EMYCIN's Certainty Factors

EMYCIN's methods of doing Certainty Factor calculations represent a good set of engineering choices. They have been criticized, but represent a useful technique worthy of study.

Several kinds of CF's are involved:

• Data CF
• CF from antecedent of a rule
• CF due to rule as a whole
• Combination of CF's from multiple rules.

There is a further question of what a CF is supposed to mean.