CS 378 Assignment 6: Expert Systems

Due: April 15, 2025.

The goals of this assignment are to get some experience with expert systems and writing of rules for expert systems.

  1. Run the Snakes example using the TMYCIN expert system tool. (You do not need to turn in anything for this.)

    After starting lisp on a lab machine, and within the directory where the files are located, enter the following: 

    (load "tmycin.lsp")    or    (load "/u/mylogin/.../tmycin.lsp")
(load "snakes.lsp")
(doconsult)

    It is not necessary to answer all questions; some questions might be answered by unk (unknown).

    After running the consultation, try some why and whynot questions, e.g., 

    (why poisonous yes)

(whynot bullsnake)

  2. Write a small expert system of about 20-30 rules to perform some finite classification task. You can choose one of the following options:

    1. Extend the expert system in snakes.lsp by adding the following snakes:
      1. texas-rat-snake
      2. hognose-snake
      3. common-kingsnake
      4. striped-whipsnake
      5. texas-indigo-snake
      6. plain-bellied-water-snake
      7. rough-green-snake
      8. plains-garter-snake
      9. western-coachwhip
      10. yellowbelly-racer

      Add to the data values as needed.

      The book I used in the example was an earlier edition of Lone Star Field Guide to Texas Snakes. However, you should not need a book; a Google search will give many photos and detailed information about various snakes.

      Some photos of snakes from Austin are at: https://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/novak/cs378/snakes/. Most of these are taken from the Nextdoor bulletin board, where people often ask "What snake is this?"

    2. Choose a task for which you have the expert knowledge or for which you can find a good source, such as a field manual. Use TMYCIN as the expert system tool. The file snakes.lsp can be used as an example. A manual for TMYCIN is available on the web at http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/novak/tmycin.html

Grading Criteria:

Given the short time available for this assignment, only a modest expert system is expected. Qualities that make a good expert system include: