please Note!
Date: 10 Jun 1978 1903-PDT
From: Feinler at SRI-KL (Jake Feinler)
Subject: Honeywell H316 hardware - Please Note!
To: [SRI-KL]<FEINLER>nlg-sndmsg-6-78:
Dear Liaison,
At the latest Arpanet Sponsors Meeting the following announcement was
made which may be of interest to some of you:
Honeywell has notified BBN that no orders for H-316 hardware and
interfaces will be accepted after June l978. If Sponsors project any
requirements for LHs, DHs, VDHs, or upgrades to a TIP, the
requirement must be processed through Defense Communications Agency,
CODE 535, and funds in hand at Det 1, SAMTEC by COB June 16, l978.
Please make this information available to any people at your host who
may need to know, particularly those managing the computer facilities.
Below is a list of the owners of the various IMPs and TIPs for your
information. If you have any questions DO NOT SEND THEM TO THE NIC!
Questions should be directed to either your Arpanet Sponsor or to
Maj. Raymond Czahor
(DCACODE535@ISI)
(202) 692-6175/6
222-6175/6 (Autovon)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
IMP OR TIP OWNER
IMP or TIP
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Air Force Data Systems Design Center, AFDSDC
GUNTER (TIP)
Air Force Systems Command, AFSC
EGLIN
AFWL (TIP)
WPAFB (TIP)
U. S. Army
ABERDEEN
DARCOM
BELVOIR
Advanced Research Projects Agency, ARPA
ACCAT (TIP) AMES-16 (TIP) ARPA (TIP)
CCA CMU DEC
FNWC FT. BRAGG HARV
HAWAII (TIP) ISI-22 ISI-52
LINCOLN LONDON (TIP) MIT-44 (TIP)
MIT-6 MITRE-TIP MOFFETT
NORSAR (TIP) NPS PENTAGON (TIP)
RAND (TIP) RCC-49 RCC-5
RUTGERS (TIP) SCRL SDAC
SRI-51 SRI-2 STANFORD (TIP)
SUMEX TEXAS TYMSHARE
UCLA USC (TIP) UTAH (TIP)
XEROX
Air Force Global Weather Central, AFGWC
SCOTT
GWC (TIP)
Command and Control Test Center, CCTC
DTI
Defense Communications Agency, DCA
BBN-40
Defense Communications Engineering Center, DCEC
DCEC (TIP)
Department of Commerce
DOCB (TIP)
Department of Energy, DOE
ANL
LBL
LLL
NYU
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA
AMES-15
U. S. Navy, NAVY
NOSC
NRL
National Bureau of Standards, NBS
NBS (TIP)
National Security Agency, NSA
NSA
Rome Air Development Center, RADC
RADC (TIP)
-------
∂11-Jun-78 1005 SSO Modal logic seminar
To: EE385E.DIS[1,SSO]: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]: Lamport at SRI-KL
To: Melliar-Smith at SRI-KL
A group of us are considering a seminar to discuss modal logic, to meet for
the first 1/2 of the summer. Anyone interested should come to an organizational
meeting in ERL 237 at 10:00 Thursday morning. If you want to participate but
can't come to that meeting, let me know.
∂11-Jun-78 1235 RWW arpa
see arpa[doc,rww] for a description of FOL work.
∂11-Jun-78 1306 RWW
Please see that CLT is my office replacement if Jim leaves before I
return.
∂11-Jun-78 1441 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
Date: 11 JUN 1978 1741-EDT
From: MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
To: jmc at SU-AI
CC: MINSKY at MIT-AI
I talked to a D>A> of New Jersay (comsumer protection dept.).
He is trying to decide whether to do anything about the QUASAR hoax.
He told my that he das seen the actual control device, and it is, indeed,
a regular model airplane controller.
Therefore, all we have to do is soup one of those up to, say, 10 watts.
Then we go to one of their demos. We override their radio control and
kame KLATU turn and roll up to the "bagman", raise his Arm, and
declare: "You have Betrayed Me". What to do subsequently is upo
to you.
∂11-Jun-78 1507 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
Date: 11 JUN 1978 1807-EDT
From: MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
To: jmc at SU-AI
CC: MINSKY at MIT-AI
Yes, I didn't do much about lisp except
1. I wrote a little code for MAPCAR. This was
on your suggestion, that I get the hang of it. I don't
remember inventing MAPCAR, although I ahve
a faint impression of having something to do with MAP and/or
MAPCAR. Possible I though of MAP and you correctly
said that MAPCAR was more useful.
2. I did invent a first form of using indentation, which
led to PrettyPrint.
Agree about Quasar. Will send you a little more recent history in a while.
∂11-Jun-78 2011 HOROWITZ at USC-ISIB Publishing arrangements
Date: 11 JUN 1978 1708-PDT
From: HOROWITZ at USC-ISIB
Subject: Publishing arrangements
To: McCarthy at SU-AI
John,
You may have already received or otherwise you should
soon receive my data structures book and a description
of Computer Science Press. In the series for which I
am an editor we already have signed the following authors
and their books will soon be appearing:
Fundamentals of data structures by Horowitz and Sahni
Fundamentals of Computer algorithms by Horowitz and Sahni
Graph algorithms by Shimon Even (Technion)
Assemblers, compilers and translators by Peter Calingaert(U.of No. Carolina)
Intro. to programming in Pascal by Findlay and Watt (U. of Essex)
Computers in controversy by Logsdon (USC)
Introduction to computer science by 4 people from U. of Delaware
So we have seven books and are currently negotiating with
several other authors. I wanted to mention this so that
you would not get the impression that we are a fly-by-night
operation. When your manuscipt is ready I hope you will
send it to me for review. Computer Science Press offers a real
alternative to the established presses and I believe that they can make an
offer "which no prospective author could refuse".
Sincerely
Ellis Horowitz
p.s. my net address is horowitz at isib
-------
∂11-Jun-78 2019 REM at MIT-MC (Robert Elton Maas)
Date: 11 JUN 1978 2017-EDT
From: REM at MIT-MC (Robert Elton Maas)
To: JMC at SU-AI
Do you ever want to send an identical message to several people, some
of whom are on the Arpanet and some of whom aren't? For example, a
message to one person at MIT-MC, one at IMSSS, one at LOTS, one at
CALL-COMPUTER, and one not on any computer at all? Other than preparing
a text file and manually forwarding it to each recipient in a different
and often painful way, do you know of any good way to get the message
to all of them?
No. I was thinking of asking for a "c/o feature" that would ask the
c/o person to forward it and including my secretary as a c/o person.
If the addressee could be a long quoted string, containing the name
and U.S. mail address, this would meet all my requirements, because
then U.S. mail addresses could be included in mailing lists.
∂12-Jun-78 1105 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM ( Forwarded Mail )
Date: 12 Jun 1978 1051-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: ( Forwarded Mail )
To: faculty.list:
cc: Horning at PARC
Mail from PARC-MAXC rcvd at 12-Jun-78 0935-PDT
Date: 12 Jun 1978 9:29 am (Monday)
From: Horning at PARC-MAXC
Subject: O.-J. Dahl Sabbatical
To: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
cc: SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki), Horning, Lauer
Carolyn,
Sue Owicki says that you are likely to be the person who would know about
Ole-Johann Dahl's sabbatical at Stanford.
Do you know if he's arrived yet, and if so, how to contact him? We'd like to
arrange for him to give a talk at PARC.
Thanks for any information you can give me.
Jim Horning
494-4420
Can anyone shed any light for Mr. Horning?
-------
∂12-Jun-78 1522 DCL
To: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
***********************************************************************
JOINT SEMINAR
CONCURRENT SYSTEMS
and
VERIFICATION GROUP
TUESDAY 13th JUNE
PLACE: ERL 237
TIME: 2:30 p.m.
