Optimization in Interactive Expert Systems

1 Abstract We consider the situation where the decision procedure of an interactive expert system must repeatedly solve a logic minimization problem. In that setting, the response time is slow if the instances of the logic minimization problem are diicult to solve. We propose an alternate process. It utilizes a logic problem decomposition and replaces some instances of the logic minimization problem by instances of satissability subproblems. In practice, instances of satissability subproblems tend to be much easier to solve than instances of the original logic minimization problem. Due to that fact, the decomposition approach can be expected to produce a substantial reduction of the required computing eeort. We have used the approach in an interactive expert system for the optimal management of industrial chemical exposure. Due to the decomposition approach, the user typically experiences no perceptible waiting during the interactive query phase.