Fuzzy Fault Tree Representation and Maintenance based on Frames and Constraint Technologies: A Case Study

Knowledge acquisition and maintenance are central bottlenecks in the lifecycle of a knowledge base application. In this paper, we look at knowledge representation and maintenance issues for a risk analysis method called Fuzzy Fault Tree Analysis (FFTA). In this paper we use FFTA to compare frame-based and constraint-based techniques on the subject of representation and maintenance; our aim is to identify ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of the techniques and highlight any unique functionality they might offer. While our test case was easier to model using the Frame based approach, the Frame based approach demanded more effort to maintain the test case than was required for the constraint based approach. In addition, the CP approach opens up some interesting possibilities to investigate regarding inferences about values for events.