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Ulises Cortés

UPC - Barcelona, Llenguatges i Sistemes Inform`stics, Faculty Member

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I have been doing active research on AI in Europe since 1982. I am a full professor of Artificial Intelligence since 2006 at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), and since 2017 I am leading the High-Performance Artificial Intelligence research group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC). During this time I was during 21 years the coordinator of one of the largest AI PhD programmes in Europe and still acting as the Coordinator of a Masters programme on AI.

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Papers by Ulises Cortés

An operational approach for implementing normative agents in urban wastewater systems

Computación y sistemas, Mar 31, 2012

Water quality management policies on a river basin scale are of special importance in order to pr... more Water quality management policies on a river basin scale are of special importance in order to prevent and/or reduce environmental pollution caused by human sources. Industrial effluents are a priority issue particularly in Urban Wastewater Systems (UWS) that receive mixed household and industrial wastewaters, apart from rainfall water. In this paper, we present an analysis and implementation of normative agents that capture concrete regulations of the Catalan pollutionprevention policies. The implementation of the normative agents is based on Situation Calculus.

Using CARREL

Extracting Visual Patterns from Deep Learning Representations

Vector-space word representations based on neural network models can include linguistic regularit... more Vector-space word representations based on neural network models can include linguistic regularities, enabling semantic operations based on vector arithmetic. In this paper, we explore an analogous approach applied to images. We define a methodology to obtain large and sparse vectors from individual images and image classes, by using a pre-trained model of the GoogLeNet architecture. We evaluate the vector-space after processing 20,000 ImageNet images, and find it to be highly correlated with WordNet lexical distances. Further exploration of image representations shows how semantically similar elements are clustered in that space, regardless of large visual variances (e.g., 118 kinds of dogs), and how the space distinguishes abstract classes of objects without supervision (e.g., living things from non-living things). Finally, we consider vector arithmetic, and find them to be related with image concatenation (e.g., "horse cart - horse = rickshaw"), image overlap ("Pan...

Hierarchical Inference Applied to Cyc

Hierarchical graphs are a frequent solution for capturing symbolic data due the importance of hie... more Hierarchical graphs are a frequent solution for capturing symbolic data due the importance of hierarchies for defining knowledge. In these graphs, relations among elements may contain large portions of the element’s semantics. However, knowledge discovery based on analyzing the patterns of hierarchical relations is rarely used.We outline four inference based algorithms exploiting semantic properties of hierarchically represented knowledge for producing new links, and test one of them on a generalization of Cyc’s KB. Finally, we argue why such algorithms can be useful for unsupervised learning and supervised analysis of a KB.

Link Prediction in Very Large Directed Graphs: Exploiting Hierarchical Properties in Parallel

Link prediction is a link mining task that tries to find new edges within a given graph. Among th... more Link prediction is a link mining task that tries to find new edges within a given graph. Among the targets of link prediction there is large directed graphs, which are frequent structures nowadays. The typical sparsity of large graphs demands of high precision predictions in order to obtain usable results. However, the size of those graphs only permits the execution of scalable algorithms. As a trade-off between those two problems we recently proposed a link prediction algorithm for directed graphs that exploits hierarchical properties. The algorithm can be classified as a local score, which entails scalability. Unlike the rest of local scores, our proposal assumes the existence of an underlying model for the data which allows it to produce predictions with a higher precision. We test the validity of its hierarchical assumptions on two clearly hierarchical data sets, one of them based on RDF. Then we test it on a non-hierarchical data set based on Wikipedia to demonstrate its broad applicability. Given the computational complexity of link prediction in very large graphs we also introduce some general recommendations useful to make of link prediction an efficiently parallelized problem.

Artificial intelligence and Environmental Decision Support Systems

Applied Intelligence, 2000

An effective protection of our environment is largely dependent on the quality of the available i... more An effective protection of our environment is largely dependent on the quality of the available information used to make an appropriate decision. Problems arise when the quantities of available information are huge and nonuniform (i.e., coming from many different disciplines or sources) and their quality could not be stated in advance. Another associated issue is the dynamical nature of the problem. Computers are central in contemporary environmental protection in tasks such as monitoring, data analysis, communication, information storage and retrieval, so it has been natural to try to integrate and enhance all these tasks with Artificial Intelligence knowledge-based techniques. This paper presents an overview of the impact of Artificial Intelligence techniques on the definition and development of Environmental Decision Support Systems (EDSS) during the last fifteen years. The review highlights the desirable features that an EDSS must show. The paper concludes with a selection of successful applications to a wide range of environmental problems.

