Elsevier

Acta Psychologica

Volume 56, Issues 1–3, August 1984, Pages 303-331
Acta Psychologica

Formal and knowledge-based methods in decision technology

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Abstract

This paper describes expert and knowledge-based systems and their relationship to traditional concepts of decision technology. It summarises the ideas that have gone into expert systems, some claims made for them, and the arguments for and against the claims. Expert systems are likely to make a significant contribution to decision technology, but they do not provide a theory of decison-making comparable to existing mathematical theories. Some proposals for a knowledgebased decision theory are made.

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    I would like to record my debt to Chandu Bardhan who first helped me think about what a doctor does, and to Peter Alvey, Chris Myers and Mel Greaves, who taught me most of the medicine that I have drawn on in this paper. Dr. Walter Bodmer created the opportunity to do the work, and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund provided the resources.

    Author's address: J. Fox, Biomedical Computing Unit, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK.

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