EXPERT SYSTEM

An expert system is a computer program designed to act as an expert in a particular field of knowledge or area of expertise. Expert systems are also known as knowledge-based systems. Expert systems are usually designed to solve complicated problems. To do so, they simulate the human reasoning process by applying specific knowledge and inferences.

Characteristics & features of an expert system

Although each system is unique, certain features are described for any expert system:–

1. The program should be useful. An expert system should be developed to meet a specific need, one for which it is recognized that assistance is needed.

2. The program should be usable. It must be easy to use.

3. The program should be educational when appropriate. An expert may be used by non experts who are able to increase their own expertise by using the system.

4. The program should be able to explain its advice.

5. The program should be able to respond to simple questions, because people with different levels of knowledge may use the system. An expert system should be able to answer questions about points that may not be clear lo all users.

6. The program should be able to learn new knowledge. Not only expert system be able ask questions to gain additional information.

7. The programs' knowledge should be easily modified. It must be easy to correct errors or add new information.

8. An expert, system should be able to- explain the 'reasoning' process that led it to its conclusions, to allow you to decide whether to accept the system' recommendation.

AI is the field of intense research, academic as well as commercial. Ex-System are most prolific class of AI related products. We define expert as someone who has an expertise of knowledge in a particular domain. An Ex-SY is thus a program embodying most, if not all of domain specific knowledge.

Basically, an Ex-Sy is a program that draws upon a base of assertions or facts to which it applies logical rules in an attempt to simulate the environment for which it was designed.

Components of an expert system

  In the same way that there is very little resemblance between medical expert and, say, a legal expert, there is little similarity between various expert systems developed to perform different tasks. And yet, we can identify certain essential characteristics of human experts. This is what we shall try to do for expert system, viz. describe the principal components that are present in most expert systems.

In its most familiar form, an Expert System can be characterized by 3 basic components.

1. Knowledge Base
2. Inference Engine
3. Situation Model