Principles and applications of continual computation

Automated problem solving is viewed typically as the allocation of computat ional resources to solve one or more problems passed to a reasoning system. In response to each problem received, effort is applied in real time to ge nerate a solution and problem solving ends when a solution is rendered. We examine continual computation, reasoning policies that capture a broader co nception of problem by considering the proactive allocation of computationa l resources to potential future challenges. We explore policies for allocat ing idle time for several settings and present applications that highlight opportunities for harnessing continual computation in real-world tasks. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.