AI TESTS

Master's student Li Gaofeng

Question 1: What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Answer: Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the development of computer

systems or software that can perform tasks that typically require human

intelligence. These tasks include learning, reasoning, problem-solving,

understanding natural language, speech recognition, and visual perception. The

goal of AI is to create machines capable of mimicking human cognitive functions,

enabling them to adapt, improve performance over time, and handle complex tasks

without explicit programming.

Question 2: How does AI differ from traditional programming?

Answer: Traditional programming involves explicitly instructing a computer

on how to perform a task through a set of predefined rules and instructions. In

contrast, AI focuses on creating systems that can learn and adapt from data,

experience, and feedback without being explicitly programmed. AI systems use

algorithms, statistical models, and computational power to analyze data, recognize

patterns, and make decisions, allowing them to handle dynamic and complex

scenarios where traditional programming might be impractical.

Question 3: Explain the difference between narrow AI and general AI.

Answer:Narrow AI (Weak AI): Refers to AI systems designed and trained for

a specific task or a limited set of tasks. These systems excel in performing well-

defined tasks, but their intelligence is confined to the specific domain they were

created for. Examples include virtual assistants, image recognition, and language

translation systems.

General AI (Strong AI): Envisions AI systems with human-like intelligence

and the ability to understand, learn, and apply knowledge across a wide range of

tasks similar to a human. Achieving general AI implies machines having the

capacity to perform any intellectual task that a human being can. As of now, true

general AI remains theoretical and has not been realized.

Question 4: What are the key components of a machine learning system?

 Answer: The key components of a machine learning system include:

Data: Raw information used for training, validation, and testing.

Features: Representations derived from data to facilitate learning.

Model: Algorithm or mathematical representation that learns patterns from

data.

Parameters: Adjusted by the model during training to optimize performance.

Training Data: Subset used to train the model.

Validation Data: Subset used to fine-tune and validate the model.

Testing Data: Unseen data used to evaluate the model's performance.

Question 5: What is the difference between supervised learning and

unsupervised learning?

Answer:Supervised Learning: Involves training a model on a labeled dataset,

where each input is associated with a corresponding output. The model learns to

map inputs to outputs, making predictions or classifications based on the learned

patterns. Common tasks include regression and classification.

 Unsupervised Learning: Utilizes unlabeled data, and the model aims to find

patterns or relationships within the data without explicit guidance. Common tasks

include clustering, dimensionality reduction, and density estimation.

Question 6: Explain the concept of reinforcement learning.

Answer: Reinforcement learning is a type of machine learning where an agent

learns to make decisions by interacting with an environment. The agent receives

feedback in the form of rewards or penalties based on its actions, and its objective

is to maximize cumulative rewards over time. Reinforcement learning involves

learning optimal strategies through exploration and exploitation, allowing the agent

to adapt to dynamic environments.

Question 7: Explain the concept of a state space in the context of problem-

solving.

Answer: In problem-solving, a state space represents all possible states that a

system can be in. Each state is a configuration or arrangement of elements, and

transitions between states are determined by actions or operators. State spaces are
central to search algorithms, where the goal is to find a sequence of actions leading

from an initial state to a goal state.

Question 8: What is the difference between breadth-first search and depth-

first search?

Answer:Breadth-First Search (BFS): Explores a tree or graph level by level,

visiting all neighbors of a node before moving to the next level. BFS is complete

and guarantees the shortest path in an unweighted graph.

Depth-First Search (DFS): Explores as far as possible along one branch before

backtracking. It traverses as deeply as possible before moving to the next branch.

DFS is not guaranteed to find the shortest path.

Question 9: Describe the A* algorithm. How does it combine elements of

both breadth-first search and greedy best-first search?

Answer:A Algorithm:* A* is an informed search algorithm used for

pathfinding and graph traversal. It combines elements of both breadth-first search

(guarantees the shortest path) and greedy best-first search (uses a heuristic to

estimate cost).

Heuristic Function (h): Estimates the cost from the current state to the goal.

Cost Function (g): Represents the cost to reach the current state from the start.

Evaluation Function (f): Combines both heuristic and cost functions (f = g +

h).

Optimality: A* is optimal if the heuristic is admissible (never overestimates)

and consistent (satisfies the triangle inequality).

Question 10: What is the significance of heuristics in searching state spaces?

Answer: Heuristics guide search algorithms by providing a domain-specific

estimate of the cost from a current state to the goal. They aim to expedite the

search process by directing it toward promising paths, reducing the exploration

space. Well-designed heuristics can significantly improve the efficiency of

algorithms like A* by helping prioritize nodes with lower estimated costs, leading

to faster convergence.
 Question 11: Discuss the concept of informed and uninformed search

strategies. Provide examples of each.

