An Introduction to Production Systems

Abstract: A self-improving quadratic tutor comprising two principal components is described. One component is an adaptive teaching program where the teaching strategy is expressed as a set of production rules. The second component performs the self-improving function of the system by making experimental changes to the set of production rules. This component employs a deduction procedure which operates on a theory of instruction expressed as a set of modally qualified assertions. These assertions relate educational objectives to modifications which can be made to the teaching strategy. The cycle of operations proposed for the system is as follows—select an educational objective, make an experimental change in teaching strategy, statistically evaluate the resulting performance, and update both the set of production rules and set of assertions. The tutor taught the solution of quadratic equations by the discovery method. The tutor was used by 51 students, and executed five experimental changes on its teaching strategy. This trial demonstrated that it was capable of improving its performance as a result of experimentation. Its limitations include a vulnerability to problems of local optima during “hill-climbing” and to a variant of the frame problem.

Abstract: The development of computer programs, called agents, that act as man-machine interfaces for computer users are described. These programs are written in RITA: the Rule-directed Interactive Transaction Agent system, and are organized as sets of IF-THEN rules or “production systems.” The programs, or “personal computer agents,” are divided into two main categories: those that interface the user to computer systems he wishes to use and those that interact with the user to acquire the knowledge needed to create these interface programs. The relationship between the interface program and the knowledge acquisition program is that of parent-offspring. Three types of parent-offspring RITA agent pairs are described: (1) an exemplary programming agent that watches a user perform an arbitrary series of operations on the computer and then writes a program (a task agent) to perform the same task; (2) a tutoring agent that watches an expert demonstrate the use of an interactive computer language or local operating system and then creates a teaching agent that can, help naive users become familiar with the language or system demonstrated by the expert; and (3) a reactivemessage creating agent which elicits text from a user (the sender) and from it creates a new RITA agent which is a reactive message. The reactive message is sent to some other user (the recipient) who interacts with it. During the course of the interaction a record of the recipient's responses is sent back to the sender.

Abstract: Objective: Motorcycle riders are involved in significantly more crashes per kilometer driven than passenger car drivers. Nonetheless, the development and implementation of motorcycle safety systems lags far behind that of passenger cars. This research addresses the identification of the most effective motorcycle safety solutions in the context of different countries.Methods: A knowledge-based system of motorcycle safety (KBMS) was developed to assess the potential for various safety solutions to mitigate or avoid motorcycle crashes. First, a set of 26 common crash scenarios was identified from the analysis of multiple crash databases. Second, the relative effectiveness of 10 safety solutions was assessed for the 26 crash scenarios by a panel of experts. Third, relevant information about crashes was used to weigh the importance of each crash scenario in the region studied. The KBMS method was applied with an Italian database, with a total of more than 1 million motorcycle crashes in the period 2000...

Abstract: The application and use of automatic data processing (ADP) has become a standard, vital element for the efficient operation of most large, and many not-so-large organizations . Although the decision makers at the mid-and-top-management levels could equally benefit from the capabilities of ADP, the extent . to which it has been applied beyond the operational management levels (accounting routines, operations control, production line robots, automatic guidance systems, record keeping , etc .), is minimal .

Abstract: Technology transfer is the process by which technology originating at one institutional setting is adapted for use in another. A major impediment to the implementation of new technologies to assist with mangerial decision-making problems is a lack of communication between the technology and management communities. Development of a tool designed to bridge the technology transfer gap was the goal of this research. The result is a prototype software package which may be used on an interactive computer terminal by a manager for assistance in designing a decision support system (DSS). The four primary research tasks were: 1. Develop a conceptual model of the DSS design process. 2. Select and adapt, or create, appropriate software to mechanize the model. 3. Develop a knowledge base to describe the interactiveness of various organization variables and managerial decision-making needs. 4. Collect and analyze interview data and implement resultant production rules on the model.