PROSPEC Computer Systems Welcome to Expert86 1.1 Introduction This file and the other README files on the disk (there should be eight in all) explain what Expert86 is and how to use it. Expert86 is an expert system shell. A shell is an 'empty' expert system - it has the deductive power of an expert system already built in but it has no knowledge about any particular subject yet. The knowledge is added by the user, allowing a customised expert system to be built, which can answer questions on any chosen subject. Expert86 may be used for a wide range of problems in areas such as: - consultation - decision-making - pattern recognition - problem solving - diagnosis - teaching - analysis Most expert systems have one serious flaw. It can often be very difficult to feed information into them efficiently and accurately. Their knowledge is usually represented as a set of facts and rules held in a 'knowledge base', but the job of designing an effective knowledge base is far from easy. Expert86 uses a technique called 'rule induction' to find its own rules, and therefore eliminates the 'rule preparation' stage. It does not need very much help from the user to fill its knowledge base and so expert systems can be written very quickly and with surprisingly little effort. Rule induction was originally developed by reaearchers in AI. It is used in powerful experimental expert systems within Universities and in expensive consultancy systems in industry. To produce an expert system with Expert86 from scratch the user has only to gather a collection of examples of decision making, taken from the field of interest the system is to know about. The examples are fed into Expert86 which will then generate a complete knowledge base from them. The knowledge base takes the form of a rule which represents the logic the expert has used. Expert86 can unravel the thinking of the expert just by looking at examples of his work. It then uses the logic of the rule it has induced to answer any future problems. The user himself need never understand this logic - Expert86 applies it on his behalf. However, Expert86 does make the rule available for examination. The rule induction approach turns out to be exceptionally convenient. Experts find it very much easier to provide examples of their decision making skills than to formulate complete rules. There are several reasons for this. The main one is that sample problem solving is very similar to the work an expert does every day anyway, whereas the production of reliable, all- encompassing rules which explain a large, complex field is unlikely to be an easy task, even for an accomplished expert. By analogy, think of a piece of software, a word-processor say, with which you are very familiar, on which you are an expert. If you were asked a direct question, such as how to move a paragraph from one place in a document to another, or how to erase a line of text, you would probably be able to answer without hesitation. But if you were asked to explain the behaviour of every 'cut and paste' function the machine had to offer, you could be forgiven for missing something out. People are good at answering specific questions but poor at making generalisations. Rule-induction is not just designed to help experts. A non-expert can use Expert86 to produce powerful expert systems in a subject he does not himself understand. For instance, a financial system might analyse the logic behind the movement of share prices or interest rates or exchange rates using examples based on information taken from the daily newspapers. Most of us would not readily understand the information, but if there were an underlying pattern in it, Expert86 would be able to find it. Examples of expert behaviour in many subjects are freely available. This file serves merely as an introduction to Expert86, to allow you to decide whether it might be of interest to you. The other README files on this disk hold more specific information. One more thing we should say right now though, just in case you do not know already. Expert86 is absolutely free, it is on this disk, it is yours to keep, and you do not need to pay a penny more. 1.2 Shareware Expert86 is free because we have chosen to release it as Shareware. The idea is this. We have sent copies of the Expert86 disk to as many sources as we can think of. A completely up to date copy can be had from us for the price of a disk. We give our address later in this file and in all the other README files. At the end of each README file we have included a list of all the files you should have. If any of them are missing we would suggest that you get a new copy direct from us. Anyone who wants a copy of Expert86 can have one. If somebody asks to copy this disk please let them. We have included the instructions for Expert86 on the disk itself because it's much easier and cheaper for you to copy a disk than a manual. If you are happy with the program as it stands, perhaps because you already know enough about expert systems to use Expert86, that's great. It's a risk we have decided to take. But if you would like to see our full Expert86 manual you will need to become a registered user. That simply means you pay us a one-off fee of £19.95. For a piece of software as complex and powerful as Expert86 that is very reasonable. But please don't be deceived by the low registration fee. We firmly believe in the principle of shareware and we believe in Expert86 enough to let you judge it on its own merits rather than on the inflated claims of a press advert. Most of the expert systems available at the moment on micros (chiefly on expensive IBM PCs and clones) will cost you several hundred pounds. We find it hard to see how such high prices can be justified. Our system offers most (though not quite all) of the capabilities of much more expensive programs. For the first time it is possible to find out about expert systems without having to spend large sums of money for the privilege. Some computer users prefer to stick to conventional you-get-what-you-pay-for products, where they believe they know what to expect for their money. A serious criticism of shareware and user-supported software in general is that the quality of documentation is often poor. For non-registered users of Expert86 that is, to an extent, true. There is a limit to the amount of information we can fit on a disk. Our on-disk documentation is sufficient to allow you to use Expert86 but is certainly not extensive. You get the README files and nothing more. However, if you choose to register with us you should think of Expert86 as just another piece of software you might buy. It will no longer be shareware because you will have paid for it, and Expert86 is certainly not merely user-supported. 