TITLE: Program Correctness: On Inductive Assertion Methods
PART II: RECURSION
SPEAKER: James C. King
ABSTRACT
A study of several of the proof of correctness methodologies will be
presented. In particular, the form of induction used will be explored
in detail. A rather elementary viewpoint will be taken in order to expose,
as simply as possible, the basic differences of the methods and the
underlying principles involved. These results were obtained while
attempting to thoroughly understand the "subgoal induction" method
of correctness proving.
∂13-Jun-78 1121 DCL via SU-TIP#10 hung phonelines
To: LES
CC: JMC
Here is a case where someone has left a phone line busy after logging off:
we have : BPM, JJK, FRG, HWC, BIA using lines 0 - 4.However all lines
are busy. I suggest the idea of hanging up when the user logs off, or is
auto logged off be implemented, especially in view of our soft policy
on users, e.g., FRG, HWC, BIA.
∂13-Jun-78 1446 Creary at SUMEX-AIM Request for Appointment
Date: 13 Jun 1978 1447-PDT
From: Creary at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Request for Appointment
To: JMC at SU-AI
I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you soon to determine
whether there is still a possibility of my being a research associate in the
epistemology of AI next year.
After a shift in the goal of my earlier efforts to formulate a
Meta-DENDRAL proposal (namely, a de-emphasis of certain fairly traditional
philosophy of science concerns), I succeeded in coming up with a Meta-DENDRAL
project that is interesting to me and that Bruce Buchanan supports; we plan to
submit a proposal for this project this summer. However, even if the proposal
is eventually funded, I will still need salary funding for most of the coming
academic year. Since I remain very much interested in taking a crack at some
of the problems connected with your epistemological enterprise, I hope that we
can work something out.
-- Lew Creary
-------
It is not out of the question, and this is the best time to try. When I
get a picture of the ARPA budget, I can decide whether I dare include it,
and if so we will probably get a reasonably quick informal answer from
ARPA about whether they will support theory at the requested rate.
Please phone to arrange the appointment.
∂13-Jun-78 1951 JJK
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
After only a moderately successful attempt to gather information about
local computer system development plans (results on EQUIP[CSD,JJK]), it
still appears worthwhile to get together to exchange ideas, learn a little
more about half-baked plans, identify interest in and seek agreement on
how to proceed on a number of specific items, such as:
1. Approach to DEC about possible VAX and/or System 20 donations or price
cuts.
2. Whether to seek Altos from Xerox, and if so, how many and when.
Similar issue for network transceivers, etc.
3. Possible joint study with IBM on distributed computing.
With luck, we should know very shortly whether we have gotten fundiing from
NSF and Stauffer, but several decisions can and should be made soon even
without knowing. Forest Baskett, who has been very helpful in offering ideas
on future Stanford system development, will be in town next Wednesday
through Friday, June 21 through 23. We should therefore try for a meeting on
one of those days. Please indicate your preference from the dates listed
below, and also tell me when you CAN'T make it. Thanks!
Alternative Meeting Times
a. Wed. June 21, morning.
b. Wed. June 21, afternoon.
c. Thurs. June 22, morning.
d. Thurs. June 22, afternoon.
e. Fri. June 23, morning.
f. Fri. June 23, afternoon.
All proposed times are OK with me. D.E.C. is giving the Stanford Music
Center a $250,000 2020 system in connection with their joint project with
the Boston Symphony. One more computer to love!!
∂13-Jun-78 2046 WINOGRAD at PARC-MAXC2 AI qual
Date: 13 JUN 1978 2047-PDT
From: WINOGRAD at PARC-MAXC2
Subject: AI qual
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM, mccarthy at SAIL,
To: buchanan at SUMEX-AIM
cc: denny at SAIL, tajnai at SUMEX-AIM, tw at SAIL
Some thoughts on the AI qual:
I felt uncomfortable with some aspects of the way the AI qualifying
exam went yesterday, and would like to propose some changes for the
future:
Preparation: The students didn't seem to have a clear idea of what
was expected of them. This included both a misunderstanding of the
role of the papers they had written and a lack of feeling for the
scope of AI material they were expected to have read. The latter can
be corrected by preparing a syllabus well ahead of time (at least one
full quarter) which outlines explicitly what we expect a serious AI
student to be familiar with. The former demands a clear statement of
what we think the qual is for. Some students expected to be
questioned only on the materials in the papers, while others were
surprised when they were asked questions about them. My own opinion
is that we want students to demonstrate a broad and comprehensive
knowledge of AI research, and that questioning on any one limited set
of topics can only be a part of it. I think the idea of having
students prepare papers or questions ahead of time is a good one
which we should keep. It provides a good way to start the exam and
lead into broader questioning. However, both students an examiners
should have a clear understanding of how they are to be used.
Exam Format: An hour feels short to me. Because of overhead and
warmup, a 1-1/2 hour exam gives almost twice as much solid
questioning time. I would schedule exams with breaks in between, so
that the examiners can discuss the exam after the student leaves. I
also feel more comfortable with three examiners. Two people can more
easily get locked into a questioning pattern which leaves out major
aspects. Given all the available talent (Stanford researchers, SRI
and Xerox people, etc.) we can have three on each exam without adding
to anyone's work. I think the idea of having a person's primary
faculty mentor not on the committee is a good one and should be
continued.
Feedback: One of the least satisfying aspects for the students (and
for me as well) was the lack of a mechanism for discussing how each
person had done, and what suggestions we had for further work. It is
discouraging to be told you have failed and have no idea what you
should do to improve. Shortly following the exams (or following each
individual exam if that seems best) the student should have a direct
face-to-face discussion with the committee (or a representative
member of it) in which learn how he or she did, including specific
comments on strong and weak areas.
I realize that all of this (especially the syllabus, and arranging
the larger committees) takes more faculty work, and I volunteer to do
it next year. When I did it in 1975, Doug Lenat helped, so maybe I
can persuade him again.
One last comment: I don't feel that the final outcomes of the exam
were unfair. I agreed with the decisions, based on my personal view
of what kind of knowledge of AI should be expected. This note was
prompted by the feeling that we were doing it in an unneccesarily
impersonal and unsupportive way, and that its worth the extra effort
to make being a CS-AI grad student (or professor) more liveable.
-------
I agree entirely with Terry's suggestions. I would like to keep the
prescribed reading list short and to change it only slowly. Ideally,
there would be an adequate text on AI that could be the sole reference.
However, we can't do that yet.
∂14-Jun-78 0610 FB via AMES-TIP#66 VAX
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
I am going to visit Digital on the 26-28 of June to try to pursuade them
to donate a VAX to CSL for research purposes. I have a list of projects
that I want to pursue with such a machine that would seem to have
short and long term benefits to Digital. I am listing some of those
projects below and asking you to think of projects of your own that
might have some appeal to DEC. You might even write down a line or two
and we can perhaps discuss such ideas next week. My overall strategy
is to try to convince DEC that they can very nearly capture one of
the brightest and newest systems groups in the country for lots of
VAX work much like the 10 did years ago.
Synchronous Bus Study: The SEL 32, VAX 11/780, and all the four
medium scale 370 plug compatible CPU's are built on a high speed
synchronous bus. It is time we had a more scientific understanding
of that design space. Even IBM's new E series is rumored to be built
on a synchronous bus. A VAX 11/780 would provide one in depth example
for such a study as well as providing a vehicle for measurements of a llive
system using a particular design. (Long Term Benefit)
Pascal: The Pascal P compiler and our experience with three different
P code translators (370, Cray-1, S-1) should make it possible for us to
bring up a Pascal on the VAX and one which is quite respectable. In
fact, we should be able to beat Univ. of Washington and, with the P Code
optimizer that R. L. Sites is doing, we should be able to do a better
job than UW. (Short Term Benefit)
Optimizing Loader: The P code compiler and the P code optimizer make use
of a table of basic block execution counts to give the user an execution
count annotated listing and to give the optimizer the information it
needs to make the right decisions about code motion. A loader could
also use that information to construct load modules that minimized page
faults in instruction space. Such a loader would do a much better job
than all previously proposed and studied schemes. (Short Term Benefit)
Instruction set architecture: I would like to get a slightly modified
VAX that allowed complete replacement of the microcode much like the
11/40E that CMU devised and had DEC make. The machine has an 8K word
microcode address space, 4K of which is used. High speed 4K RAMS
are available now that would compete in board space and speed with the
ROMs in the current microcode so the engineering looks straightforward.
