Functional transformations in AI discovery systems

The power of scientific discovery systems derives from two main sources: a set of heuristics that determine when to apply a creative operator (an operator for forming new operators and concepts) in a space that is being explored; and a set of creative operators that determine what new operators and concepts will be created for that exploration. The author is concerned with the second issue, introducing a mechanism called functional transformations (FTs) for creating new and useful creative operators during exploration. He discusses the definition, creation, and application of FTs and describes, as a demonstration of its power, how the system ARE, starting with a small set of creative operations and a small set of heuristics, uses FTs to create all the concepts attained by D. Lenat´s (1974) AM system.<>