Using Other Representations

Representing knowledge in an AI program means choosing a set of conventions tor describing objects, relations, and processes in the world. One first chooses a conceptual framework for thinking about the world--symbolically or numerically, statically or dynamically, centered around objects or around processes, and so forth. Then one needs to choose conventions within a given computer language tor implementing the concepts. The former is difficult and important; the latter is both less difficult and less important because good programmers can find ways of working with almost any concept within almost any programming language. In one respect finding a representation for knowledge is like choosing a set of data structures for a program to work with.