Information and Communication Technology (9-1) - 0983 CIE

Expert Systems

Overview

How can a computer diagnose a tropical disease, advise where to drill for oil, or play chess at grandmaster level? Not by being clever in some general way, but by carrying the bottled knowledge of human experts and applying it through cold, consistent logic. That is an expert system: software that mimics the decision making of a specialist in one narrow field, asking you questions and reasoning towards a conclusion the way the expert would.

In this lesson you will meet the five parts that every expert system is built from, follow the chain of yes and no answers that leads to a diagnosis, and see real uses from medicine to mineral prospecting. You will also weigh the genuine advantages, speed, accuracy and tireless consistency, against the real drawbacks, high cost, cold responses and the danger of trusting a machine too much.

Objectives

  1. Expert systems.
  2. Characteristics, uses and purpose of expert systems including mineral prospecting, car engine fault diagnosis, medical diagnosis, chess games, financial planning, route scheduling for delivery vehicles, plant and animal identification Components of an expert system: user interface, inference engine, knowledge base, rules base, explanation system How an expert system is used to produce possible solutions for different scenarios.

Lesson Note

Human experts are scarce, expensive and they retire. An expert system captures what a specialist knows and makes that knowledge available around the clock, in many places at once, at the speed of a computer. Cambridge expects you to do more than name the parts: you should be able to explain how the parts work together to turn a user's answers into a reasoned conclusion, and to argue when an expert system is the right tool and when it is not.

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Lesson Evaluation

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Expert Systems. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.

You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

  1. Which component of an expert system stores the facts about the field of expertise? A. Inference engine B. Knowledge base C. Rules base D. User interface Answer: B
  2. The IF ... THEN inference rules used to draw conclusions are held in the: A. Knowledge base B. Explanation system C. Rules base D. User interface Answer: C
  3. Which component tells the user the reasoning behind a conclusion and its probability? A. Inference engine B. Explanation system C. Knowledge base D. Rules base Answer: B
  4. Which of the following is NOT a typical use of an expert system? A. Medical diagnosis B. Mineral prospecting C. Word processing a letter D. Car engine fault diagnosis Answer: C
  5. Which is a disadvantage of an expert system? A. It gives a fast response B. It is only as good as the facts entered C. Its results are consistent D. It can store vast amounts of facts Answer: B

Available on the Green Bridge App

Download the Green Bridge CBT app on your phone or computer to access full lesson notes, practice questions, and more.

Full lesson notes with diagrams
AI-powered learning assistant
Study offline, anytime, anywhere
Available on Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux

Available on the Green Bridge App

Download the Green Bridge CBT app on your phone or computer to access full lesson notes, practice questions, and more.

Full lesson notes with diagrams
AI-powered learning assistant
Study offline, anytime, anywhere
Available on Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux

Practice Mock Questions

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