A softer machine structure would allow a number of studies ranging from
appropriate targets for optimizing compilers to appropriate targets
for operating system structures. It might also be possible to investigate
whether the machine definition can be changed in such a way as to make
a high speed implementation more feasible. (Long Term Benefit)
Knuth's Text Processing Software: Obvious.
Networks and Software Development Environment: The machine would need to
be connected to other machines and would presumably be quite useful for
microprocessor software development work. Barth and Hennessey?
Computer Aided Design: vanCleemput?
I see three possibilities:
1. Digital gives in and we win big.
2. Digital says "Why doesn't Stanford contribute x% and DEC will
contribute 100-x% (Where do we get x?)
3. Digital says "Why don't you take the prototype that was used for
VAX design and development work. This possibility is the one
that would be most difficult to deal with and decide about. I will
give more details next week.
In the meantime, if you think you can contribute, think of some flashy
things for me to tell them.
∂14-Jun-78 0934 Buchanan at SUMEX-AIM Re: AI qual
Date: 14 Jun 1978 0935-PDT
From: Buchanan at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Re: AI qual
To: WINOGRAD at PARC-MAXC2, feigenbaum, mccarthy at SAIL
cc: denny at SAIL, tajnai, tw at SAIL
In response to the message sent 13 JUN 1978 2048-PDT from WINOGRAD at PARC-MAXC2
I agree with Terry's suggestions also. If we are offering the Qual again
in the fall, now is the time to give students a syllabus and clear ground
rules. Conceivably the examiners could use both those as a "check list"
during the exam to be sure everything is covered adequately, and thus
provide the data from which pass/fail decsions could be generated quickly
after the exam.
-------
∂15-Jun-78 0656 RSMITH at RUTGERS-10 QUASAR
Date: 15 Jun 1978 (Thursday) 0956-EDT
From: RSMITH at RUTGERS-10
Subject: QUASAR
To: jmc at MIT-AI
I spoke with Mr. Collichio. We are writing a letter along
the lines of our discussion; I will send you a copy for
your files.
The difficulty seems to be the narrow interpretation of
"fraud". I am claiming, in the letter, that Reichelt asserted
that the device he showed at Middlesex County was not under
remote control and that this constitutes false advertising.
We have witnesses to this. Reichelt claims to the consumer
people that the device shown (KLATU) is under remote control
and that they do not represent otherwise; but that their
products, that they will offer for sale "in 20 months" will
not be. Whether or not this will constitute false advertising
or fraud is difficult to say; but it appears that he is
trying to avoid prosecution by not actually selling his stuff.
Anyway, it continues. Thanks for your note.
Bob
∂15-Jun-78 0944 FB via AMES-TIP#66 computers
Feigenbaum wants we to be sure and consult with you before I charge
off to Maynard to try to get DEC to donate a VAX to Stanford. I would
certainly like to do that. Will you be in town any of Wednesday thru
Saturday of next week? There are several interacting issues: How
to spend NSF money, student computing, S-1, DEC donations to the 20 cause,
intellectual future of 20's and VAX's, and probably several others that
I haven't thought of.
Yes, I will be in town all that time.
∂15-Jun-78 1437 SSO Modal logic
Our schedule is pretty much open at the moment. We will ask Bob Moore to
give a first lecture that is a general introduction to modal logic. That
(if he agrees) will be next Thursday (June 22). All our remaining days are
free. Your subject sounds like it could fit in as an early lecture. What
about June 29? We meet at 4:00 in ERL 228.
June 29 is fine.
∂15-Jun-78 1641 Creary at SUMEX-AIM ARPA Proposal
Date: 15 Jun 1978 1641-PDT
From: Creary at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: ARPA Proposal
To: JMC at SU-AI
Just wanted to say that I am very happy to be included in your proposal,
and look forward to collaborating with you and your colleagues in the fall.
Naturally, I'll keep my fingers crossed until I hear something from you
concerning ARPA's reaction to the proposal. -- Lew Creary
-------
∂15-Jun-78 2022 JJK time for system development meeting
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
Friday June 23 is shaping up as the date with fewest problems among
the three suggested. Unless there is strong disagreement, I propose
that we get together on Friday, June 23 at 9am in Polya 204. I will
confirm this arrangement next Monday.
∂15-Jun-78 2147 PLS Wiseman axioms
In file AX on [1,pls] there is my attempt at the learning
axiom. You seem to go one world "deeper" - I can't make up
my mind whether this is significant.
∂15-Jun-78 2210 SSO
Good. June 29 it is. Do you want people to read anything beforehand?
∂16-Jun-78 0125 PLS
I have added a few comments to your response in AX[1,PLS]
∂16-Jun-78 0917 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM Re: Fall AI Qual
Date: 16 Jun 1978 0918-PDT
From: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Re: Fall AI Qual
To: Buchanan
cc: mcc at SU-AI, winogrand at SU-AI, jmc at SAIL
In response to your message sent 16 Jun 1978 0758-PDT
YES...to an exam for Jim or any other that failed, in early Fall.
Dont KNOW...to the suggestion that a student choose one of his own examiners.
Generally bad precedent~
Ed
-------
∂17-Jun-78 1352 SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki) Modal logic seminar
Date: 17 Jun 1978 1350-PDT
From: SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki)
Subject: Modal logic seminar
To: MODAL.DIS[1,SSO]:
Modal logic seminar
Time: Thursday June 22
Place: ERL 237
Speaker: Bob Moore of SRI
Subject: An introduction to Modal Logic
Paper: Kripke, "Semantical Considerations on Modal Logic"
Available after 1:00 Monday outside door of ERL 228
(Or from Michael Melliar-Smith at SRI)
-------
∂17-Jun-78 1411 SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki) An introduction to Modal Logic
Date: 17 Jun 1978 1352-PDT
From: SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki)
To: MODAL.DIS[1,SSO]:
Modal logic seminar
Time: Thursday June 22
Place: ERL 237
Speaker: Bob Moore of SRI
Subject: An introduction to Modal Logic
Paper: Kripke, "Semantical Considerations on Modal Logic"
Available after 1:00 Monday outside door of ERL 228
(Or from Michael Melliar-Smith at SRI)
-------
∂17-Jun-78 2120 RDR FYI--CBBS (Santa Clara) and digicasting
To: MRC, JMC
Date: 16 JUN 1978 0811-PDT
From: PBARAN at USC-ISI
Subject: CBBS, DIGICASTING
To: PCNET:
CBBS
Ward Christensen and Randy Suess of
PCNET and CACHE (the Chicago Area Computer
Hobbyist club) have developed a Community
Bulletin Board System (CBBS). You
call in and enter a message; someone else
calls in later and reads the message(s).
There are now 3 operating CBBSs;
One near San Francisco - 408-246-2805
One in Atlanta - 404-458-4886
And the original one in Chicago - 312-528-7141
To try a CBBS call one of the numbers above
with any 110 or 300 baud terminal or
computer. When the connection is
complete send several CRs; after
that it's self teaching. Hours are:
408-246-2805 9PM-8AM PDT; we hope to
move to 24 hr 7 day rapidly.
312-528-7141 24 hr 7 day
404-458-4886 evenings
DIGICASTING
Jim Warren is actively working at starting
an electronic newspaper. He has found some
interesting combinations of technical and
regulatory arrangements that will allow him
to broadcast ASCII data by radio at
1200 BPS (certainly) to 9600 BPS
(possibly). This new service can cover most
urban and many rural areas. The receiver/modem
for grabbing the serial ASCII out of the air
and stuffing it in your computer can
retail for $100 or less.
