International Work-conference on the Interplay between Natural and Artificial Computation

IWINAC-2005: Introducction and Scope

This meeting, with focus on the interplay between Neuroscience and Computation, inherits the general purpose, the scope and the more biologically oriented topics of the last IWANNs (Lanzarote, Alicante, Granada and Menorca) and expands this scope to the broad and more comprehensive fields of Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Knowledge Engineering (KE), including the different paradigms: Symbolic, Connectionist, ``Situated'' or Hybrid.

All accepted papers will be published in the proceedings by Springer-Verlag in Lecture Notes on Computer Science series.

Scope

Under the basic idea that living beings and machines can be understood using the same conceptual and formal tools, the same experimental methodology and the same organizative and structural principles, the IWINAC-2005 organizers, propose a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas on the interplay between Bio-sciences (natural computation) and the Sciences of Computation (artificial computation), trying to contribute to the answer of two basic questions:

I: From Artificial to Natural Computation.

What can Computation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Knowledge Engineering (KE) contribute to the understanding of Nervous System, Cognitive Processes and Social Behavior? This is the scope of Computational Neuroscience and Cognition, which uses computation to model and improve our understanding of natural science.

II: From sciences of Natural to Computation, AI&KE.

How can computation, AI and KE find inspiration in the behavior and internal functioning of physical, biological and social systems to conceive, develop and build-up new concepts, materials, mechanisms and algorithms of potential value in real world applications? This is the scope of the new Bionics, known as Bioinspired Engineering and Computation, as well as of Natural Computing.

The subjects included in both questions are detailed in the IWINAC-2005 Topics.