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Research Interests

I am a member of the Cognitive Science research group, leading the Naturally Inspired Computing stream. My research interests lie in Artificial Intelligence and Computational Intelligence, with two main foci: First, computational models of analogical reasoning, Cognitive Modelling, Geometric Analogies, application of analogical reasoning models to real problems, Conceptual blending and Computational Creativity. My second research area is on Evolutionary algorithms, constraint handling techniques, genetic repair and template driven repair techniques. I am also interested in the broader discipline of science and education, particularly in cognitive approaches to science education.

Evolutionary Algorithms with Non-Mendelian Genetic Restoration

Recent discoveries in genetics suggest that some organisms (eg Arabidopsis thaliana and possibly some other organisms) may use a surprising and controversial mechanism to repair some genetic defects. The hypothesis is that these plants use a limited form of non-Mendelian inheritance, using stored ancestral genomic information to repair genetic defects. We are successfully applying this unlikely ancestral repair "algorithm" to solve evolutionary optimisation problems. We are evaluating how, when and why such an ancestral repair strategy might be most effective. I am also interested in the deep analogy between natural and simulated evolution.

Previous Project - Analogical Inference within Topographic Map data.

We developed algorithms to process land-cover maps as though they are large collections of overlapping geometric analogies. A geometric analogy involves collections of geometric figures which undergo some transformation. See my analogy, and the like page or some other analogy reference pages.

Publications Diarmuid's Publications

Research Team I am a member of the Cognitive Science Research Group research group and an adjunect member of the Principles of Programming Research Group.

Current postgraduate students: Amy Fitzgerald (PhD), Donagh Hatton (PhD), Al Grogan (MSc-SE) and David Relihan (MSc-SE), Daniela Grijincu (DESEM) and Mihai Pītu (DESEM).
Major undergraduate project students: (2012-13) Colin McDermott, Aaron Flynn (2011-12) Mustapha Ahmed, Dave Kerr, Onisim Csadi.

Conferences ICCC 2013, SAMAI, AICS and ICEP.

Competitions IEEExtreme 24 hour programming competition.

Background I am a lecturer in computer science and a member of: the Cognitive Science Research Group, ACM's SIGEVO, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and the Internet Society (ISOC). Here is some other personal stuff.

Teaching and Admin Duties

Undergraduate courses I currently teach (in bold) or have taught:

CS101 Introduction to Programming, CS130 Databases, CS142 Introduction to Computer Science, CS401 - Machine Learning and Neural Networks, CS404 Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Expert Systems, End User computing, Introduction to Computer Systems, Digital Logic Design.

Variable manipulation game for inflexible learners. The follwoing educational game teaches the fundamentals of variable manipulation and is specifically aimed at inflexible learners. Order from Chaos is online (Java 6) or download the standalone version (Java 7) - updates coming shortly.

MSc in Computer Science (Software Engineering) - M. Sc. (Software Engineering) courses I teach :

CS607 Requirements Engineering and Systems Design with UML.

Course Director (2011-2012) for MGH62 - Higher Diploma in Software Engineering (Skillnet). I am also involved in the DESEM Erasmus Mundus Double Masters program, 4th Year Project co-ordinator for (most of 2011-12), demonstrator co-ordinator (2012-) etc.