Bayes Net Inference

CSC 261 - Weinman

Answer the following questions. Record your answers in your Reading Journal.

1. Select the sentence from the belief propagation reading that you feel best indicates why the network must be a polytree to use the algorithm. Briefly (3-5 sentences) explain your selection.
2. The textbook asserts that "a query can be answered using a Bayesian network by computing sums of products of conditional probabilities from the network" (p. 504). Select the sentence (or equation) from the belief propagation reading that you feel best supports or exemplifies this claim. Briefly (3-5 sentences) explain your selection.
3. How would you describe the computation of the summary message from parents, including the meaning of all the terms, to someone who has mathematical background in probability, but no computer science background?
4. Identify (and briefly elaborate on) the sentence, section or concept from the current reading that remains the most confusing to you.