COMP2024 Spring 2025
Tutorial 1: Introduction
1. Define Artificial Intelligence (AI) and explain its significance.
AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines, enabling them to
perform tasks that typically require human cognition. It is significant because:
It automates decision-making and problem-solving.
It optimizes complex systems, such as logistics and healthcare.
It enhances efficiency in various domains, including engineering and data
science.
2. Define heuristic search and explain why it is important in AI.
Heuristic search is a technique used in AI to efficiently find good (but not necessarily
optimal) solutions by guiding the search using domain-specific knowledge. It is
important because it enables AI systems to tackle complex problems like scheduling,
routing, and optimization that are computationally infeasible for exhaustive methods.
3. What is the difference between systematic (exact) and local search?
Systematic Search: Explores all possible solutions systematically, ensuring
optimality. Examples include Breadth-First Search (BFS) and A* Search.
Local Search: Starts with an initial solution and iteratively improves it by making
small modifications, commonly used in problems where exhaustive search is
impractical. Examples include Hill Climbing and Simulated Annealing.
4. What are heuristic search methods, and why are they important?
Heuristic search methods are techniques that guide problem-solving by making
intelligent guesses to find solutions efficiently. They are important because:
They reduce computational complexity in large search spaces.
They provide near-optimal solutions in reasonable time frames.
They are applicable to real-world problems like scheduling and routing.
5. Explain the concept of global vs. local optima in optimization problems.
A global optimum is the best possible solution across the entire search space, while
a local optimum is the best solution within a limited region of the search space. Many
heuristic and metaheuristic methods aim to avoid getting trapped in local optima.
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COMP2024 Spring 2025
6. Describe the key characteristics of Artificial Intelligence search techniques.
AI search techniques generally involve:
State Space Representation: Defining the problem using states and transitions.
Search Strategy: Choosing a method for exploring states (e.g., BFS, DFS, A*).
Optimization Goal: Seeking an optimal or near-optimal solution efficiently.
7. What are the main types of heuristic search paradigms?
Trajectory-Based Search: Works on a single solution and iteratively refines it
(e.g., Hill Climbing, Simulated Annealing).
Population-Based Search: Maintains multiple solutions and evolves them over
iterations (e.g., Genetic Algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimization).
Constructive Search: Builds solutions step by step (e.g., Greedy Algorithms).
Perturbative Search: Modifies existing solutions (e.g., Tabu Search, 2-opt for
TSP).
8. What is the role of metaheuristics in AI?
Metaheuristics provide general frameworks for solving optimization problems by
balancing exploration (searching new areas) and exploitation (refining known good
solutions). Examples include Genetic Algorithms, Simulated Annealing, and Hyper-
Heuristics.
9. Explain the concept of decision-making in AI.
Decision-making in AI involves selecting the best action among multiple alternatives
to achieve a goal. It consists of:
1. Defining the problem: Identifying objectives and constraints.
2. Generating possible solutions: Exploring different approaches.
3. Evaluating solutions: Measuring performance using heuristics or optimization.
4. Selecting the best solution: Choosing the most efficient path based on criteria.
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