The payoff is access to LOTS of stuff in
machine readable form; ALL the news from wire
services, financial tickers, want ads,
etc,etc. When your computer is not doing anything
more useful it can suck all this in,
searching/sorting/abstracting/storing
with whatever personal interest profile
program you leave running.
To find out more, write to:
DIGICASTING
345 Swett Rd
Woodside,CA 94062
Dave Caulkins
(mailbox PBARAN@ISI)
-------
∂17-Jun-78 2236 MRC CCBS & digicasting
To: RDR
CC: JMC
I am already aware of that. Nice, but not terribly relevant to PCNET.
It's an 8080 version of what you get with system messages on ITS.
Note that Dialnet monitor work is fairly well advanced now (I've just
finished the first-level protocol and am implementing the second level
protocol now). I hope to have it in WAITS permanently in a fairly
short time, so I can start concentrating on LOTS. IMSSS work has been
stalled since Dialnet depends on the DCA scanner and IMSSS can't be
put on it yet for some reason.
∂18-Jun-78 0530 RWG
have you tried that putnam distance-from-convex-body integral on solids?
it seems to involve the iteresting quantity sum(edge*supplement(corresp dihedral)).
ever see it?
∂18-Jun-78 0740 RWG
To: TED, JMC
rg says mitai's xgp maintenance contract has 3.5 yrs to run yet!
∂18-Jun-78 1710 DCL
To: GROUP.DIS[VCG,DCL]:
***********************************************************************
JOINT SEMINAR
CONCURRENT SYSTEMS
and
VERIFICATION GROUP
We are taking a break for two weeks. Next seminar : Tuesday July 11th.
Speakers for summer quarter include: John McCarthy, Mark Brown, Greg Nelson.
There will be a VERIFIER SYSTEM MEETING on Tuesday June 27th.
∂19-Jun-78 0955 JJK Confirming Friday meeting
To: MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:
Date, time, and place of Friday meeting are confirmed: Friday June 23,
9am, Polya 204.
∂19-Jun-78 1453 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM appointments
Date: 19 Jun 1978 1454-PDT
From: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: appointments
To: jmc at SAIL, dek at SAIL
Mail from SU-AI rcvd at 19-Jun-78 1436-PDT
Date: 19 Jun 1978 1434-PDT
From: BS at SU-AI (Betty Scott)
Subject: Manna and Baskett
To: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
The Board of Trustees approved the Manna andBaskett appointments on Friday,
but I have not heard about the Luckham EE appointment.
Betty
-------
-------
∂19-Jun-78 1508 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM Hardware Documentation Specialists Openings
Date: 19 Jun 1978 1509-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: Hardware Documentation Specialists Openings
To: faculty.list:
Faculty: I get many calls from people looking for employees.
I do not like to refer calls to faculty, but perhaps this method
will be satisfactory. Carolyn
Hardware Documentation Specialists
Manufacturer of main frames has openings for several hardware
documentation specialists for work in the south Bay area. Qualified
candidates will be familiar with computer structure and digital logic.
Salary in the low to mid 20's. Experience in hardware documenation
strongly preferred. Interested and qualified candidates, please conact:
Donald E. Klamon
The Wayne Group Ltd.
400 Montgomery Street, Suite 700
San Francisco, CA 94111
415/421-2010
"Any questions concerning the jos, company, salary, inerview and/or
relocation expenses," please call Mr. Klamon.
-------
∂19-Jun-78 1516 SYS
Queued mail to newell at CMU-10B -- ok
The following message was received from the remote host:
ALLEN NEWELL (A310AN02): Mail forwarded to newell at CMUA
newell@CMU-10A : Mail Queued for FTP.
∂19-Jun-78 1639 TED DIALNET MODEM - LOTS AT "HIGH SPEED"
You can now talk to LOTS via the new VADIC modems. The proceedure is as follows:
Tell the system "DIAL TTY6"
When it says READY, type exactly the following sequence:
α3291870∂β
None of these characters will echo and you better get them all right. There is no
going back. Now, wait a while for a response character of some kind. It usually
takes about 30 seconds or so. If the character you get back is an "A", you are
winning completely and LOTS should give you a prompt. If you get anything else,
the call is screwed up in some way. If you would like a definition of what all
the possible errors mean, they are described in VADIC.TXT[1,TED] I would like
you to try it and complain to TED, REG%lots, or MRC if there are any problems.
Oh yeah, in order to disconnect, first KJOB at LOTS which will make the world
hang up, and then <ctl><meta>Q to DIAL. This is a temporary hack and will be
cleaned up eventually by MRC.
∂20-Jun-78 1235 PLS
I looked at the axiom you sent me. If it is right
it certainly is very neat.
On page 4 of AX[1,pls] I have tried to characterise
both my view of "knowing whether" and yours as reflected
in your axiom. On page 3 there is an axiom for the fool
learning whether MRW1 knows (using my view).
∂20-Jun-78 1602 ZM celebration
As I mentioned last night, I would like you and Vera to join us tomorrow for a
celebration dinner at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. I have also invited Richard
and Fran Waldinger, and another couple. If Vera's plans have not changed -
could you join us anyway ? Zohar
∂21-Jun-78 0137 MRC Dropped characters on Dialnet line
To: LES, JMC
I have determined that the dropped characters on the Dialnet line are
due to buffer overrun. I think that the clear severity of the problem
proves my contention that Dialnet would not run effectively as a user
mode job. 1200 baud is just too damn fast. I've been told by several
LOTS hackers that the situation at LOTS is much worse.
∂21-Jun-78 0925 MRC
To: JMC, LES
DLNSER is completed!!!!!
∂21-Jun-78 1158 TOB
phon[let,jmc] is protected
∂21-Jun-78 1250 REM via AMES-TIP#14 Reply to your warning about reading your mail.
If you haven't done so yet, suggest you move your mail file to your own
disk area and read-protect it. The mailer has special priviledges to
access it, but other people would have to take unusual measures to read
it, such as using the UNPROTECT command or getting the READpriviledge,
so such a person would KNOW he was doing something dangerous. Accidental
brousing of your mail file by randoms, and by users who missed your
message, would be eliminated. Despite what MRC says about passwords being
useless, I claim they are a deterrant the same way locks on doors are.
Either can be picked by an expert, but accidental invasion is eliminated
and only a few determined people willing to be marked as criminals would
put in the effort to break through.
This is my opinion, feedback welcome, on general question of passwords
and other imperfect (but nevertheless useful I claim) methods of security.
∂21-Jun-78 1636 Levinthal at SUMEX-AIM SAAC
Date: 21 Jun 1978 1627-PDT
From: Levinthal at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: SAAC
To: jmc at SU-AI
cc: tob at SU-AI
Just to let you know that I finally did receive a response from
Reynolds. It raises some questions but on the whole is quite
positive about proceeding. I'll send you both a copy of his memo
in the mail. The following represents the steps that I believe we
have agreed on for proceeding.
1. We will work out the details of the quid pro which will allow
Levinthal and Liebes to prepare proposal for NASA Viking data
analysis funds using AI lab pdp-10 computor and space for
stereo station and related memory. For this project, which will
extend over two or more years, we will contribute the stereo
station for other ai lab use and about $ 30k of unrestricted funds
to be used for mutually agreed purposes - generally those which
will enhance image processing capability. Our use of hardware
( PDP-11 and 10 ) will average less than 4hrs/day of prime time
and can be easiltiy scheduled. To carry out our plotting and
graphic task for our present NASA contract we will contribute
about $13k for hardware ( assuming arrangements for such use of
funds can be made with NASA Langely )/- possibly plotter or disk
drive.
2. John will talk to Ed Fiegenbaum and make sure we have arrived
at a common understanding for SAAC.
3. When John lets me know that this is the case I will proceed
to set up meeting with Miller and Lieberman. My thoughts are that
we ask for everything thats in the proposal except for starting the
MS program. we suggest deferring that until we have reserach
program underway and can obtain agreement on curricula and a
teaching slot in this field either in ME or CSD or joint.
