The KB paradigm and its application to interactive configuration*. Issue 1 (1st July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: VAN HERTUM, PIETER; DASSEVILLE, INGMAR; JANSSENS, GERDA; DENECKER, MARC
• Is Part Of: Theory and practice of logic programming. Volume 17:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 91
• Page End: 117
• Publication Date: 2016-07-01
• Subjects: interactive configuration, -- knowledge base paradigm, -- inferences, -- applications of declarative systems; Logic programming -- Periodicals; Artificial intelligence -- Computer programs -- Periodicals; Constraint programming (Computer science) -- Periodicals; 005.115
• DOI: 10.1017/S1471068416000156
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-0684

Abstract

Abstract: The knowledge base (KB) paradigm aims to express domain knowledge in a rich formal language, and to use this domain knowledge as a KB to solve various problems and tasks that arise in the domain by applying multiple forms of inference. As such, the paradigm applies a strict separation of concerns between information and problem solving. In this paper, we analyze the principles and feasibility of the KB paradigm in the context of an important class of applications: interactive configuration problems. In interactive configuration problems, a configuration of interrelated objects under constraints is searched, where the system assists the user in reaching an intended configuration. It is widely recognized in industry that good software solutions for these problems are very difficult to develop. We investigate such problems from the perspective of the KB paradigm. We show that multiple functionalities in this domain can be achieved by applying different forms of logical inferences on a formal specification of the configuration domain. We report on a proof of concept of this approach in a real-life application with a banking company.