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Curious learning agents

INSTRUCTIONS - PROFESSORS: Fill out Sections A & B then submit this form online. (You will receive an email copy of the form. The Office for Undergraduate Research in Science will also post the project online, indicating whether the project is open for students to apply or taken.) DONE
INSTRUCTIONS - STUDENTS: You may receive this form by email, or you may download it after it has been posted. Either way, print this form. Complete and sign Section C on the hardcopy. Ask your supervisor to sign Section D. Take it to the department corresponding to the course number in Section A (this may or may not be your own department). Do not register for a '396' course on Minerva until you receive departmental permission.
INSTRUCTIONS - DEPARTMENTS: After the unit chair/director/designate approves (or not) this project, notify student. If approved, please give student permission to register on Minerva, and fax this form (with signatures) to the Office for Undergraduate Research in Science at 514-398-8102.
QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK? Contact Victor Chisholm by email, or phone 514-398-5964.
SECTION A: SUPERVISOR INFORMATION
Name: Doina Precup
Email: dprecup [at] cs [dot] mcgill [dot] ca
Phone:
Website:
Supervisor's department: Computer Science
Supervisor's department (if none of the above)
Course number: COMP396 (Computer Science)
SECTION B: PROJECT INFORMATION
Term: Summer 2010
Project start date: May 01, 2010
Project end date: August 31, 2010
Project title: Curious learning agents
Project description: Learning agents are often passive: they take data and summarize it in useful representation, that allow them to predict the future. The goal of this project is to look at a paradigm where agents drive the data collection explicitly: they get "curious" about the world and actively investigate it. This paradigm is very useful in environments that change over time, and where the agents are allowed to take actions. The student will explore the theoretical basis for building such agents and attempt to provide algorithms for this problem in simple simulated environments.
Prerequisite: 1 term completed at McGill + CGPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of instructor.
Other prerequisite, if applicable:
Grading scheme (The final report must be worth at least 50% of final grade): 80% final report, 20% presentation
Other project information:
Project status - This project is: Taken; however students may contact the professor to discuss other possible '396' projects this term.
How students can apply: Bring a printed copy of this application form and your advising transcript to me during office hours.
If other, please specify:  
Ethics, safety, and training
Which of the following, if any, is involved? None
Animal subjects [ ]
Human subjects [ ]
Biohazardous substances [ ]
Radioactive materials [ ]
Handling chemicals [ ]
Using lasers [ ]
Supervisors are responsible for the ethics and safety compliance of undergraduate students.
SECTION C: STUDENT INFORMATION
Do not complete this section unless/until the student is identified.
Name:
McGill ID:
Email (first [dot] last [at] mail [dot] mcgill [dot] ca):
Phone:  
Program (E.g., B.Sc. Maj. Chem. Min. Biol.):
Level (U0 / U1 / U2 / U3):
Student signature - I have not applied for another '396' course in this term:  
SECTION D: APPROVALS.
Do not complete this section unless/until the student is identified.
Supervisor: I give my permission for the student identified in section C to register for this project under my supervision.
Supervisor's signature:  
Date:  
Unit chair/director/designate: I certify that this project conforms to departmental requirements for 396 courses.
Unit chair/director/designate's name:  
Unit chair/director/designate's signature:  
Date: