Case Based Reasoning

Automated trouble shooting systems use a rulesmuch longer that it got burnt and so we do not
based expert system for searching through historicalrepeat the same mistake. But a rule based instruction
knowledge bases in order to arrive at reasons oftells us that we have to boil the milk for 10 mins and
failure based on symptoms. Human reasoning worksthen mix 2 tea spoons of sugar etc., Human based
by recalling old cases and associating experientialreasoning tells us that we need to add some more
knowledge based on solving similar cases. There aresugar, or the sugar is enough etc.,
both advantages and disadvantages of rule basedA disadvantage of rules based or an expert system
systems as well as human reasoning based systems.is that all rules have to be enlisted in order to
In a rule based inference engine the description ofretrieve causes, but does not use experiential
the problems and the resolution is text based. Forknowledge. A disadvantage of a case based system
example the database will contain information on theis the definition of human reasoning is abstract.
slowness of a PC or a crashed hard disk and itsA case based reasoning system works in much the
symptoms and possible causes. The next time asame manner as our memories. We learn new things,
similar problem occurs we will be able to query thewe learn more about old things, and we retain and
database and retrieve causes, symptoms for failurereuse new information. It will differ from logic or rules
etc., But in most cases human reasoning is not similar.based engine in aspects of recording and retrieving
Rule based deduction and inference is good only forcases.
an artificial world that we have constructed, butThere are many Open source based CBR applications
human reasoning is much different and is based onsuch as MYCBR which can be built for solving
previous cases. We do not however use rules tocomputer network problems or car repair problems.
infer about a common problem.There are also several commercial implementations of
Let us take the example of cooking a favorite dish,CBR systems in Medical diagnosis.
we are able to recall that we simmered the milk that