Skip to main content

Problem solving for redesign

  • Long Papers
  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Book cover Knowledge Acquisition, Modeling and Management (EKAW 1997)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 1319))

Abstract

A knowledge-level analysis of complex tasks like diagnosis and design can give us a better understanding of these tasks in terms of the goals they aim to achieve and the different ways to achieve these goals. In this paper we present a knowledge-level analysis of redesign. Redesign is viewed as a family of methods based on some common principles, and a number of dimensions along which redesign problem solving methods can vary are distinguished. By examining the problem-solving behavior of a number of existing redesign systems and approaches, we came up with a collection of problem-solving methods for redesign and developed a task-method structure for redesign.

In constructing a system for redesign a large number of knowledge-related choices and decisions are made. In order to describe all relevant choices in redesign problem solving, we have to extend the current notion of possible relations between tasks and methods in a PSM architecture. The realization of a task by a problem-solving method, and the decomposition of a problem-solving method into sub-tasks are the most common relations in a PSM architecture. However, we suggest to extend these relations with the notions of task refinement and method refinement. These notions represent intermediate decisions in a task-method structure, in which the competence of a task or method is refined without immediately paying attention to its operationalization in terms of subtasks. Explicit representation of this kind of intermediate decisions helps to make and represent decisions in a more piecemeal fashion.

This work has been funded by NWO/SION within project 612-322-316, “Evolutionary design in knowledge-based systems” (the REVISE-project). Participants in the REVISE-project are: the TWIST group at the University of Amsterdam, the AI department oAmsterdam and the STEVIN group at the University

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Akkermans, H., Wielinga, B., & Schreiber, G. (1994). Steps in constructing problem solving methods. In Gaines, B. R. & Musen, M., editors, Proceedings of the 8th International Knowledge Acquisition Workshop (KAW'94), volume 2, pages 29.1–29.21, Banff, Alberta. University of Calgary, SRDG Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alterman, R. (1986). An adaptive planner. In Kehler, T., Rosenschein, S., Filman, R., & Patel-Schneider, P. F., editors, Proceedings of the 5th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-86), pages 65–69, Philadelphia, PA. Morgan Kaufman Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benjamins, V. R. (1993). Problem solving methods for diagnosis. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benjamins, V. R., Fensel, D., & Straatman, R. (1996). Assumptions of problem-solving methods and their role in knowledge engineering. In Wahlster, W., editor, Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI-96), pages 408–412, Budapest, Hungary. John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernaras, A. (1994). Problem-oriented and task-oriented models of design in the COMMONKADS framework. In Gero, J. S. & Sudweeks, F., editors, Artificial Intelligence in Design '94. Dordrecht, the Netherlands, Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brazier, F. M. T., Treur, J., & Wijngaards, N. J. E. (1996a). Interaction with experts: the role of a shared task model. In Wahlster, W., editor, Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI-96), pages 241–245, Budapest, Hungary. Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brazier, F. M. T., van Langen, P. H. G., Treur, J., & Wijngaards, N. J. E. (1996b). Redesign and reuse in compositional knowledge-based systems. Knowledge Based Systems, Special Issue on Models and Techniques for Reuse of Designs, 9(2):105–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brazier, F. M. T., van Langen, P. H. G., Treur, J., Wijngaards, N. J. E., & Willems, M. (1996c). Modelling an elevator design task in DESIRE: the VT example. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 46:469–520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chandrasekaran, B. (1988). Generic tasks as building blocks for knowledge-based systems: the diagnosis and routine design examples. The Knowledge Engineering Review, 3:183–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandrasekaran, B. (1990). Design problem solving: a task analysis. AI Magazine, 11(4):59–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daube, F. & Hayes-Roth, B. (1989). A case-based mechanical redesign system. In Shridharan, N. S., editor, Proceedings of the 11th Internat onal Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI-89), Detroit, Michigan. Morgan Kaufman Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eldonk, S. J. M., Alberts, L., Bakker, R., F. Dikker, & Wognum, P. (1996). Redesign of technical systems. Knowledge-Based Systems, Special Issue on Models and Techniques for Reuse of Designs, 9(2):93–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fensel, D. (1997). The tower-of-adapters method for developing and reusing problem-solving methods. In Proceedings of the European Knowledge Acquisition Workshop (EKAW-97). Springer-Verlag. Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI).

