MACE: A system for the construction of functional models using case-based reasoning

摘要

A great deal of research has been carried out into what has been called Model-Based Reasoning (MBR). These are systems in which a model is used as the basis of the problem-solving process. However, a major bottleneck in the construction of any MBR system is the acquisition of the model. This is often a time-consuming and error-prone process. In addition, it often requires expert knowledge of the modelling technique being applied as well as an understanding of how the model will be used. In this paper a system called MACE is presented that automatically constructs a functional model from a library of partial models. This system exploits Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) technology to perform this construction. The paper introduces both the concepts behind functional model and CBR before going on to describe the components of the MACE system. It then illustrates, by example, how MACE constructs a functional model from the case data base.