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An actor model for rule‐based systems
Author(s) -
BoufricheBoufaïda Zizette
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
expert systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1468-0394
pISSN - 0266-4720
DOI - 10.1111/1468-0394.00088
Subject(s) - computer science , backward chaining , chaining , inference , object (grammar) , set (abstract data type) , representation (politics) , theoretical computer science , forward chaining , synchronization (alternating current) , artificial intelligence , expert system , perspective (graphical) , knowledge representation and reasoning , rule of inference , proposition , human–computer interaction , inference engine , programming language , epistemology , psychology , computer network , channel (broadcasting) , politics , political science , law , psychotherapist , philosophy
Our research originates from a study of the possibilities of integrating rules and objects in knowledge‐based systems. In the present work, we are interested in the interactionist perspective of an object. The stepwise reasoning of a diagnostic expert system, possibly involving subgoaling and interactions with the environment, can be easily codified by means of production rules over proposition literals. This set of rules can be graphically represented in a network manner denoting the relations between the rules. The individual nodes in the network can be expressed by means of autonomous objects and their relations, interpreted as possible communications between them. The objects are given a structure and a proper behaviour and cooperate for performing logical reasoning by means of forward and backward chaining inference processes. Therefore, designing this system implies addressing several basic issues such as inter‐object communications and their synchronization. The problem here is not necessarily to develop a great intelligence locally but to develop strong networks of good communicators. This approach belongs to the interactionist representation current, where objects are called actors. In principle, the actors may carry out computation in parallel and provide a conceptual foundation for massively concurrent object‐oriented paradigms. From this point of view, a system allowing for the simultaneous investigation of several rules and premises in the forward or the backward chaining would be significantly more efficient.