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Title: HERB: A production system for programming with hierarchical expert rule bases: User's manual, HERB Version 1. 0

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5735120

Expert systems are artificial intelligence programs that solve problems requiring large amounts of heuristic knowledge, based on years of experience and tradition. Production systems are domain-independent tools that support the development of rule-based expert systems. This document describes a general purpose production system known as HERB. This system was developed to support the programming of expert systems using hierarchically structured rule bases. HERB encourages the partitioning of rules into multiple rule bases and supports the use of multiple conflict resolution strategies. Multiple rule bases can also be placed on a system stack and simultaneously searched during each interpreter cycle. Both backward and forward chaining rules are supported by HERB. The condition portion of each rule can contain both patterns, which are matched with facts in a data base, and LISP expressions, which are explicitly evaluated in the LISP environment. Properties of objects can also be stored in the HERB data base and referenced within the scope of each rule. This document serves both as an introduction to the principles of LISP-based production systems and as a user's manual for the HERB system. 6 refs., 17 figs.

Research Organization:
Allied-Signal Aerospace Co., Kansas City, MO (USA). Kansas City Div.
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00613
OSTI ID:
5735120
Report Number(s):
BDX-613-3734; ON: DE88004367
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English