Reflective Reasoning in a Case-Based Reasoning Agent

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1999

As a Case-Based Reasoning agent (CBR) evolves over time, and solves new problems based on previou... more As a Case-Based Reasoning agent (CBR) evolves over time, and solves new problems based on previous experiences, there are some pitfalls that can appear in the problem-solving task. When those troubles arise, is the time to start some reflective reasoning tasks to overcome those problems and to improve the CBR performance. Our proposal is to extend the basic reasoning and learning cycle with some new added reflective tasks such as forgetting cases, learning new cases, updating the case library organisation or re- ...

Supporting decision making in urban wastewater systems using a knowledge-based approach☆

Environmental Modelling & Software, 2011

The use of knowledge-based systems has been shown to be a suitable approach to support decision m... more The use of knowledge-based systems has been shown to be a suitable approach to support decision making in environmental systems. Capturing and managing the huge quantity of data/information that has to be considered is an intrinsic factor that makes environmental systems a sophisticated domain. Organizing this data in a naive way can impact the efficacy of any knowledge-based system. Another intrinsic factor is the variety of data sources, which can result in inconsistent, uncertain or incomplete knowledge bases when different data ...

DEPUR: A knowledge-based tool for wastewater treatment plants

Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 1994

ISCWAP: A knowledge-based system for supervising activated sludge processes

Computers & Chemical Engineering, 1997

Knowledge-Based System for the on-line supervision of activated sludge processes in wastewater tr... more Knowledge-Based System for the on-line supervision of activated sludge processes in wastewater treatment is presented. The system performs on-line data acquisition from the sensors installed in the plant, offline data management of results from analytical determinations in the plant laboratory, and qualitative information supplied by the supervisors of the process. All these elements are integrated in the Intelligent System for Supervision and Control of WAste water treatment Plants (ISCWAP), which includes a set of diagnosis, detection, prediction and operation rules, making the system capable to handle with several usual situations (where mathematical control can be useful) and also with some unusual situations (where quantitative and qualitative information must be considered).

Learning and Adaptation in Wastewater Treatment Plants Through Case-Based Reasoning

Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, 1997

This paper discusses a case-based reasoning approach to modeling the specific or experiential kno... more This paper discusses a case-based reasoning approach to modeling the specific or experiential knowledge coming directly from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operation within the overall supervisory task of a plant. A concrete implementation is detailed: case structure, case library organization, retrieving algorithm, matching function, and learning techniques. Starting from some initial cases (learning by observation), the system evolves, adapting its experiential knowledge (learning by own experience) from the actual operation of the WWTP under control. The result is a more accurate supervisory system. Recording previous experiences-cases-in the system helps to solve new similar or related situations in the plant with less effort than other methods that start from scratch to build up new solutions. Moreover, the continuous execution of the system enhances its adaptation to new situations that could appear.

Towards an implementation of a social electronic reminder for pills

VII Workshop on Agents Applied in Health Care, A2HC 2012, 2012

Non-compliance with prescribed medications is a major problem for elder people living alone in de... more Non-compliance with prescribed medications is a major problem for elder people living alone in developed countries. Forgetfulness and confusion can lead to it, specially when multiple pathologies require a cocktail of different medications each delivered at different time intervals during different periods of time. Assistive technologies, a recent application area for a wide range of Artificial Intelligence techniques and tools, have been effectively used for supporting people in their daily activities. This paper introduces ...

Reasoning about actions for the management of urban wastewater systems: Preliminary report

Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications, 2009

It is well-known that the management of Urban Wastewater Systems (UWS) is a complex and critical ... more It is well-known that the management of Urban Wastewater Systems (UWS) is a complex and critical process. To decide which is the correct sequence of actions for managing a given circumstance it is necessary a sophisticated analysis of hypothetical impact of these. Hence, the design of intelligent systems able to perform temporal projections based on the description of actions could help to deal with risk scenarios. In this paper, we propose to use recent developments in knowledge representation languages and non-monotonic reasoning methodologies for representing and reasoning about actions for the Management of Urban Wastewater Systems. To this end, we explore the use of an action representation language called A for reasoning about the actions in the management of UWS. In particular, we consider the problem of industrial discharges. We present a declarative representation of a transition function from states and actions to states which allows us to make conclusions about a particular situation that may arise if one performs a particular sequence of actions.

