EXPLANATION CAPABILITIES OF PRODUCTION-BASED CONSULTATION SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT A computer program that models an expert in a given domain is more likek to be accepted by experts in that domain, and by non-experts seeking its gavice. An explanation capability not only adds to the system's credibility, but also enables the non-expert user to learn from it. Furthermore, clear explanations allow an expert to check the system's "reasoning", possibly discovering the need for refinements and additions to the svstem's knowledge base. In a developing system, an explanation capability can be used as a debugging aid to verify that additions to the system are working as'hey should. The explanation facility in MYCIN is discussed as an illustration of how the various problems might be approached.