Using GENEX to develop expert systems

The use of GENEX, a microcomputer-based expert system software package developed in Canada, is described. Expert Systems are computer programming tools used in the field of Artificial Intelligence to capture expertise and imitate the human thought process. Expert problem-solving involves the analysis of large amounts of specialized knowledge. Much of this knowledge is based on rules-of-thumb or heuristics learned and refined over years of experience in a particular field. The knowledge gained from an experienced specialist is programmed to permit a novice to perform problem-solving tasks. The implementation of an Expert System integrates a knowledge base with an inference engine. GENEX contains a sophisticated inference engine to operate on rule-based knowledge. The package also contains tools to assist in the creation of a knowledge base. Rules can be written in plain English allowing non-technical people to participate in the use and creation of the Expert System.