In 1980, Digital Equipment Corporation began to use a rule-based system called R1 by some and XCON by others to configure VAX-11 computer systems. In the intervening years, R1's knowledge has increased substantially and its usefulness to Digital continues to grow. This article describes what is involved in extending R1's performance during the four year period.

This article describes our initial experience with building applications programs in a hybrid AI tool environment. Traditional AI systems developments have emphasized a single methodology, such as frames, rules or logic programming, as a methodology that is natural, efficient, and uniform. The applications we have developed suggest that natural-ness, efficiency and flexibility are all increased by trading uniformity for the power that is provided by a small set of appropriate programming and representation tools. The tools we use are based on five major AI methodologies: frame-based knowledge representation with inheritance, rule-based reasoning, LISP, interactive graphics, and active values.

This article describes our initial experience with building applications programs in a hybrid AI tool environment. Traditional AI systems developments have emphasized a single methodology, such as frames, rules or logic programming, as a methodology that is natural, efficient, and uniform. The applications we have developed suggest that natural-ness, efficiency and flexibility are all increased by trading uniformity for the power that is provided by a small set of appropriate programming and representation tools. The tools we use are based on five major AI methodologies: frame-based knowledge representation with inheritance, rule-based reasoning, LISP, interactive graphics, and active values. Object-oriented computing provides a principle for unifying these different methodologies within a single system.

In 1980, Digital Equipment Corporation began to use a rule-based system called R1 by some and XCON by others to configure VAX-11 computer systems. In the intervening years, R1's knowledge has increased substantially and its usefulness to Digital continues to grow. This article describes what is involved in extending R1's performance during the four year period.

The prototype system is written in Prolog, a language that has proved to be very powerful and easy to use for problem /rule development. The resulting prototype system (called EXPRS-Expert Prolog System) uses English-like rule constructs of Prolog code. This approach enables the system to generate answers automatically to "why" a ruled fired, and "how" that rule fired. In addition, a rule clause construct is provided which allows direct access to Prolog code routines.

During the past year, a prototype expert system for tactical data fusion has been under development,. This computer program combines various messages concerning electronic intelligence (ELINT) to aid in decision making concerning enemy actions and intentions. The prototype system is written in Prolog, a language that has proved to be very powerful and easy to use for problem /rule development. The resulting prototype system (called EXPRS-Expert Prolog System) uses English-like rule constructs of Prolog code. This approach enables the system to generate answers automatically to "why" a ruled fired, and "how" that rule fired. In addition, a rule clause construct is provided which allows direct access to Prolog code routines. This paper describes the structure of the rules used and provides typical user interactions.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is largely an experimental science—at least as much progress has been made by building and analyzing programs as by examining theoretical questions. MYCIN is one of several well-known programs that embody some intelligence and provide data on the extent to which intelligent behavior can be programmed. As with other AI programs, its development was slow and not always in a forward direction. But we feel we learned some useful lessons in the course of nearly a decade of work on MYCIN and related programs. In this book we share the results of many experiments performed in that time, and we try to paint a coherent picture of the work. The book is intended to be a critical analysis of several pieces of related research, performed by a large number of scientists. We believe that the whole field of AI will benefit from such attempts to take a detailed retrospective look at experiments, for in this way the scientific foundations of the field will gradually be defined. It is for all these reasons that we have prepared this analysis of the MYCIN experiments.

