[plt-scheme] AI Algorithms in PLT-Scheme

Michael, great idea to use the AI course to retain some of
the Scheme spirit in the world that MIT created.

I am not sure why audio files are of particular interest
to AI so here is a general remark:

  Why don't you consider your AI course
  from the long-term perspective?

Have your students design and develop libraries that you
may wish to reuse in future editions of the class and upload
them to the PLANET repository? That would

  (1) be a contribution to PLT and PLANET
  (2) turn your course into something your students might like even more
      (a contribution to an "open source" project, list on their CVs  
and get credit)
  (3) attract more students to your course in the future
  (4) help you teach it from a higher-level perspective.

Just some thoughts. Sorry nothing concrete, because I too believe
in building in if it doesn't exist -- Matthias



On Feb 4, 2009, at 6:00 PM, Michael H. Coen wrote:

> Howdy folks,
>
> I'm teaching the Introduction to AI course at UW-Madison this term.
> Given my nostalgia for SICP and the passing of 6.001, I decided to
> introduce Scheme and functional programming into the curriculum.
> Reaction has been very positive among the students.  As GJS says,
> there is no need to teach Scheme; it teaches itself.  Thus, I'm
> avoiding the libraries as much as is practical and taking a
> traditional SICP minimalist approach; namely, if you want it, write it
> yourself.
>
> Now, to be a hypocrite: I'm surprised there isn't more didactic
> software available for classroom use.  For example, it's easy to find
> ID3 code for every language from Haskell to Lisp, but alas, no Scheme
> version?  Of course, it's not hard to write, but I'm a bit surprised
> there isn't an AI code repository.  Perhaps I'm not finding it?  Yes,
> I can write whatever I need, but at some point, it becomes something
> of a timesink.  It'd also be nifty if some of these algorithms had
> whizzbang graphical output, which adds to the implementation time.
> (Students like eye candy.)
>
> So, if I'm missing something obvious, please do let me know.  And as
> I'm a recent convert from MIT Scheme -- I just couldn't fathom forcing
> the students to learn Edwin -- be gentle with the PLT-noob.
>
> In addition to replying here, please email me any responses to mhcoen
> &at& cs.wisc.edu, as this list gets a bit more traffic than I can keep
> up with.
>
> Best,
> Michael Coen
>
>
>
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