Answer：Informed Search (Heuristic Search): Utilizes additional domain-

specific information or heuristics to guide the search process efficiently. Examples

include A* algorithm, Greedy Best-First Search.

Uninformed Search: Proceeds without any additional information other than

the problem definition. Examples include Breadth-First Search, Depth-First

Search.

Question 12: Describe the Classical Methods for Deductive Reasoning.

Answer: Deductive reasoning is a logical process where specific conclusions

are drawn from general principles or premises. Classical methods for deductive

reasoning include:

Syllogism: A form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two

given or assumed propositions (premises). For example, if "All humans are mortal"

and "Socrates is human," then the conclusion is "Socrates is mortal."

 Modus Ponens: An inference rule stating that if a conditional statement is true

("If P, then Q") and the antecedent (P) is true, then the consequent (Q) must be

true.

Modus Tollens: Another inference rule stating that if a conditional statement

is true and the consequent (Q) is false, then the negation of the antecedent (not P)

must be true.

Hypothetical Syllogism: Involves two conditional statements, and if the

antecedent of one matches the consequent of another, a conclusion can be drawn.

These classical methods provide a systematic approach to deriving logical

conclusions from given premises.

Question 13: Please describe the greatest strengths of deductive reasoning and

its greatest limitations.

Answer:

Strengths:

 Certainty: Deductive reasoning guarantees that if the premises are true, the

conclusion must be true. It provides a high level of certainty in logical inference.

  Clarity: Deductive arguments are often clear and structured, making it easy

to follow the logical progression from premises to conclusion.

 Validity: When properly applied, deductive reasoning ensures the validity

of the logical connections between statements.

Limitations:

 Dependence on Premises: The accuracy of deductive reasoning heavily

relies on the truthfulness of the initial premises. If the premises are false, the

conclusions may be inaccurate.

 Rigidity: Deductive reasoning can be rigid and may not handle uncertainty

or incomplete information well.

 Limited Applicability: Deductive reasoning may not be well-suited for

handling new or unconventional scenarios that don't fit neatly into established

premises.

Question 14: Which is a simplified set of "important" tasks for inductive

learning?

Answer: A simplified set of important tasks for inductive learning includes:

 1.Classification: Assigning instances to predefined categories or classes based

on observed patterns.

2.Regression: Predicting numerical values or outcomes based on observed

data.

3.Clustering: Grouping similar instances or data points based on inherent

patterns or features.

4.Association: Discovering relationships or associations between variables in

the data.

5.Anomaly Detection: Identifying unusual or abnormal patterns or instances

in the data.

Question 15: How to create a summarized representation of the full data set

and what for it is needed?

Answer: Creating a summarized representation of a full dataset involves data

summarization techniques, and it is typically done for the following purposes:

 1.Aggregation: Summarize data by grouping, averaging, or combining values

based on specific criteria. This involves calculating summary statistics like mean,

median, or mode.

2.Dimensionality Reduction: Techniques such as Principal Component

Analysis (PCA) or Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) can be used to reduce the

number of features while retaining essential information.

3.Sampling: Creating a representative subset of the data can provide a

condensed version while preserving key characteristics.

4.Visualization: Representing data graphically, using charts or graphs, helps

in summarizing trends, patterns, or outliers in a more understandable form.

The need for data summarization arises from the desire to handle large

datasets more efficiently, gain insights quickly, and facilitate easier

communication of findings.

Question 16: Provide a brief description of the clustering problem as a

representative of unsupervised methods.

Answer:Clustering Problem in Unsupervised Learning:

 1.Objective: Clustering involves grouping similar data points together based

on certain features or characteristics. The goal is to discover inherent structures or

patterns within the data without predefined labels.

2.Algorithmic Approaches:

 K-Means Clustering: Divides the dataset into k clusters, where each data

point belongs to the cluster with the nearest mean.

 Hierarchical Clustering: Builds a tree of clusters, where the root is the

single cluster containing all data points, and leaves are individual data points.

 DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise):

Forms clusters based on data density, identifying dense regions of data points.

3.Evaluation: Assessing the quality of clusters involves metrics like intra-

cluster cohesion and inter-cluster separation.

4.Applications:

 Customer Segmentation: Grouping customers based on purchasing

behavior.

 Anomaly Detection: Identifying unusual patterns or outliers in the data.

 Image Segmentation: Dividing an image into regions with similar features.

 5.Unsupervised Nature: Clustering is unsupervised because the algorithm

works without explicit guidance or labeled examples, allowing it to reveal hidden

structures in the data.