The complete book in a single file.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is largely an experimental science—at least as much progress has been made by building and analyzing programs as by examining theoretical questions. MYCIN is one of several well-known programs that embody some intelligence and provide data on the extent to which intelligent behavior can be programmed. As with other AI programs, its development was slow and not always in a forward direction. But we feel we learned some useful lessons in the course of nearly a decade of work on MYCIN and related programs. In this book we share the results of many experiments performed in that time, and we try to paint a coherent picture of the work. The book is intended to be a critical analysis of several pieces of related research, performed by a large number of scientists. We believe that the whole field of AI will benefit from such attempts to take a detailed retrospective look at experiments, for in this way the scientific foundations of the field will gradually be defined. It is for all these reasons that we have prepared this analysis of the MYCIN experiments.ContentsContributorsForewordAllen NewellPrefacePart One: BackgroundChapter 1—The Context of the MYCIN ExperimentsChapter 2—The Origin of Rule-Based Systems in AIRandall Davis and Jonathan J. KingPart Two: Using RulesChapter 3—The Evolution of MYCIN’s Rule FormChapter 4—The Structure of the MYCIN SystemWilliam van MelleChapter 5—Details of the Consultation SystemEdward H. ShortliffeChapter 6—Details of the Revised Therapy AlgorithmWilliam J. ClanceyPart Three: Building a Knowledge BaseChapter 7—Knowledge EngineeringChapter 8—Completeness and Consistency in a Rule-Based SystemMotoi Suwa, A. Carlisle Scott, and Edward H. ShortliffeChapter 9—Interactive Transfer of ExpertiseRandall Davis[#p4]] Part Four: Reasoning Under UncertaintyChapter 10—Uncertainty and Evidential SupportChapter 11—A Model of Inexact Reasoning in MedicineEdward H. Shortliffe and Bruce G. BuchananChapter 12—Probabilistic Reasoning and Certainty FactorsJ. Barclay AdamsChapter 13—The Dempster-Shafer Theory of EvidenceJean Gordon and Edward H. ShortliffePart Five: Generalizing MYCINChapter 14—Use of the MYCIN Inference EngineChapter 15—EMYCIN: A Knowledge Engineer’s Tool for Constructing Rule-Based Expert SystemsWilliam van Melle, Edward H. Shortliffe, and Bruce G. BuchananChapter 16—Experience Using EMYCINJames S. Bennett and Robert S. EngelmorePart Six: Explaining the ReasoningChapter 17—Explanation as a Topic of AI ResearchChapter 18—Methods for Generating ExplanationsA. Carlisle Scott, William J. Clancey, Randall Davis, and Edward H. ShortliffeChapter 19—Specialized Explanations for Dosage SelectionSharon Wraith Bennett and A. Carlisle ScottChapter 20—Customized Explanations Using Causal KnowledgeJerold W. Wallis and Edward H. ShortliffePart Seven: Using Other RepresentationsChapter 21—Other Representation FrameworksChapter 22—Extensions to the Rule-Based Formalism for a Monitoring TaskLawrence M. Fagan, John C. Kunz, Edward A. Feigenbaum, and John J. OsbornChapter 23—A Representation Scheme Using Both Frames and RulesJanice S. AikinsChapter 24—Another Look at FramesDavid E. Smith and Jan E. ClaytonPart Eight: TutoringChapter 25—Intelligent Computer-Aided InstructionChapter 26—Use of MYCIN’s Rules for TutoringWilliam J. ClanceyPart Nine: Augmenting the RulesChapter 27—Additional Knowledge StructuresChapter 28—Meta-Level KnowledgeRandall Davis and Bruce G. BuchananChapter 29—Extensions to Rules for Explanation and TutoringWilliam J. ClanceyPart Ten: Evaluating PerformanceChapter 30—The Problem of EvaluationChapter 31—An Evaluation of MYCIN’s AdviceVictor L. Yu, Lawrence M. Fagan, Sharon Wraith Bennett, William J . Clancey, A. Carlisle Scott, John F. Hannigan, Robert L. Blum, Bruce G. Buchanan, and Stanley N. CohenPart Eleven: Designing for Human UseChapter 32—Human Engineering of Medical Expert SystemsChapter 33—Strategies for Understanding Structured EnglishAlain BonnetChapter 34—An Analysis of Physicians’ AttitudesRandy L. Teach and Edward H. ShortliffeChapter 35—An Expert System for Oncology Protocol ManagementEdward H. Shortliffe, A. Carlisle Scott, Miriam B. Bischoff, A. Bruce Campbell, William van MeUe, and Charlotte D. JacobsPart Twelve: ConclusionsChapter 36—Major Lessons from This WorkEpilogAppendixReferencesName IndexSubject IndexReading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is largely an experimental science—at least as much progress has been made by building and analyzing programs as by examining theoretical questions. MYCIN is one of several well-known programs that embody some intelligence and provide data on the extent to which intelligent behavior can be programmed. As with other AI programs, its development