Knowledge based expert systems

A knowledge-based system (KBS) is a computer program that reasons and uses a knowledge

base to solve complex problems. The term is broad and refers to many different kinds of systems.
The one common theme that unites all knowledge based systems is an attempt to represent
knowledge explicitly and a reasoning system that allows it to derive new knowledge. Thus, a
knowledge-based system has two distinguishing features: a knowledge base and an inference
engine.

A knowledge-based system (KBS) is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that aims to capture the
knowledge of human experts to support decision-making. Examples of knowledge-based systems
include expert systems, which are so called because of their reliance on human expertise.

The typical architecture of a knowledge-based system, which informs its problem-solving

method, includes a knowledge base and an inference engine. The knowledge base contains a
collection of information in a given field -- medical diagnosis, for example. The inference engine
deduces insights from the information housed in the knowledge base. Knowledge-based systems
also include an interface through which users query the system and interact with it.

A knowledge-based system may vary with respect to its problem-solving method or approach.
Some systems encode expert knowledge as rules and are therefore referred to as rule-based
systems. Another approach, case-based reasoning, substitutes cases for rules. Cases are
essentially solutions to existing problems that a case-based system will attempt to apply to a new
problem.

Examples of AI following the latter approach include neural network systems, a type of

deep-learning technology that concentrates on signal processing and pattern recognition
problems such as facial recognition.
The major components of a typical knowledge-based expert system [11] are shown in Figure 1,
and are described below:

 The knowledge base contains domain expertise in the form of facts that the expert system
will use to make determinations. Dynamic knowledge bases, known as truth maintenance
systems, may be used, where missing or incorrect values can be updated as other values
are entered;

 The working storage is a database containing data specific to a problem being solved;

 The inference engine is the code at the core of the system which derives
recommendations from the knowledge base and problem-specific data in the working
storage;

 The knowledge acquisition module is used to update or expand dynamic knowledge

bases, in order to include information gained during the expert system experiments; and

 The user interface controls the dialog between the user and the system.
Knowledge base The component of an expert system that contains the system’s knowledge organized in
collection of facts about the system’s domain Knowledge is represented in the form of rules using IF
ELSE. These IF ELSE rules is used to form chains of knowledge. There are 2 types:

• Forward chaining(fact driven)

• Backward chaining(goal driven)

Knowledge base The component of an expert system that contains the system’s knowledge organized in
collection of facts about the system’s domain Knowledge is represented in the form of rules using IF
ELSE. These IF ELSE rules is used to form chains of knowledge. There are 2 types: • Forward chaining(fact
driven) .

Inference Engine It derives answers from the knowledge base. This is the brain of the expert system that
provides a methodology for reasoning about the information in the knowledge base, and for formulating
conclusions.

User Interface The component of an expert system that contains the system’s knowledge organized in
collection of facts about the system’s domain. The user interface is used by the user to communicate
with the knowledge base.

Typical expert system architecture, components and human interface. Working Storage
techniques (databases) and Knowledge Bases provide the basis of an expert system. The
Inference Engine, which is accessible to the user through a User Interface, obtains facts or rules
from the Knowledge Base and problem-specific data from the Working Storage. Each time the
system is used, the Knowledge Base may be enriched through Knowledge Acquisition modules
that derive new information from the user's experiments.

How does it work?

Problem-solving power does not lie with smart reasoning techniques nor clever search
algorithms but domain dependent real-world knowledge.

• Real-world problems do not have well-defined solutions

• KBS allow this knowledge to be represented and creates an explained solution

• A KBS draws upon the knowledge of human experts captured in a knowledge-base to solve
problems that normally require human expertise

• Uses Heuristic (cause-and-effect) rather than algorithms KBS as real world problem solvers.

Advantages:
- Increase available of expert knowledge
- Efficient and cost effective
- Consistency of answers
- Explanation of solution
- Deals with uncertainty

Limitations:
- Lack of common sense
- Inflexible, difficult to modify
- Restricted domain of expertise limited to KB
- Not always reliable