Michael L. Littman
Encyclopedia
Michael L. Littman is a computer scientist
. He works mainly in reinforcement learning
, but has done work in machine learning
, game theory
, computer networking, Partially observable Markov decision process
solving, computer solving of analogy problems and other areas. He is currently a professor of computer science
and department chair at Rutgers University
.
Before graduate school, Littman worked with Thomas Landauer
at Bellcore and was granted a patent for one of the earliest systems for Cross-language information retrieval
. Littman received his Ph.D.
in computer science
from Brown University
in 1996. From 1996 to 1999, he was a professor at Duke University
. During his time at Duke, he worked on an automated crossword solver PROVERB, which won an Outstanding Paper Award in 1999 from AAAI and competed in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
. From 2000 to 2002, he worked at AT&T
. Since 2002, he has been a professor at Rutgers University
.
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
. He works mainly in reinforcement learning
Reinforcement learning
Inspired by behaviorist psychology, reinforcement learning is an area of machine learning in computer science, concerned with how an agent ought to take actions in an environment so as to maximize some notion of cumulative reward...
, but has done work in machine learning
Machine learning
Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, is a scientific discipline concerned with the design and development of algorithms that allow computers to evolve behaviors based on empirical data, such as from sensor data or databases...
, game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
, computer networking, Partially observable Markov decision process
Partially observable Markov decision process
A Partially Observable Markov Decision Process is a generalization of a Markov Decision Process. A POMDP models an agent decision process in which it is assumed that the system dynamics are determined by an MDP, but the agent cannot directly observe the underlying state...
solving, computer solving of analogy problems and other areas. He is currently a professor of computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and department chair at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
.
Before graduate school, Littman worked with Thomas Landauer
Thomas Landauer
Dr. Thomas K. Landauer is a professor at the Department of Psychology of the University of Colorado.He was one of the pioneers of Latent semantic analysis, and in 1995 published a controversial analysis of the productivity paradox of information technology.He is currently a Vice President at...
at Bellcore and was granted a patent for one of the earliest systems for Cross-language information retrieval
Cross-language information retrieval
Cross-language information retrieval is a subfield of information retrieval dealing with retrieving information written in a language different from the language of the user's query. For example, a user may pose their query in English but retrieve relevant documents written in French.The first...
. Littman received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1996. From 1996 to 1999, he was a professor at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. During his time at Duke, he worked on an automated crossword solver PROVERB, which won an Outstanding Paper Award in 1999 from AAAI and competed in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is a crossword-solving tournament held annually in late February or early March. Founded in 1978 by Will Shortz, who still directs the tournament, it is the oldest and largest crossword tournament held in the United States; the 2009 event attracted nearly...
. From 2000 to 2002, he worked at AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
. Since 2002, he has been a professor at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
.