-------
∂21-Jun-78 2112 DAVID.JEFFERSON(C410DJ51) at CMU-10A An old publication of yours
Date: 22 Jun 1978 0011-EDT
From: DAVID.JEFFERSON(C410DJ51) at CMU-10A
Subject: An old publication of yours
To: mccarthy at SU-AI
I have found a Xerox of a publication of yours dated March 22, 1963
and entitled "Predicate Calculus with 'undefined' as a Truth-Value".
I would like to reference this work (or something more comprehensive)
in my thesis, but I have only part of the paper, and it seems to be a draft
rather than something formal. The top of the first page has "Stanford
Artificial Intelligence Project" and "Memo 1", but the
pages are numbered 56-60.
I can find nothing more about this work at this end. If you could get me more
info about this memo, or other works on the same topic, I would be grateful.
I have just spent a couple of weeks doing something substantially similar,
and I don't want to duplicate work.
David Jefferson
That was Stanford AI Memo 1, and I'll try to send you a complete copy.
Afterwards I found a 1938 paper by Bochvar, and I'll try to send you
a copy of a translation we had made.
∂22-Jun-78 0225 LLW Drastic Treatment for Mail Snoops
To: JMC
CC: LLW
The SAIL community seems to be buzzing about your general distribution
notice to mail snoops which you may apprehend. Having a somewhat
old-fashioned outlook on the subject, I strongly encourage you to
publically execute malefactors of this type (or whatever the analogous
local punishment may be--turning off the Pony bit of the guilty
individual, or something similar). My purely theoretical knowledge of the
subject suggests that anyone stupid or clumsy enough to get caught
snooping in SAIL mail is probably genetically markedly unfit, and should
at least be emasculated. I actually saw a general distribution message in
the pre-dawn hours recently, complaining that the usual technique for
informally acquiring system privileged status wasn't working, and
soliciting help in restoring it to functional condition.
A while back, I decided that I was occasionally using the SAIL mail for
what a reasonable person would construe as somewhat sensitive personnel
matters, and invoked the protection for it that the system offers. My
mail the next day contained a note from an individual that I would have
NEVER thought of as a mail-snooper, archly noting that protecting one's
mail file was anti-social, enticing, and totally ineffective. I
reluctantly de-protected my mail file, and ceased using the SAIL mail for
personnel matters, when my expression of incredulity in this respect
promptly elicited a confirming demonstration of at least the latter point.
I was also assured that only a fool would EVER get caught mail-snooping,
as techniques exist for reading someone else's mail covertly and securely,
EVEN as the owner of the mail was inspecting it!
Hang 'em high, John!
Lowell
∂22-Jun-78 0830 Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM meltzer
Date: 22 Jun 1978 0824-PDT
From: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: meltzer
To: jmc at SAIL, newell at CMUA
I have a fairly long message composed, but dont have time to type it in
right now. I'll get back to you both....Ed
-------
∂22-Jun-78 0845 Allen Newell at CMU-10A (A310AN02) meltzer
Date: 22 Jun 1978 1144-EDT
From: Allen Newell at CMU-10A (A310AN02)
Subject: meltzer
To: jmc @ SAIL, feigenbaum @ Sumex-aim
CC: newell at CMU-10A
Message-ID: <22Jun78 114433 AN02@CMU-10A>
Johm and Ed: The letter from Meltzer finally arrived. I don't have
very much information, but do tend to agree wth JMC's assessment
that he has done yoeman service on the AIJ and that it would be
quite appropriate to keep him on. On the positive side I think
he would like to do it, and I think that he would devote more
than adequate time and effort -- all couple with the retirement
bit. On the negative, the mechanic of italy and being without
organizational support might finally drag the whole business
down. But the right way to deal with that is just to have
a fairly explict trial period so see if the mechanics shake out.
Apparently EAF has more to say. So I shall wait.
I might say that this is a matter for the entire editorial board,
and that I view this probe by Meltzer only as a way to get it
put before the board with appropriate sponsorship. In particular
it seems to me that Danny, having taken on some important
responsibilities, should be strongly involved. Much more so than
I, who have been peripheral at best.
AN
∂22-Jun-78 0906 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM LISP CAI
Date: 22 Jun 1978 0907-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: LISP CAI
To: Dpb at SAIL, JMC at SAIL, clt at SAIL
Jim McDonald of IMSSS (497-3771) wants to copy the LISP CAI
computer program teaching LISP. Tom Wolpert
was the last person to maintain it. He needs the permission and/or
info by 2 p.m. He asked to have it copied and the operator said he
needed CS permission as there might be a charge for
distribution. Can one of you please help him?
Carolyn
-------
So far as I know, the LISP CAI program belongs entirely to IMSSS, and
Suppes has the say. Please inform McDonald of this.
∂22-Jun-78 0949 DPB
To: tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
CC: JMC, CLT, CCG
∂22-Jun-78 0906 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM LISP CAI
Date: 22 Jun 1978 0907-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: LISP CAI
To: Dpb at SAIL, JMC at SAIL, clt at SAIL
Jim McDonald of IMSSS (497-3771) wants to copy the LISP CAI
computer program teaching LISP. Tom Wolpert
was the last person to maintain it. He needs the permission and/or
info by 2 p.m. He asked to have it copied and the operator said he
needed CS permission as there might be a charge for
distribution. Can one of you please help him?
Carolyn
-------
[I have no objection. I'm copying this to Cordell, since Cordell is
probably the one with most direct connection to the project.
Get votes from others first though. -Denny]
∂22-Jun-78 1500 Moore at SRI-KL (J Moore) A Manuscript
Date: 22 Jun 1978 1458-PDT
From: Moore at SRI-KL (J Moore)
Subject: A Manuscript
To: JMC at SU-AI
On June 5, we sent several copies of a manuscript we've been
working on called A Computational Logic over to Stanford via
the interdepartmental mail. Since we had heard from none
of the recipients, we asked one (Greg Nelson) if he'd received
his. He said no, so we suspect the mails failed us. Did
you receive one? It was about 3 inches thick and was bound
in two parts, one brown and one black.
Bob Boyer & J Moore
-------
Yes, I received it, but you can't expect a quick reaction to a two volume
manuscript, especially from us lazy men.
∂22-Jun-78 1514 Moore at SRI-KL (J Moore) Thanks for your note
Date: 22 Jun 1978 1515-PDT
From: Moore at SRI-KL (J Moore)
Subject: Thanks for your note
To: JMC at SU-AI
We weren't looking for reactions so soon at all. We are just
grateful that not all the copies got lost in the mail.
-------
∂22-Jun-78 1543 MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
Date: 22 JUN 1978 1843-EDT
From: MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
To: jmc at SU-AI
Dear John,
I think this is my last word on QUASAR. Follows is proposed letter to this
N.J. guy. Do you think I said anything very wrong?
---------------
.xgp
Michael Colicchio,
New Jersey Atty. General's office,
201-648-2693
Below you will find my comments on the various items -- claims -- from
the QUASAR Brochure. Indented, I have made comments. These are my
impressions about what I think QUASAR is probably able to do, based on
conversations with people who have seen their demonstrations and
visited their offices.
My general impression is that most of the proposed "features" are near
or beyond the present-day state-of-the-art for the most expensive and
elaborate military and university research systems.
There seems no reason to suppose that they actually have any "hardware"
to do the things claimed; everything the amateur "investigators" have
seen are public relations mock-ups.
Of course, "nothing is impossible", and it is imaginable that a small
unknown group could get ahead of everyone else. However, in this case,
there is not the slightest reason to think so. There is no evidence of
sophisticated use of computers. The mechanical designs and performance
of the specimens displayed and examined by the people I have talked to
suggests that the firm is not at all advanced even in ordinary
engineering.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In addition to the specific remarks about the QUASAR brochure, I am
also sending you a 46-page print-out of a fascinating episode. The
first page has a message that I sent to some friends via the "ARPA-NET"
-- a network of computer systems that have some common interests. A
large part of the research community concerned with robots and
"Artificial INtelligence" is linked up on this network.
