In
computer science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includin ...
, 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
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machine
A machine is a physical system using Power (physics), power to apply Force, forces and control Motion, moveme ...
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 Rule-based machine learning (RBML) is a term in computer science intended to encompass any machine learning method that identifies, learns, or evolves 'rules' to store, manipulate or apply. The defining characteristic of a rule-based machine lear ...
, are normally excluded from this system type.
Applications
A classic example of a rule-based system is the domain-specific
expert system
In artificial intelligence, an expert system is a computer system emulating the decision-making ability of a human expert.
Expert systems are designed to solve complex problems by reasoning through bodies of knowledge, represented mainly as if� ...
that uses rules to make deductions or choices.
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
In computer science, lexical analysis, lexing or tokenization is the process of converting a sequence of characters (such as in a computer program or web page) into a sequence of ''lexical tokens'' ( strings with an assigned and thus identified ...
to
compile or interpret computer programs, or in
natural language processing
Natural language processing (NLP) is an interdisciplinary subfield of linguistics, computer science, and artificial intelligence concerned with the interactions between computers and human language, in particular how to program computers to proc ...
.
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:
* A list of rules or rule base, which is a specific type of
knowledge base
A knowledge base (KB) is a technology used to store complex structured and unstructured information used by a computer system. The initial use of the term was in connection with expert systems, which were the first knowledge-based systems. ...
.
* An
inference engine
In the field of artificial intelligence, an inference engine is a component of the system that applies logical rules to the knowledge base to deduce new information. The first inference engines were components of expert systems. The typical expert ...
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:
:* Match: In this first phase, the left-hand sides of all productions are matched against the contents of working memory. As a result a 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 left-hand 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
Working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that can hold information temporarily. It is important for reasoning and the guidance of decision-making and behavior. Working memory is often used synonymously with short-term memory, ...
.
* A
user interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...
or other connection to the outside world through which input and output signals are received and sent.
See also
*
Rule-based programming
*
Expert systems
In artificial intelligence, an expert system is a computer system emulating the decision-making ability of a human expert.
Expert systems are designed to solve complex problems by reasoning through bodies of knowledge, represented mainly as if� ...
*
Rewriting
In mathematics, computer science, and logic, rewriting covers a wide range of methods of replacing subterms of a formula with other terms. Such methods may be achieved by rewriting systems (also known as rewrite systems, rewrite engines, or reduc ...
*
RuleML
*
TK Solver
*
List of rule-based languages
*
Learning classifier system
*
Rule-based machine learning Rule-based machine learning (RBML) is a term in computer science intended to encompass any machine learning method that identifies, learns, or evolves 'rules' to store, manipulate or apply. The defining characteristic of a rule-based machine lear ...
*
Rule-based modeling
Rule-based modeling is a modeling approach that uses a set of rules that indirectly specifies a mathematical model. The rule-set can either be translated into a model such as Markov chains or differential equations, or be treated using tools that ...
References
{{Semantic Web
Rule engines