James Kennedy (social psychologist)
Encyclopedia
James Kennedy is an American social psychologist, best known as an originator and researcher of particle swarm optimization
. The first papers on the topic, by Kennedy and Russell C. Eberhart
, were presented in 1995; since then more than ten thousand papers have been published on particle swarms. The Academic Press / Morgan Kaufmann book, Swarm Intelligence
, by Kennedy and Eberhart with Yuhui Shi, was published in 2001.
The particle swarm paradigm draws on social-psychological simulation
research in which Kennedy had participated at the University of North Carolina
, integrated with evolutionary computation
methods that Eberhart had been working with in the 1990s. The result was a problem-solving or optimization algorithm based on the principles of human social interaction. Individuals begin the program with random guesses at the problem solution. As the program runs, the "particles" share their successes with their topological neighbors; each particle is both teacher and learner. Over time, the population converges reliably on optimal vectors.
Kennedy is an active combatant in the controversy over sex education
in Montgomery County, Maryland
, supporting the public schools' efforts to develop a comprehensive and inclusive program. He also worked to support a gender identity
nondiscrimination law in Montgomery County that came under attack from conservatives. He also worked as a professional musician for twenty years and currently plays in a rockabilly
band called The Colliders.
According to the back cover of his 2001 Swarm Intelligence book, Kennedy works in survey methods at the US Department of Labor, has conducted basic and applied research
into the social effects on cognition
and attitude
. He has worked with particle swarms since 1994.
Particle swarm optimization
In computer science, particle swarm optimization is a computational method that optimizes a problem by iteratively trying to improve a candidate solution with regard to a given measure of quality...
. The first papers on the topic, by Kennedy and Russell C. Eberhart
Russell C. Eberhart
Russell C. Eberhart, an American electrical engineer, best known as the co-developer of particle swarm optimization concept . He is professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and adjunct professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, Indiana...
, were presented in 1995; since then more than ten thousand papers have been published on particle swarms. The Academic Press / Morgan Kaufmann book, Swarm Intelligence
Swarm intelligence
Swarm intelligence is the collective behaviour of decentralized, self-organized systems, natural or artificial. The concept is employed in work on artificial intelligence...
, by Kennedy and Eberhart with Yuhui Shi, was published in 2001.
The particle swarm paradigm draws on social-psychological simulation
Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
research in which Kennedy had participated at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, integrated with evolutionary computation
Evolutionary computation
In computer science, evolutionary computation is a subfield of artificial intelligence that involves combinatorial optimization problems....
methods that Eberhart had been working with in the 1990s. The result was a problem-solving or optimization algorithm based on the principles of human social interaction. Individuals begin the program with random guesses at the problem solution. As the program runs, the "particles" share their successes with their topological neighbors; each particle is both teacher and learner. Over time, the population converges reliably on optimal vectors.
Kennedy is an active combatant in the controversy over sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
in Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
, supporting the public schools' efforts to develop a comprehensive and inclusive program. He also worked to support a gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
nondiscrimination law in Montgomery County that came under attack from conservatives. He also worked as a professional musician for twenty years and currently plays in a rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band called The Colliders.
According to the back cover of his 2001 Swarm Intelligence book, Kennedy works in survey methods at the US Department of Labor, has conducted basic and applied research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
into the social effects on cognition
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
and attitude
Attitude (psychology)
An attitude is a hypothetical construct that represents an individual's degree of like or dislike for something. Attitudes are generally positive or negative views of a person, place, thing, or event— this is often referred to as the attitude object...
. He has worked with particle swarms since 1994.
Further reading
- Kennedy, J., Eberhart, R. C., with Shi, Y. (2001) Swarm Intelligence. Morgan Kaufmann / Academic Press.
- Jim Kennedy: "A Tolerant, Scientific Approach", Washington Post, August 24, 2005.
- The Colliders
- Kennedy, J. (2004). "Particle swarms: optimization based on sociocognition". In L. N. de Castro and F. J. Von Zuben (Eds.) Recent Developments in Biologically Inspired Computing. Hershey, PA: The Idea Group, Inc.
- Kennedy, J. (2004) "Swarm intelligence". In A. Zomaya (Ed.), Handbook of Innovative Computational Paradigms: Biological and Adaptive Computing, 187-220. New York: Springer-Verlag.
- Kennedy, J. (2002). "We don’t think the way we think we think. Review of Wegner’s The Illusion of Conscious Will". Science, 296, 1973.
- Kennedy, J., and Eberhart, R. C. (1999). "The particle swarm: Social adaptation in information-processing systems", in D. Corne, M. Dorigo, and F. Glover (eds.), New Ideas in Optimization, London: McGraw-Hill.
- Kennedy, J., and Mendes, R. (2006). "Neighborhood topologies in fully informed and best-of-neighborhood particle swarms". IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C: Applications and Reviews, 36 (4), 515-519.
- Clerc, M., and Kennedy, J. (2002). "The particle swarm: Explosion, stability, and convergence in a multi-dimensional complex space". IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, 6, 58-73.
- Kennedy, J. (1999). "Minds and cultures: Particle swarm implications for beings in sociocognitive space". Adaptive Behavior Journal, 7, 269-288.
See also
- Particle Swarm OptimizationParticle swarm optimizationIn computer science, particle swarm optimization is a computational method that optimizes a problem by iteratively trying to improve a candidate solution with regard to a given measure of quality...