6.

8:
Expert Systems

Ms. Masarrah
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

A) Differentiate the five parts of expert

systems.

B) State the examples of expert systems.

WHAT IS EXPERT SYSTEM?

➢Is a computerized system that attempts to

reproduce the decision-making process of an
expert human.
➢It is designed to try and replicate the
judgment of human who has expert
knowledge in a certain field.
➢So, by doing this they can be used to replace
or assist a human expert.
Cont..
➢Expert system gather data by asking the user questions
about the problem.
➢An initial set of question can lead to further questions,
which questions are asked depends on the user’s
responses.
➢The expert system reasons what question it needs to
ask, based on the knowledge it is give.
➢It will use the responses from the ser to rule out various
possibilities that will allow it to eventually reach a
decision or diagnosis.
5 FUNCTIONAL PARTS OF EXPERT SYSTEM

1) The user interface

2) Knowledge base

3) A rule base

4) An inference engine

5) An explanation system
1) The user interface

▪ Is an interface that helps the user to interacts with the expert

system.
▪ It takes the user’s query and sends it to the inference engine.
▪ After that, it displays the results
▪ It is an interface that helps find a way for the expert to ask
questions and to get information out of the system.
▪ The user interface presents a user with questions and accepts the
information that the user gives.
2) Knowledge base

▪ All of the data, facts and conditions about the expert’s particular
subject.
▪ It is a database of related information about a particular subject.
▪ The knowledge base is prepared by a knowledge engineer who
will be a skilled programmer.
3) A rule base

▪ A rule base is the set of rules and facts that must be applied to the
knowledge base.
▪ It will be used to produce an output or decision by the expert
system.
4) An inference engine

▪ It is the program that can apply the rules to the data in order to
get sensible judgements.
▪ It uses these facts and rules to apply to the knowledge base
when selecting an answer to the user’s query.
▪ It matches the information that the user inputs at the user
interface with data held in the knowledge base to reach an
appropriate response by using the inference rules.
5) An explanation system

▪ It provides reasoning/explanation about the information in the

knowledge base.
▪ It assists the user to understand the contents of the knowledge
base and also the reasoning process that produced the solution
to the user’s question.
▪ It forms a conclusion.
 In Which Fields Expert Systems Have Been
Developed?

▪ Examples of expert systems include:

Medical Mineral Car engine fault

Chess games
Diagnosis prospecting diagnosis

Route Plant and

Financial
scheduling for animal
planning
delivery vehicles identification
Medical Diagnosis

o A medical expert system gives decision support in the form of an accurate

diagnosis for the symptoms input.

o The system receives information (input) about the patient, usually by the patient’s
doctor.

o Major characteristic for medical diagnosis is that the sequence of steps used by
the expert system in coming to a decision are designed to mimic steps used by a
‘human doctor’.

o A medical diagnosis is never a certainty and expert systems have the capability of
expressing their conclusions as a probability.

o For example, it could decide that it is only 50% sure that it has reached the correct
diagnosis.
Mineral prospecting

o This is when different sites are tested for the probability of minerals, such as ore,
being present at a site before mining starts.
o The expert system can collect its data from:
1. An expert.
2. Directly from sensors that are put in place at the site.
3. Images taken from satellites showing composition.

o Data will have to be entered into the system through the user interface. This will
include:
✓ The types of rocks that are in the area.
✓ The types of minerals present in the area
✓ The type of mineral required
o GIS builds a mathematical model which can predict if the target mineral should be
present in association with the features that have been entered.
Car engine fault diagnosis

o Car have symbols on their dashboards which light up when a sensor

detects a problem with a component such as in the engine or the
brakes.

o The knowledge in these expert systems can be easily updated online

by the vehicle manufacturer, saving time and ensuring it is up to date.

o It also means that the mechanics do not necessarily need all the
knowledge in the expert system so saving money and time on
advanced training courses.
Chess games

o A chess player can play a game of chess against the computer; this
really means that they can play against an expert system.
o This can help chess players train without the need for another person
as there will be manu levels-from easy to very difficult, for the player
to choose from.
o The system will have been made by putting information from many
expert chess players into the knowledge base.
o Playing against computer means that there is no time pressure to
make the next chess move.
o But a player may be able to cheat by using the ‘undo’ button to help
them to try a different move.
Financial planning

o Useful for helping individuals and large companies with financial

planning.

o The information is entered via the user interface and based on each
user’s answers, the expert system can suggest a financial plan and
give advice on how best they can organize their investments, manage
their debts or pay less taxes.
Route scheduling for
delivery vehicles

o This would calculate the most efficient route for a delivery vehicle,
taking into consideration the areas for delivery.

Plant and animal

identification
o Can be used by individuals, scientists and farmers to identify plants
and animals.
o They could help them identify harmful insects and weeds and help to
prevent crop failures.
o If there is a plant or an animal that is not recognized, an expert
system will ask the user, in the case of an animal, how many legs it
has, how long its legs are, does it eat meat or vegetarian, its
appropriate size and colour, etc..
 Setting Up An Expert System

1. Experts in the field are first interviewed.

2. Data is then collected from these experts.

3. A knowledge base is first designed and then created. The

knowledge from the experts is used to populate the knowledge
base.

4. The rules base is then designed and created, and an inference

engine is also designed and created.
 Setting Up An Expert System (cont..)

5. An explanation system is also developed.

6. The input screen and output format is also designed and created.
This is known as the user interface.

7. The expert system is tested against known conditions/scenarios

and is also checked to see if it meets the original specification.

8. Experts are interviewed about how effective it is before the

expert system goes out on general release.