K-line (artificial intelligence)
Encyclopedia
A K-line, or Knowledge-line, is a mental agent which represents an association of a group of other mental agents found active when a subject solves a certain problem
or formulates a new idea
. These were first described in Marvin Minsky
's essay K-lines: A Theory of Memory, published in 1980 in the journal Cognitive Science,
Problem
A problem is an obstacle, impediment, difficulty or challenge, or any situation that invites resolution; the resolution of which is recognized as a solution or contribution toward a known purpose or goal...
or formulates a new idea
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
. These were first described in Marvin Minsky
Marvin Minsky
Marvin Lee Minsky is an American cognitive scientist in the field of artificial intelligence , co-founder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AI laboratory, and author of several texts on AI and philosophy.-Biography:...
's essay K-lines: A Theory of Memory, published in 1980 in the journal Cognitive Science,
When you “get an idea,” or “solve a problem” […] you create what we shall call a K-line. […]…When that K-line is later “activated”, it reactivates […] mental agencies, creating a partial mental state “resembling the original.”
"Whenever you 'get a good idea', solve a problem, or have a memorable experience, you activate a K-line to 'represent' it. A K-line is a wirelike structure that attaches itself to whichever mental agents are active when you solve a problem or have a good idea.
When you activate that K-line later, the agents attached to it are aroused, putting you into a 'mental state' much like the one you were in when you solved that problem or got that idea. This should make it relatively easy for you to solve new, similar problems!" (1998, p. 82.)