As you read you can see how an informal orga ization created itself to
collect and share information about the QUASAR episode, and exactly
what happened. The "club" is less active now, but it still is
collecting reports, and the last one in this printout, by Henry
Liberman at our laboratory here, is perhaps the funniest and most
revealing.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I wonder if I could ask your opinion about a related matter,
incidentally. It has been suggested by several people that this file
is quite interesting in another respect than the Quasar "hoax", as this
community seems to politely refer to it.
The file is also interesting in that it may be the first good example
of a "public, self-organizing" investigative reporting effort, and it
shows what will surely happen more and more often in the future! I am
not so sure it is going to be a good thing or not, but it is hard to
see anyway it won't happen! Is it legal? Could it be considered some
sort of conspiracy?
Now, in particular, lots of people have said "you should publish this
fascinating file, perhaps in some Science Fiction magazine". Do you
think I should? Could the opinions, etc., be considered libelous, etc.?
I certainly don't think it would be proper for me to ask your
professional legal opinion, of course, but I will phone you after a few
days and ask for a pointer in the legal world to get such an opinin.
Best wishes, and pleasant reading!
Marvin Minsky
Donner Professor of Science
M. I. T.
.pa
****************************************************************
QUOTES FROM QUASAR BROCHURE
with indented comments by Marvin Minsky
Quasar ... will not incorporate any major body style changes for at
least 25 years, therein allowing maximum basic value increase
potential.
→unprecedented claim for anything!_
Language memory and vocabulary response will bee fused into an
operative personality designed to harmonize with that of the human
owner. Verbal replies to directives and questions will be tuned to the
most acceptable and comfortable characteristics of the owners
individual personality.
→It is beyond the state of the art today to make
a reliable voice operated question-understanding
system, except with very strong restrictins on
how and what words are said._
The DA-2 standard model includes:
Vocabulary....consisting of at least 250 English words, arranged for
most efficient and intelligible responses requirements.
→ No one can deliver a reliable system that recognizes this
many words reliably in field conditions.
I have the impression that QUASAR is very slippery about which
words the robot can "say" -- which is trivial -- and which
words it can "understand" -- which is very different and
infinitely harder._
Mobility...complete habitat mobility over all relatively level areas
within a dwelling or landscaped lawn area. Auto-adjustable mobile
assembly sub-systems capable of adapting from level to 20 degree slope.
Moving over stairs is optional arms and hands are functional for the
specificprogram requirements herein cited.
→I don't believe a reliable stair-climber is available.
"Complete habitat mobility" needs sensor systems for
movable obstacles. "Pre-programming" won't work in a real house._
Security Monitor..upon installation, the robot will be aware of all
areas of entrance into the habitat, the temperature field and maximum
smoke acceptability. Radical changes activates an emergency alert
status.
→Trivial, if alarms attached to entrances. But these are
not in the robot._
Human monitor...children, elderly and invalids can be mo itored, with
the robot immediately reporting any changes in normal location or
physical activity.
→Change in location is easy, but "change in physical activity"
is not._
arriving guests will be greeted by your personal Domestic Android,
welcomed into your home and have their outter garments stored until
retrieval is required. Serving refreshemtns and meals will be a
complished via pre-programming and voice command.
→Serving things in a room with peope is probably not practical.
Again, pre-programming doesn't work._
Habitat Maintenance.. vacuuming covered areas and polishing floors will
be pre-programmed upon installation and activated via the Quicon.
Which will also assist in vacuuming furniture and high ceiling areas.
→Without sophisticated sensors, which are beyond the state
of the art for moderate expense, the house will have
to be cleaned first, everything precisely placed. Almost surely
not practical -- in sense of being more trouble than worth._
Educational Programs...an on-board audio-reproduction system will
accommodate special Quasar educational taped programs for general
instruction in language, history, mathematics, etc. A complete
programmed educational library is planned for systematic distribution
to DA-2 owners on an optional basis. Two language programs are
standard with this model.
→Any computer can run any program, if it is recompiled for that
computer. The consumer should realize that QUASAR does not have
resources for such extensive reprogramming!_
Duty cycle...The standard power supply will allow almost unlimited use
for eight continuous hours in every 24 hour period. Proper care and
minimum maintenance will allow this use cycle to continue for years of
service. The main power supply is guaranteed for two years.
This is easy, using $50.00 Sears Die-Hard Maintenance-Free
car batteries.
Requirements indicating and increased duty cycle can be accommodated
with the installation of an optional power source system. Capable of
extended use time period, even to 24 hours per day.
Subtle mis-direction. Who cares if the power supply works
if the robot can't do anything!
OPTIONAL SUB-SYSTEMS
1. Multi-level transfer stair climbing
→I simply don't believe it!_
2. Landscaping--care of lawn area
Can't tell weeds, etc. Can't deliver!
3. Remote telephone monitor
Buy a Phone-Mate
4. Foreign vocabulary.
Easy for speaking, very doubtful for robot listening!
5. Selective individual voice command
Questionable.
6. Full habitat protection system
Same as regular burgler systems?
7. Liquid beverage dispenser
Trivial, but if glass moves, will spill, etc.
8. Extended vocabulary with mem-log output
What is it?
9. AM/FM stereo multi-plex receiver amplifier systems.
So---?
10. Television receiver black/white or color
So---?
11. Television camera with Quasar micro transmitter for private
viewing
So---?
12. Extended duty cycle--10, 18, 24 hour
So---?
13. Sub-conscious learning sub- system
The evidence is that Qasar is not advanced in learning area.
I'm sure this is bluff, or trivial.
14. Digital and analog mini computer
So----?
15. Remote programming via telephone
Trivial. All computers can...
16. Direct fire elimination system
Possible, in principle. But if they mean that the robot
can put out a real bad fire, nonsense. A remote-copntrolled
robot to go into a fire and spray would be very useful.
Here the funny thing is that the fake entertainment robot
would be better than the genuine (non-existent) KLATU!
l7. Extended data memory bank
Trivial, and meaningless without "intelligent" program.
No evidence that QUASAR has advanced programming resources.
18. Hedge trimming sub-systems
Would be fine, if they had a proven navigation system.
19. Food requirement data memory sub- system
Who writes the program? Qualified nutritionist, I hope.
20. Full Q-16 computer system with ability to interface data with
any other telephone link computer.
--- All such are already compatible, with respect to
telephone lines, but NOT in programming. The consumer should be
warned that having the "connection" doesn't mean the computers can
understand each other. →that_ is beyond today's state of art.
The DA-2 model is available only by reserved production number order to
qualified individuals and corporations. The specialized nature of
these Robots require a compatability program analysis with prospective
owners before delivery, to establish gender, personality, intelligence
level required and specialized internal sub-systems.
This is pretty suspicious, because it hints at either large
incredible programs, or large staff of incredible programmers.
Marvin Minsky
Donner Professor of Science
M. I. T.
∂22-Jun-78 1915 LCW Mail Snooping
To: JMC
CC: LLW, LCW
∂22-Jun-78 1704 LLW
∂22-Jun-78 1001 JMC mail reading
Thanks for the support. Who told you that objecting to mail reading
was anti-social? - Assuming you don't accept such statements in
confidence.
The remark in question is mine. I have been misquoted, though. I did not
say that it was anti-social to object to mail snooping, but anti-social to
protect mail files. In other words, I think it would be unfortunate if
the SAIL atmosphere deteriorated to the point where protection was
necessary to prevent mail snooping.
Also, I want to make it clear that I am not guilty of mail snooping.
