Rule-based system

Not to be confused with Basic norm.

In computer science, a rule-based system is used to store and manipulate knowledge to interpret information in a useful way. It is often used in artificial intelligence applications and research.

Normally, the term rule-based system is applied to systems involving human-crafted or curated rule sets. Rule-based systems constructed using automatic rule inference, such as rule-based machine learning, are normally excluded from this system type.

Applications

A classic example of a rule-based system is the domain-specific expert system that uses rules to make deductions or choices.^[1] For example, an expert system might help a doctor choose the correct diagnosis based on a cluster of symptoms, or select tactical moves to play a game.

Rule-based systems can be used to perform lexical analysis to compile or interpret computer programs, or in natural language processing.^[2]

Rule-based programming attempts to derive execution instructions from a starting set of data and rules. This is a more indirect method than that employed by an imperative programming language, which lists execution steps sequentially.

Construction

A typical rule-based system has four basic components:^[3]

• A list of rules or rule base, which is a specific type of knowledge base.
• An inference engine or semantic reasoner, which infers information or takes action based on the interaction of input and the rule base. The interpreter executes a production system program by performing the following match-resolve-act cycle:^[4]

• Match: In this first phase, the condition sides of all productions are matched against the contents of working memory. As a result a set (the conflict set) is obtained, which consists of instantiations of all satisfied productions. An instantiation of a production is an ordered list of working memory elements that satisfies the condition side of the production.
• Conflict-resolution: In this second phase, one of the production instantiations in the conflict set is chosen for execution. If no productions are satisfied, the interpreter halts.
• Act: In this third phase, the actions of the production selected in the conflict-resolution phase are executed. These actions may change the contents of working memory. At the end of this phase, execution returns to the first phase.

• Temporary working memory.
• A user interface or other connection to the outside world through which input and output signals are received and sent.

See also

• Rule-based programming
• Expert systems
• Rewriting
• RuleML
• List of rule-based languages
• Learning classifier system
• Rule-based machine learning
• Rule-based modeling

References

1. Crina Grosan; Ajith Abraham (29 July 2011). Intelligent Systems: A Modern Approach. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 149–. ISBN 978-3-642-21004-4.
2. Sin-Wai Chan (13 November 2014). Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Technology. Routledge. pp. 454–. ISBN 978-1-317-60815-8.
3. "What is a rule-based system?". j-paine.org.
4. Cabitza, F., & Dal Seno, B. (2005). "DJess-A Knowledge-Sharing Middleware to Deploy Distributed Inference Systems". International Journal of Computer and Information Engineering. 2: 66–69. doi:10.1109/PERSER.2005.1506416. S2CID 27323155.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)