1.3 Registration Here's what do you get for your registration fee: - a detailed 73 page manual explaining how to use Expert86 to generate working expert systems and how to set them up for yourself and others to consult. The manual covers the features of Expert86 which are not documented on this disk and explains the technique Expert86 uses to find rules. It also contains beginners tutorials on Expert86, a full reference guide, and advice on the best way to design knowledge bases. - sample knowledge bases to illustrate Expert86 at work. - entitlement to upgrades whenever Expert86 is improved in the future. We have many upgrades in preparation, which will increase the capabilities of Expert86. They will be available to all registered users. - entitlement to upgrades if any bugs are reported (we don't expect this to happen, but you never know). - entry to our free competition. Take a look at the file README.2 to find out about that. The manual contains much more information than we can fit on this disk, including references to textbooks on expert systems and knowledge engineering to help if you have any problems. The upgrade service ensures that you will always have the best version of Expert86 available. It will never be out of date. The service will operate indefinitely. You are not limited to just the next one or two upgrades (as with products from some manufacturers) - you will receive every upgrade we ever produce, just for the price of a blank disk. Whenever a new version of Expert86 is released we will announce it in our advertisements. 1.4 Why is Expert86 free? PROSPEC aims to produce high quality software at a sensible price. Fortunately the days when unscrupulous software manufacturers could sell poor quality programs at high prices to naive customers have gone. Nowadays computer users know a great deal about their machines. The best way for a customer to assess a program is if he can see it before he buys it. After all, that's what happens with virtually everything else you ever buy. Of course, few software producers are willing to let you have free access to one of their products before you buy because the risk that it might be copied illegally is much too great. By giving Expert86 away we avoid the risk altogether. We want people to copy Expert86 - that's the whole idea. It's up to you to decide whether you think it worth your while to pay in order to receive the extra information that will allow you to use Expert86 to the full, together with the other benefits of registration we mentioned above. The curious can get hold of Expert86 at no charge just to find out what all the fuss is about. Finally, most manufacturers find it hard to improve a product once it has been released because they are likely to annoy existing customers who are often left with out of date software. However, we feel that it is important to improve Expert86 in whatever way we (or you) can think of, and as soon as possible. Since Expert86 is free, upgrades will not upset anybody. We will always try to ensure that compatibility is maintained (so expert systems developed with current versions of the program will still function with any upgrades) and all copies of Expert86 will carry a version number and date of release as identification marks. 1.5 How to Register If you would like to register send £19.95 to PROSPEC Computer Systems Shareware PO BOX 28 Beeston Nottingham NG9 1PH Great Britain For an up to date copy of Expert86 send £3.50 plus 50p postage. The fee covers the price of the disk only - the software itself is free. If you decide that you don't like the software simply erase it and use the disk for what you will. All you stand to lose is the cost of the postage. At the risk of labouring the point, we wish to stress again that you do not have to register. There is no obligation. Non-registered users can keep and use as many copies of this disk as they wish without infringing copyright. Expert86 is absolutely free. 1.6 Overseas Registration We are pleased to accept enquiries from overseas users. Customers in Europe, but outside the British Isles, should add an extra 50p towards postage. Customers anywhere in the World outside Europe should add an extra £1. That means that the total prices (including postage) are: UK Europe Elsewhere Expert86 disk £4.00 £4.50 £5.00 Registration £19.95 £20.45 £20.95 Airmail rates are available on request. One final point, we're always interested to discover where our software has got to. If you are using Expert86 far from British soil drop us a line and say "hello". Even if you don't want to register we would still be delighted to hear from you. On this disk you should find the following files: HELP.COM - advice on getting started [README.1] - this file. README.2 - details of our competition README.3 - details of other PROSPEC shareware products README.4 - how to copy Expert86 README.5 - more information on Expert86 README.6 - how to use Expert86 README.7 - a blank order form for you to print out README.8 - details of the ED.COM editor E86.COM - the Expert86 expert system generator CAR - a sample expert system for Expert86 - training set CAR.ATT - a sample expert system for Expert86 - definitions LIST.COM - a utility, similar to TYPE.COM