[erlang-questions] eBook version of the Handbook of Neuroevolution Through Erlang, is now available from Springer.

[Loris Fichera]

Hello Gene,

Il 11/11/2012 06:02, Gene Sher ha scritto:
> Hello Erlangers,
>
> The eBook version of my the Handbook of Neuroevolution Through Erlang,
> is now in print: http://www.springer.com/computer/swe/book/978-1-4614-4462-6
> The Hardcover book will be available within the next 2-3 weeks from
> Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Springer directly.

congratulations for this achievement! I'll purchase the book for sure, 
it definitely turned on my curiosity!

[cut]

> /Handbook of Neuroevolution Through Erlang/ explains
> how to leverage Erlang’s features in the field of machine learning, and
> the system’s real world applications, ranging from algorithmic financial
> trading to artificial life and robotics.

As a graduate student in machine learning and robotics, and as an Erlang 
enthusiast, I got a question for you: earlier, this year, I had to 
implement a self-made replica of Jeff Hawkins' HTM[1]. From an abstract 
perspective, HTM is all about neurons (which Hawkins calls *cells*) and 
connections among them. Erlang seemed to be a perfect fit for the job 
but... when it comes to developing practical learning algorithms for 
HTM, matricial representations of HTM are used[2] (to boost performance, 
of course).

For this reason, at that time, I ended up preferring Python (+ numpy) 
over Erlang.

Did you have to cope with the same issue in your research? If so, do you 
cover that in your book?

--Loris.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchical_temporal_memory
[2] 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchical_temporal_memory#Cortical_learning_algorithms