Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents is a book about the science of artificial intelligence (AI). The view we take is that AI is the study of the design of intelligent computational agents. The book is structured as a textbook, but it is designed to be accessible to a wide audience.

We wrote this book because we are excited about the emergence of AI as an integrated science. As with any science worth its salt, AI has a coherent, formal theory and a rambunctious experimental wing. Here we balance theory and experiment and show how to link them intimately together. We develop the science of AI together with its engineering applications. We believe the adage “There is nothing so practical as a good theory.” The spirit of our approach is captured by the dictum “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” We must build the science on solid foundations; we present the foundations, but only sketch, and give some examples of, the complexity required to build useful intelligent systems. Although the resulting systems will be complex, the foundations and the building blocks should be simple.

The book works as an introductory text on AI for advanced undergraduate or graduate students in computer science or related disciplines such as computer engineering, philosophy, cognitive science, or psychology. It will appeal more to the technically minded; parts are technically challenging, focusing on learning by doing: designing, building, and implementing systems.