AN APPROACH TO VERIFYING COMPLETENESS AND CONSISTENCY IN A RULE-BASED EXPERT SYSTEM

We describe a program for verifying that a set of rules in an expert system comprehensively spans the knowledge of a specialized domain. The program has been devised and tested within the context of the ONCOCIN System, s rule-- based consultant for clinical oncology. The stylized format of ONCOCTN's rules has allowed the automatic detection of a number of common errors as the knowledge base has been developed. This capability suggests a general mecharism for correcting most problems with knowledge base completeness and consistency before they can cause performance errors.