EXPERT SYSTEM

A piece of software which uses databases of expert knowledge to offer advice or make
decisions in such areas as medical diagnosis. In artificial intelligence, an expert system is a
computer system that emulates the decision-making ability of a human expert. Expert systems are
designed to solve complex problems by reasoning about knowledge, like an expert, and not by
following the procedure of a developer as is the case in conventional programming.
Expert systems are part of a general category of computer applications known as artificial
intelligence . To design an expert system, one needs a knowledge engineer, an individual who
studies how human experts make decisions and translates the rules into terms that a computer can
understand.
COMPONENTS OF EXPERT SYSTEMS
The User Interface
The user interface is the means of communication between a user and the expert systems problem-solving
processes. A good expert system is not very useful unless it has an effective interface. It has to be able to accept
the queries or instructions in a form that the user enters and translate them into working instructions for the rest
of the system. It also has to be able to translate the answers, produced by the system, into a form that the user
can understand.Careful attention should be given to the screen design in order to make the expert system appear
friendly to the user.

2.The Knowledge Base
The knowledge base stores all the facts and rules about a particular problem domain. It makes these available to
the inference engine in a form that it can use. The facts may be in the form of background information built into
the system or facts that are input by the user during a consultation. The rules include both the production rules
that apply to the domain of the expert system and the heuristics or rules-of-thumb that are provided by the
domain expert in order to make the system find solutions more efficiently by taking short cuts.

3. The Shell or Inference Engine
The inference engine is the program that locates the appropriate knowledge in the knowledge base, and infers
new knowledge by applying logical processing and problem-solving strategies.

4. Working memory contains the data that is received from the user during the expert system session.
Values in working memory are used to evaluate antecedents in the knowledge base. Consequences from
rules in the knowledge base may create new values in working memory, update old values, or remove
existing values.

Explanation Mechanism
The method by which an expert system reaches a conclusion may not be obvious to a human user,
so many expert systems will include a method for explaining the reasoning process that lead to the
final answer of the system.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EXPERT SYSTEM
High performance. The system must be capable of responding at a level of competency
equal to or better than that of an expert in the field. That is, the quality of the advice given
by the system must be very high.
Adequate response time. The system must also perform in a reason-able amount of time,
comparable to or better than the time required by an expert to reach a decision. An expert
system that takes a year to reach a decision compared to an experts time of one hour would
not be too useful. The time constraints placed on the performance of an expert system may be
especially severe in the case of real-time systems, when a response must be made within a
certain time interval.
Good reliability. The expert system must be reliable and not prone to crashes or it will not
be used.
Understandable. The system should be able to explain the steps of its reasoning while
executing so that it is understandable. Rather than being just a "black box" that produces a
miraculous answer, the system should have an explanation capability in the same way that
human experts can explain their reasoning. This feature is very important for several reasons.
Flexibility. Because of the large amount of knowledge that an expert system may have, it is
important to have an efficient mechanism for adding, changing, and deleting knowledge. One
reason for the popularity of rule-based systems is the efficient and modular storage capability
of rules.
APPLICATIONS OF EXPERT SYSTEM
ACCOUNTING & FINANCE - Cost Code Selector, Stock & Commodity Trading, Portfolio
Construction, Home Purchasing, Financial Planner Training and Selection, Personal Tax Advisor,
Detecting Insider Trading, Organizational Services, Credit Analysis Advisor, Bank Loan
Identification, Credit Control, Loan Documentation, Assessment of Risk and Fraud in Financial
Institutions, Aid in Tax Form Completion, Commercial Loan .
AGRICULTURAL - Irrigation and Pest Control, Crop Variety Selection and Management,
Soil Characterization and Utilization for Specific Areas, Fertilizer, Climate and Soil
Interaction and Analysis, Salmon Stocking Rates and Species Selection, Forest Inventory,
Weed Identification, Soil Conservation, Tree Selection Based on Environmental Conditions,
Planning and Design of Agroforestry Systems...
BUSINESS - Alternatives for Fragmented Industry, Advertising Copy Development, Shipping
Documentation and Routes, Market Advisor for Process Control Systems, Demographic and
Market Assessment, Product Performance Trouble-shooting, Sales Personnel Assessment,
Account Marketing, Invention Patent Ability, Salary & Benefit Planning, Client Profile
Business Application Selection, Professional Service Selection, Career Goal Planning,
Pension Fund Calculator, Unemployment Insurance Eligibility...
CHEMICAL - Hazard Evaluation, Chemical Facilities Procedures, Correct Propellant
Ingredient Mixture, Pollution Control Technology Permits, Common Metal and Alloy
Identification, Real-time Process Controlled City Waste Water Management, Solvent
Selection for Chemical Compounds, Pottery Glaze Recipe and Identification, Pulp Bleaching
Advisor, Toxicity of Laboratory Chemicals, Lime Recognition System, Process Diagnosing
and Troubleshooting..
CONSTRUCTION - Pavement Rehabilitation & Design, Structural Damage Assessment,
Equipment Evaluation & Selection, Material Costing & Selection, Project Scheduling, Cost
Estimating, Evaluating Multifamily Housing Projects, Work Zone Safety Trainer/Advisor, Weld
Procedure Selection and Cost Estimating, Soil Compacting, Fire Code Advisor, Alarm
Management System
EDUCATION - TRAINING - Library Reference Material Recommendation, Interpretation of
Statistical Quality Control Data, Teaching Mineral, Rock and Fossil Identification, Student
Financial Aid Eligibility, Analysis of Metal Cautions, Fire Department Emergency Management
Advisor, Medical Student Diagnostic Systems, Dentistry Advisor, Telephone Customer Support
Instruction, Gas Turbine Training, Industrial Training, Patient Care Advisor for Student Nurses.
INSURANCE - Rating for Substandard Life Insurance, Workers Comp Classification,
Underwriting Assistance, Social Security Help Desk and Benefit Identification, Unemployment
Insurance Eligibility.


TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE
1.Simple Relational Knowledge
The simplest way of storing facts is to use a relational method where each fact about a set of
objects is set out systematically in columns. This representation gives little opportunity for
inference, but it can be used as the knowledge basis for inference engines. The simplest way of
storing facts is to use a relational method where each fact about a set of objects is set out
systematically in columns. This representation gives little opportunity for inference, but it can be
used as the knowledge basis for inference engines.
Simple way to store facts.
Each fact about a set of objects is set out systematically in columns.
Little opportunity for inference.
Knowledge basis for inference engines.
2.Declarative Knowledge
refers to facts or information stored in the memory, that is considered static in nature.
Declarative Knowledge, also referred to as propositional or descriptive knowledge, describes
things, events, or processes, their attributes, and their relation to each other. Descriptive
knowledge, also declarative knowledge or propositional knowledge, is the type of knowledge that
is, by its very nature, expressed in declarative sentences or indicative propositions. This
distinguishes descriptive knowledge from what is commonly known as "know-how".
3.Procedural knowledge,
also known as imperative knowledge, is the knowledge exercised in the performance of
some task. Procedural knowledge is knowledge of how to do something.

Procedural is nothing but just using procedures to instrct te machine. The
procedures provides a level of abstraction here. Procedural knowledge is the
knowledge of how to perform, or how to operate. Names such as know-how are also
given. It is said that one becomes more skilled in problem solving when he relies
more on procedural knowledge

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DECLARATIVE AND PROCEDURAL KNOWLWDGE
Procedural knowledge is, in a nutshell, knowing how to do something. It
contrasts with declarative knowledge, which is knowledge about something.
For example, I may read about the importance of perfect arm strokes and
coordination while swimming and yet drown like a stone when inside the pool. This
may sound obvious, I know, but as far as language learning goes, theres more to it
than meets the eye.
Declarative knowledge enables a student to describe a rule and perhaps apply
it in a drill or a gap-fill. Procedural knowledge, on the other hand, enables the
student to apply that rule in real language use.
Not surprisingly, procedural knowledge does not translate automatically into
declarative knowledge try asking a native speaker to explain why exactly she said
Ive been there rather than I went there. In the same way, declarative knowledge
does not automatically cross over into communicative language use. In other words,
students may be able to describe a grammar rule and manipulate it through
controlled exercises, but consistently fail to apply the rule in communication
spoken or written.