Assistive technologies for the disabled and for the new generation of senior citizens: the e-Tools architecture

Ai Communications, Aug 1, 2003

In this paper we present our exploratory ideas about the integration of agent technology with oth... more In this paper we present our exploratory ideas about the integration of agent technology with other technologies to build specific e-tools for the disabled and for the new generation of senior citizens. "e-Tools" stands for Embedded Tools, as we aim to embed intelligent assistive devices in homes and other facilities, creating ambient intelligence environments to give support to patients and caregivers. In particular, we aim to explore the benefits of the concept of situated intelligence to build artefacts that will enhance the autonomy of the target user group in their daily life.

Towards Environmental Decision Support Systems

This is a position paper willing to fix concepts in the interface between Environmental Issues an... more This is a position paper willing to fix concepts in the interface between Environmental Issues and Artificial Intelligence. In particular we will focus our attention in a class of systems called Environmental Decision Support Systems (EDSS) that have been under develop in the last 10 years. Hopefully this effort will led to a better interaction between Environmental and Artificial Intelligence

Position paper: An Agent-oriented Architecture for Building Automation Systems applied to Assistive Technologies

VII Workshop on Agents Applied in Health Care, A2HC 2012, 2012

Building Automation Systems typically consists of different types of devices interacting and shar... more Building Automation Systems typically consists of different types of devices interacting and sharing information with each other. Similarly, Multi-Agent Systems has focused on flexible mechanisms to coordinate networks of (usually distributed) autonomous computational entities. The integration of these two fields provides powerful solutions to complex problems. Such integration has often been attempted by using Web technologies, such as Web services. However, the lack of a common standards among those ...

Applying domain knowledge to the discovery of operating situations in wastewater treatment plants

by Javier Bejar and Ulises Cortés

Proceedings Intelligent Information Systems. IIS'97, 1997

Page 1. Applying Domain Knowledge to the discovery of Operating Situations in Wastewater Treatmen... more

Dai-depur architecture: Distributed agents for real-time wwtp supervision and control

by Miquel Sànchez-Marrè, Manel Poch, and Ulises Cortés

Abstract One of the key problems in real-time control Artificial Intelligent systems design is th... more Abstract One of the key problems in real-time control Artificial Intelligent systems design is the development of an architecture able to manage efficiently the different elements of the process. In the management of Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP), with a great interrelation between the different units, there is a problem in order to identify and solve the different specific situations. A Supervisory System recognizes predefined problems and uses a determined strategy in order to keep the process controlled.

Intelligenza artificiale in medicina: progetto di una piattaforma mobile inserita in un ambiente intelligente per l'assistenza ai disabili e agli anziani

by Miquel Sànchez-Marrè, Cristina Urdiales, and Ulises Cortés

Riassunto. Viene presentato un progetto basato sull'integrazione di nuove tecnologie e di Intelli... more Riassunto. Viene presentato un progetto basato sull'integrazione di nuove tecnologie e di Intelligenza artificiale per sviluppare uno strumento–e-tool–indirizzato alle persone disabili ed agli anziani. Una piattaforma mobile inserita all'interno di ambienti intelligenti (strutture di assistenza o abitazioni), controllata e gestita attraverso un'architettura multilivello, viene proposta come supporto sia per i pazienti che per i caregiver al fine di aumentare l'autonomia nella vita quotidiana. Parole chiave.

DAI-DEPUR: an integrated and distributed architecture for wastewater treatment plants supervision

by Miquel Sànchez-Marrè, Manel Poch, and Ulises Cortés

The activated sludge process—the main biological technology usually applied to wastewater treatme... more The activated sludge process—the main biological technology usually applied to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)—directly depends on live beings (microorganisms), and therefore on unforeseen changes produced by them. It could be possible to get a good plant operation if the supervisory control system is able to react to the changes and deviations in the system and can take the necessary actions to restore the system's performance.