1. Research Areas S. E. Shimony Artificial intelligence and applications. Probabilistic reasoning. Knowledge discovery and data-mining. Meta-reasoning ( “ anytime algorithms ” ). Decision-making under uncertainty. Spatio-temporal data models and reasoning.

2. Probabilistic Reasoning Structured probabilistic models: Bayesian networks and Bayesian Knowledge Bases. Reasoning in structured models: exact and anytime approximation algorithms. Example: linear-time algorithm for polytree+selector topology in Bayes networks. Application: prediction of ramifications of user actions in CP-net based systems.

3. Decision-Making under Uncertainty Structured Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes. Special cases: Canadian Traveler Problem Given a weighted graph, where some edges can become blocked, find a policy that minimizes expected travel costs.

4. Knowledge Discovery Learning Bayesian Knowledge Bases from data. (Finding covering and disjoint set of probabilistic rules.) Complexity of some disjoint-DNF problems.

5. Meta-Reasoning Search control using expected search utility, for: 1. constraint satisfaction problems. 2.interleaving game-tree search with planning. Algorithm selection, control of algorithm portfolios.

6. Spatio-Temporal Reasoning Object-oriented spatio-temporal probabilistic data models. Path planning in time-varying environments with uncertainty. Applications in simulated and actual robotics. AI in games (strategy and real-rime)

7. Research Projects Search in graphs under uncertainty (e.g. Canadian Traveller Problem – ISF) Past projects: Inspection setup (IMG4): probabilistic reasoning, meta- reasoning, spatio-temporal models, data-mining. Business-oriented knowledge discovery and representation (KITE, cVidya, DT): preference optimization, probabilistic reasoning, data-mining. Multi-agent simulated robotics: meta-reasoning, probabilistic reasoning, spatio-temporal reasoning.

8. Research Students Dror Fried, Olga Maksin, Doron Zarchy (CTP) David Tolpin (Meta-reasoning) Recently graduated students: Ami Berler (Multi-agents POMDP) Yan Radovilsky (Meta-reasoning) Natalia Vanetik (Graphs: flows, mining) Sivan Albagli (Interactive ontology matching) Yan Virin (Decision-making under Uncertainty) Maxim Binstok (Decision-making and preferences)