was slow and not always in a forward direction. But we feel we learned some useful lessons in the course of nearly a decade of work on MYCIN and related programs. In this book we share the results of many experiments performed in that time, and we try to paint a coherent picture of the work. The book is intended to be a critical analysis of several pieces of related research, performed by a large number of scientists. We believe that the whole field of AI will benefit from such attempts to take a detailed retrospective look at experiments, for in this way the scientific foundations of the field will gradually be defined. It is for all these reasons that we have prepared this analysis of the MYCIN experiments.ContentsContributorsForewordAllen NewellPrefacePart One: BackgroundChapter 1—The Context of the MYCIN ExperimentsChapter 2—The Origin of Rule-Based Systems in AIRandall Davis and Jonathan J. KingPart Two: Using RulesChapter 3—The Evolution of MYCIN’s Rule FormChapter 4—The Structure of the MYCIN SystemWilliam van MelleChapter 5—Details of the Consultation SystemEdward H. ShortliffeChapter 6—Details of the Revised Therapy AlgorithmWilliam J. ClanceyPart Three: Building a Knowledge BaseChapter 7—Knowledge EngineeringChapter 8—Completeness and Consistency in a Rule-Based SystemMotoi Suwa, A. Carlisle Scott, and Edward H. ShortliffeChapter 9—Interactive Transfer of ExpertiseRandall Davis[#p4]] Part Four: Reasoning Under UncertaintyChapter 10—Uncertainty and Evidential SupportChapter 11—A Model of Inexact Reasoning in MedicineEdward H. Shortliffe and Bruce G. BuchananChapter 12—Probabilistic Reasoning and Certainty FactorsJ. Barclay AdamsChapter 13—The Dempster-Shafer Theory of EvidenceJean Gordon and Edward H. ShortliffePart Five: Generalizing MYCINChapter 14—Use of the MYCIN Inference EngineChapter 15—EMYCIN: A Knowledge Engineer’s Tool for Constructing Rule-Based Expert SystemsWilliam van Melle, Edward H. Shortliffe, and Bruce G. BuchananChapter 16—Experience Using EMYCINJames S. Bennett and Robert S. EngelmorePart Six: Explaining the ReasoningChapter 17—Explanation as a Topic of AI ResearchChapter 18—Methods for Generating ExplanationsA. Carlisle Scott, William J. Clancey, Randall Davis, and Edward H. ShortliffeChapter 19—Specialized Explanations for Dosage SelectionSharon Wraith Bennett and A. Carlisle ScottChapter 20—Customized Explanations Using Causal KnowledgeJerold W. Wallis and Edward H. ShortliffePart Seven: Using Other RepresentationsChapter 21—Other Representation FrameworksChapter 22—Extensions to the Rule-Based Formalism for a Monitoring TaskLawrence M. Fagan, John C. Kunz, Edward A. Feigenbaum, and John J. OsbornChapter 23—A Representation Scheme Using Both Frames and RulesJanice S. AikinsChapter 24—Another Look at FramesDavid E. Smith and Jan E. ClaytonPart Eight: TutoringChapter 25—Intelligent Computer-Aided InstructionChapter 26—Use of MYCIN’s Rules for TutoringWilliam J. ClanceyPart Nine: Augmenting the RulesChapter 27—Additional Knowledge StructuresChapter 28—Meta-Level KnowledgeRandall Davis and Bruce G. BuchananChapter 29—Extensions to Rules for Explanation and TutoringWilliam J. ClanceyPart Ten: Evaluating PerformanceChapter 30—The Problem of EvaluationChapter 31—An Evaluation of MYCIN’s AdviceVictor L. Yu, Lawrence M. Fagan, Sharon Wraith Bennett, William J . Clancey, A. Carlisle Scott, John F. Hannigan, Robert L. Blum, Bruce G. Buchanan, and Stanley N. CohenPart Eleven: Designing for Human UseChapter 32—Human Engineering of Medical Expert SystemsChapter 33—Strategies for Understanding Structured EnglishAlain BonnetChapter 34—An Analysis of Physicians’ AttitudesRandy L. Teach and Edward H. ShortliffeChapter 35—An Expert System for Oncology Protocol ManagementEdward H. Shortliffe, A. Carlisle Scott, Miriam B. Bischoff, A. Bruce Campbell, William van MeUe, and Charlotte D. JacobsPart Twelve: ConclusionsChapter 36—Major Lessons from This WorkEpilogAppendixReferencesName IndexSubject IndexReading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc.

A fifth answer is also advanced, but is immediately withdrawn. The Innovative Answer: "It also usually means getting fact, there are enough opinions for four men. Roger Schanks, and disagree with the other three. As & hank points out, this is unsatisfactory because it leads Schank hoped that his article would start a debate on to a shifting definition of AI. the issues he raised. Another of these answers, the learning answer, can also What are Schank's four views? Anyone who attempts to clarify a In answer to his question "What is AI all about?", he vague term, like AI, is allowed a certain amount of license in claims to see only two possible answers. The Scientific Answer: "that AI is concerned with highlighting other uses, but there are limits to this license.