1. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 1 Analogical Problem Solving With Visual Models Jim Davies, Nancy J. Nersessian, Ashok K. Goel {jimmyd, nancyn, goel}@cc.gatech.edu Program in Cognitive Science Georgia Institute of Technology

2. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 2 Outline Background: where these ideas are coming from Our computational account of visual analogy Examples: radiation problem and Maxwell’s case study

3. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 3 Motivation People use analogy and visual reasoning when problem solving –In Scientific theory creation Nersessian’s cognitive-historical analysis of Maxwell –Psychological studies support this

4. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 4 This Work This work builds a new, cognitively informed, computational theory of visual analogy for problem solving, one form of which is scientific discovery. We hypothesize that representing problems as visual abstractions facilitates the analogical process in problem solving.

5. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 5 Visual Analogy Visual analogy is analogy with visual elements

6. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 6 Bitmap Images Neuron432: on Neuron479: off Neuron200: off Neuron136: off Neuron326: on Neuron344: on

7. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 7 Symbolic Images Symbolic Image contains square contains circletriangle inside right-of

8. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 8 Symbols Are Mapped

9. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 9 Goel’s Computational Work Structure-Behavior-Function: Goel et al. 1997 IDEAL: Bhatta & Goel 1997 – Generic Teleological Mechanisms ToRQUE: Griffith, Nersessian, Goel 2000. – Generic Structural Transformations

10. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 10 Primitive Visualization Language (Privlan) Primitive visual transformations (privits) Primitive visual elements (privels) Symbolic images (simages)

11. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 11 Privits: Primitive Visual Transformations Decompose (object, number) Move (object, new-location)

12. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 12 Privels: Primitive Visual Elements Line (thickness, start point, end point) Generic-Visual-Element (size, location)

13. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 13 System: Galatea

14. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 14

15. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 15 Maxwell’s Model Development

16. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 16 Generic Abstraction

17. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 17

18. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 18 Primitive Visualization Language (Privlan) Primitive visual transformations (privits) –Add-component, decompose, move Primitive visual elements (privels) –Circle, line, generic-visual-element Symbolic images (simages)

19. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 19 Conclusions Galatea has been applied to two examples, supporting our computational theory of visual analogy and Privlan. This implementation has provided support for visual interpretations of the Duncker case and Nersessian’s interpretation of the Maxwell case. We conjecture that visual representations and generic abstractions are useful for a wide variety of problem-solving instances, including scientific discovery.

20. Davies, J., Nersessian, N. J., & Goel, A. K. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research/visual-analogy/ May 2001 20 Thank You http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jimmyd/research /visual-analogy/