AXIS: A framework for interactively combining structured algorithms and knowledge based systems

This paper presents a method for combining Knowledge Based Expert Systems with algorithms that seek a ‘best’ solution rather than a satisfying one. Existing combinations have featured sequential systems, utilizing first one of the two techniques to derive an intermediate solution, then the remaining technique to improve that solution. These systems stand alone, not following any consistent procedure. The proposed framework uses the two approaches interactively. Each solution method is used repeatedly, to generate intermediate solutions to the problem at hand. These intermediate solutions are passed between the methods until an acceptable solution is found. This framework can be adapted to a variety of domains and algorithms. The knowledge based heuristic solutions generated by this interactive method have the potential to be more accurate than pure heuristic solutions, arrived at more quickly than the pure algorithmic solutions, and more valid than either individual approach since structured and unstructured knowledge is used.