Curt
∂22-Jun-78 2043 HENRY at MIT-AI (Henry Lieberman)
Date: 22 JUN 1978 2342-EDT
From: HENRY at MIT-AI (Henry Lieberman)
To: HENRY at MIT-AI, KEN at MIT-AI, BAK at MIT-AI, MINSKY at MIT-AI
To: DHT at MIT-AI, KLH at MIT-AI, SJOBRG at MIT-AI, HIC at MIT-AI
To: GAI at MIT-AI, jmc at SU-AI, hpm at SU-AI, rsmith at RUTGERS-10
To: lefaivre at RUTGERS-10, touretsky at RUTGERS-10, reid at CMU-10A
To: fox at CMU-10A
A group from the MIT AI lab visited a demonstration
of the infamous Quasar "robot". Not surprisingly,
we confirmed the findings of the CMU group and others.
A report of our expedition appears at the end of
the file AI:MINSKY;ROBOT > at MIT-AI.
∂23-Jun-78 1648 PAT kyoto paper
the file formatted for the kyoto paper is KYOTO.PUB[J,PAT].
∂23-Jun-78 2329 MRC
∂23-Jun-78 2321 JMC LOTS
While LOTS is usable, quite a few characters are lost. Also, the
password is kept on the screen while being typed, and it isn't clear
how to break the connection.
mrc - I try hard to prevent the character lossage, but it is often
unavoidable. That would happen to Dialnet too, except that I wrote it
as part of the monitor.
The program is a rather quick hack, just to have something better than
DIAL (which drops whole lines of text, as you've doubtless noticed), and
something which knows how to dial the vadic modem's way. You probably
know I don't take passwords seriously; but if you don't want the password
echoed (or rather, to go in your line editor), you can hold down META
while you type it in. Similarly, when system messages come in, you can
type META-SPACE and that sends SPACE to LOTS immediately instead of
waiting for an activator which screws up the program (thank you, David
Roode (he wrote MSGS)).
The way to get out is CONTROL-META-LINEFEED. Actually, you really must
log out first--there is no way to hang up the phone from here yet (thank
you, Brian Harvey...although he did fix it for the next system), and once
LOTS hangs up (ie, after it types the logout message) you are free to
type CALL or αβLF or whatever you want.
∂24-Jun-78 1514 DCL SOB statistics for June
To: JMC, LES
Note music is using 36% for June.
None of the ARPA projects is in the first 3 users.
What happened to Chowning's gentleman's agreement??
As long as the machine was slow, I was determined to persist in
getting them down to 20 percent. Now that the machine is giving
everyone essentially what they ask for, my interest in this has
declined - or is the machine inadequate for your purposes? Do you
think we should go after the 20 percent goal anyway, and, if so, why?
Perhaps there is some sense in pressing them on resources that remain
short, e.g. Data-disc channels in the afternoon.
∂25-Jun-78 0038 MRC Dialnet modem at LOTS
To: JMC, LES
Do NOT, repeat, NOT use the Dialnet line at LOTS. There is a software
screw over there which is making the modem send infinite characters to
Twenex. Specifically, Twenex is sending bells (Twenex's response to
any character other than ↑C typed when not logged in) to the modem,
which chokes and replies with a "D" (format error) which in turn provokes
another bell.
Until Ralph fixes Twenex, the modems should be considered down.
∂25-Jun-78 1304 DCL
To: JMC, LES
∂24-Jun-78 1523 JMC
To: DCL
CC: LES
Perhaps there is some sense in pressing them on resources that remain
short, e.g. Data-disc channels in the afternoon.
REPLY: The question of data-disc channels is of course very pressing,
especially since certain members of the music group now LIVE them as a
matter of procedure and tie them up.
Chowning gave a commitment to keep music usage to 20%. It is nearing 40%,
and who knows where it will go to, 60% with music 220??
I assume that ARPA support for the lab. running costs ought to bear
some proportion to the amount of ARPA related use. At present trends
we might anticipate 60% MUSIC and 20% CSD by September, which could
be taken to mean that our present ARPA propsal ought to bear only 20%
of lab administration and support. I doubt that we want to charge them
such a low percentage.
It seems to me that a few words from JMC to JC might be all thats needed
to head off yet another music explosion. After all, a commitment should
be worth something for goodwill. If we want to be generous we could even
say "25%, please JC". Then maybe MUSIC would stay somewhere around 30%.
Isnt that enough music??
I still dont understand why we spend our resources the first moment we get
them and before we have a chance to see how the demand will pattern itself;
soon the situation gets out of control and we are left with a policing
problem we dont want to face.
-David
∂26-Jun-78 0323 DCL
John, here's some more input on MUSIC usage for June:
∂26-Jun-78 0310 RAK Computer usage patterns for June
It appears that the bulk of the additional usage permitted by the new core
is going to music.
During the period of June 1-25, the SOB program reports that a total of 23.932
doubloons were expended. During the period May 1-31, a total of 22.257
doubloons were expended. This means that during May, 75% as many doubloons
per day were available. As a rough estimate, I have taken June 1-25
doubloons/day and multiplied them by .75 to get a figure that is at least
very roughly comparable to usage in May. By these standards, music usage
is up by nearly 1/3 since last Month.
In May, they used .17 doubloons/day and so far in June they are using .34.
(about 35% of the machine)
Interestingly enough, with the exception of Hans Moravec, every other
major group on the system is getting fewer doubloons per day, even without
multiplying by .75, than in May.
It's true that some people are away due to vacation starting and all, but I would
think this would affect all groups somewhat uniformly. I think we are facing
up to the lack of DD channels as the cause. Once you get a channel, you can
now do more, but music contains more people than other projects and is more
likely to have the channels. This, of course, is merely speculation on my part.
The strange conclusion is that we, the verification group, are actually doing
worse since the new core was installed because of the increased waits for
DD channels.
I suggest that a limitation on the number of people in a project that are
logged in when there is a queue awaiting channels may be the only solution.
Alternatively, the time may have come for a drastic pruning on the number
of people with accounts.
I have not sent this note to anyone else, but will probably attempt more complex
analysis when June is over. Still, initially, I think it is still fair to say
that we are not getting our fair share.
Dick
∂26-Jun-78 1351 REF
A tough nut for circumscription (and other frame-problem solvers)
Consider the world of glued blocks. This world is like the
ordinary block's world, in that one can, in situation s, move a block
x to point b. The result of this move is a new situation, s', such that
x is on b in s':
∀x b s.ON(x,b,Move(x,b,s))
We add the additional property, that if a block is "glued"
to another block, then it will be where the moved block is:
∀x y b s.((ON(x b s)∧GLUED(x y))⊃ON(y b s))
Now, for ordinary frame problem solvers, this is difficult enough.
But we can make determining whether GLUED of two blocks is true arbitrarily
difficult. For example, to select an application from program verification:
Let us number the blocks of this world with the integers, 1, 2...
Let us further define when two blocks are glued together, to wit, for
blocks (numbered) n, m:
∀m n.(GLUED(m,n)≡ (if EVEN(m) then m=2*n else 3*m+1=n))
where EVEN, * and + have their usual mathematical meaning.
We ask, "Is there any block we can move to point b, such
that block 1 will not also be moved there?"
This is a difficult problem, for it is a rephrasing of the
"famous" open verification problem of showing that
f(x) ← if x=1 then 1 else
if even x then f(x/2) else
f(3*x+1)
terminates for all x.
∂26-Jun-78 1620 JB knowledge problems.
Yes, I'll be glad to try them.
I have thought as to how the other proof of Ramsey can be formalized.
It can indeed, the structure of the formal proof would show some noticeable
differences, but it seems to me it is unlikely it will involve substantially
less (or substantialy more) work than the first one.
∂26-Jun-78 2136 CLT
To: JMC, DEK, RWW, ZM
I recently received notification that I have been awarded the
IBM fellowship. Thanks again for writing a recomendation. ---Carolyn---
∂27-Jun-78 1507 FB via SU-TIP#2 IBM
Yes, with lots of qualifications. Do you know what happened at the last
meeting Gene Franklin had with the Palo Alto Sci. Center crowd? I wold also
reword major parts of your letter, especially the post script. Tell
me what Gene says first. I have a hard time reaching him.
Franklin doesn't come into the office much, but he doesn't seem to
mind if you call him at home. I don't know about his last meeting
with them. I have no attachment to the wording of the letter and
would gladly sacrifice the P.S. The letter is CAREY.LE1[LET,JMC]
and has been unprotected.
∂28-Jun-78 0617 FB via SU-TIP#1 IBM & Imlac
I'll try to call Gene at home again. As for your aging Imlac, why not
let me build a prototype replacement for you? That way you could
get first hand experience with whether my ideas are any good or not.
Glad to do it. I can pay for the parts and construction labor.
∂28-Jun-78 0637 FB via SU-TIP#1 Terminal
I want to order a Stanford keyboard for my next experimental terminal.
Someone said that Stanford had switched to the MIT keyboard or vice
versa, I can't remember which. Is Les the person to ask about this?
Les is the person.
∂28-Jun-78 1404 FB via SU-TIP#1 IBM
What do youu think about asking for an 801 processor, the
(physically) small processor designed and built by John Cooke and friends?
It is supposed to be a 10 MIP machine.
The idea of the machine seems to have caught on inside IBM and
several variations on that theme are underway, from what I hear.
What do you know?
Vera says it's a neat machine, but she thinks it doesn't physically
exist yet. In principle, it is a fine idea especially if it is
a machine IBM is not committed to manufacture.
∂28-Jun-78 1901 BH forwarded system message from MIT-AI
KEN@MIT-AI 06/28/78 21:40:57 Re: An unpublished article by John McCarthy
If anyone has a copy of an unpublished article by John McCarthy called,
"Ascribing Mental Qualities to Machines" which I believe is about whether
machines have beliefs, free will, intentions, consciousness, wants, etc.
I would like to borrow it please.
∂28-Jun-78 2148 KEN at MIT-AI (Kenneth Kahn) Ascribing Mental Qualities to Machines
Date: 29 JUN 1978 0049-EDT
From: KEN at MIT-AI (Kenneth Kahn)
Subject: Ascribing Mental Qualities to Machines
To: JMC at SU-AI, BH at SU-AI
Thanks, I xgp-ed your file and will send you any comments
∂29-Jun-78 0019 LLW PARTY
To: S1
CC: LLW
In order to celebrate all manner of things (the recent, successfully
carried-off Summer Solstice, the impending 202nd anniversary of
taxation-with-representation, Curt's nearly successful coding of a major
PASCAL program for S-1 Mark I execution, etc.), Rod and I are throwing
another of our notorious parties this coming Saturday PM, 1 July,
commencing at/around 1 PM, at the digs we are vacating at 833 Hazel St. in
Livermore.
You (individually and severally) and a guest of your choice
(wife-and-kids, girl- or boy-friend, or whatever) are invited to this gala
event. Bring a hearty appetite (as picnic-type food will be served
sometime during the fracas), swimming suits, games at which you are
supremely skilled and hope to sucker some neophyte into playing with you,
and so forth.
RSVP to Charlotte at 415-422-7286, if you need directions, or by net mail,
if you can remember how to get there (emergency number to call on Sat. PM
for pick-up, bail-out, etc. is 455-9712). Don't miss this stunning
wrap-up to our occupancy of 833 Hazel!
Lowell
∂29-Jun-78 0721 FB via SU-TIP#1 IBM
I still haven't reached Gene yet. His phone seems to be either busy or
unanswered.
∂29-Jun-78 0758 SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki) Modal logic seminar
Date: 29 Jun 1978 0727-PDT
From: SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki)
Subject: Modal logic seminar
To: MODAL.DIS[1,SSO]:
Speaker: John McCarthy
Title: "The advantages of modal logic within first-order logic"
Time: Thursday June 29, 4:00
Place: ERL 237
-------
∂29-Jun-78 0835 Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM (Response to message)
Date: 29 Jun 1978 0836-PDT
From: Tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: (Response to message)
To: JMC at SU-AI
In response to your message sent 28 Jun 1978 1942-PDT
John, I checked with Dot and she thinks they are taking mini trips
because Frances's Mother just arrived from Taiwan. They haven't been
in this week. Carolyn
-------
∂29-Jun-78 0959 FB via SU-TIP#3 IBM
I finally reached Gene Franklin. It turns out that the home phone number
listed in the faculty directory is incorrect. The meeting has been
postponed several times by IBM. The current schedule is for it to be
held tomorrow. I will talk to Gene again tomorrow afternoon.
∂29-Jun-78 1730 MRC RST opcode
I have deleted RST as being useless and a real drag to implement "right".
I have also decided that NOP and ERR always have packet #0, and additionally
ERR with a non-zero first data byte should be followed by an ASCII string,
saying why you are losing. At Stanford, this string will be typed out on
the system console.
Stanford's Dialnet code was recently (today and yesterday) grossly rewritten,
and is being debugged now. Hopefully it will be installed permanently in
the system shortly.
∂29-Jun-78 2051 CLT
∂28-Jun-78 1519 JMC
When will you be in and able to help with the ARPA proposal?
I will be in roughly 6pm to midnight through July 6th, due to a
workshop I am attending on campus during the day. I am usually free
12:30 to 2:30 and could come up then if that would be helpful.
After July 10th I will be in full time (eg. when not home sleeping).
I have sent pointers to RWWs files relevant to the proposal to LES.
Let me know if there is some particular time you would like me to appear.
---Carolyn---
∂30-Jun-78 0914 SSO via SU-TIP#1 Modal logic
Thanks for talking to us yesterday. I'm sorry I had to leave early - it was
looking interesting. Can you send me a copy of the last paper?
A copy is on the way. Sorry I was late yesterday.
∂30-Jun-78 0927 SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki) Modal logic seminar
Date: 30 Jun 1978 0921-PDT
From: SSO at SU-AI (Susan Owicki)
Subject: Modal logic seminar
To: MODAL.DIS[1,SSO]:
Subject: "Dynamic Logic"
Time: 4:00 Thursday, July 6
Place: ERL 237
NOTE: For the remaining seminars we will have discussions, not formal pre-
sentations. This won't work unless people have read the papers. Anyone who
didn't get the dynamic logic papers can pick them up in ERL 228.
-------
∂30-Jun-78 1000 JMC*
Call Ruzena and get co-ordinates.
∂30-Jun-78 1521 FB via SU-TIP#1 disks
CDC is charging 75K for their 600MB disk that attaches to CDC computers.
That, of course, is no bargin but CDC always charges a lot more for the
version that attaches to their computers than they do for the version
that attaches to IBM type computers. Some CDC installations have bought
(or built) CDC to IBM channel adapters and then put the IBM compatible
CDC disks on their CDC computers. I don't know if they have an IBM compatible
version of this one yet or what its price might be.
∂01-Jul-78 0400 RWG*
Aufgaben und Lehrsatze?
Wasn't Polya and Szego what you wanted to borrow?
∂01-Jul-78 1944 EK Computer chess newsletter
I was told that you once had a copy of some computer chess newsletter.
If you still have it, I would appreciate seeing a copy of it or getting
an address for corresponding with the publishers.
Thanks.
Elaine
Yes, I have some copies I can lend you.
∂02-Jul-78 0919 MRC via WPAFB-TIP#7 Vadic modem
Yes, it is true that the greeting message doesn't come out most
of the time. My theory (based on PKing on the buffers) is that
that message comes out on the modems while our frobbie is switching
from dialer to modem mode. Don't worry about that; if I hadn't
allowed for that in the Dialnet protocols I would have deserved
to be shot!!!
-- m
∂03-Jul-78 0816 JLH Meeting to discuss Pascal
To: JMC, SSO, DPB, REG
CC: JLH
How about meeting Wednesday (anytime but 10-11), to discuss
the improvements to the Pascal compiler? Everybody can contribute their
dreams and aspirations.
Anytime.