    Google Scholar 

  • Finn, D. P., Grimson, J. B., & Harty, N. M. (1992). An intelligent modelling assistant for preliminary analysis in design. In Gero, J., editor, Artificial intelligence in Design (AID'92), pages 579–596. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, G., Lemke, A. C., & Rathke, C. (1987). From design to redesign. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Software Engineering, pages 369–376, Washington, D.C. IEEE Computer Society Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Funk, P. J. & Robertson, D. (1994). Case-based support for the design of dynamic system requirements. In Proceedings of the 2nd European Workshop on Advances in Case-Based Reasoning (EWCBR-94), pages 211–225, Chantilly, France.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gennari, J., Tu, S., Rosenfluh, T., & Musen, M. (1994). Mapping domains to methods in support of reuse. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 41:399–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goel, A. K. (1991). A model-based approach to case adaptation. In Proceedings of the 13th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci'91), pages 143–148, Chicago, Illinois.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinrichs, T. & Kolodner, J. (1991). The roles of adaptation in case-based design. In Dean, T. & McKeown, K., editors, Proceedings of the 9th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-91), pages 28–33. AAAI Press/The MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolodner, J. (1993). Case-Based Reasoning. Morgan Kaufman Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maher, M. & Balacandran, B. (1994). Flexible retrieval strategies for case-based design. In Gero, J. & Sudweeks, F., editors, Artificial Intelligence in Design '94. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maher, M. L., Balachandran, M. B., & Zhang, D. M. (1995). Case-basedreasoning in design. Hove, UK, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcus, S., Stout, J., & McDermott, J. (1987). VT: an expert elevator designer that uses knowledge-based backtracking. AI Magazine, 8(4):39–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDermott, J. (1988). Preliminary steps toward a taxonomy of problem-solving methods. In Marcus, S., editor, Automating Knowledge Acquisition for Expert Systems, pages 225–255. Boston, Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mostow, J. (1989). Design by derivational analogy: Issues in the automated replay of design plans. Artificial Intelligence, 40:119–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O'Hara, K. & Shadbolt, N. (1993). Locating generic tasks. Knowledge Acquisition, 5:449–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pos, A. & Akkermans, J. M. (1996). 007: A system for automated model revision. In Javar, A., Lehmann, A., & Molnar, I., editors, Proceedings of the 10th European Simulation Multiconference (ESM'96), pages 50–54, Budapest, Hungary. SCS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pos, A., Akkermans, J. M., & Top, J. L. (1997). Automated model revision. IEEE Expert. In Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reubenstein, H. B. & Waters, R. C. (1991). The requirements apprentice: Automated assistance for requirements acquisition. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 17(3):226–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schank, R. C. & Leake, D. B. (1989). Creativity and learning in a case-based explainer. Artificial Intelligence, 40:353–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, B. & Keane, M. T. (1996). Using adaptation knowledge to retrieve and adapt design cases. Knowledge-based Systems, Special Issue on Models and Techniques for Reuse of Designs, 9(2):127–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steels, L. (1990). Components of expertise. AI Magazine, 11 (2):28–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straatman, R. (1995). Learning control knowledge in models of expertise. In Fensel, D., editor, Proceedings of the ECML-95 Workshop on Knowledge Level Modeling and Machnine Learning, pages 1.2.1–1.2.13, Heraklion, Greece.

    Google Scholar 

  • ten Teije, A., van Harmelen, F., Schreiber, A. T., & Wielinga, B. J. (1996). Construction of problem-solving methods as parametric design. In Gaines, B. R. & Musen, M. A., editors, Proceedings of the 10th Banff Knowledge Acquisition for Knowledge-Based Systems Workshop, volume 1, pages 12.1–12.21, Alberta, Canada. SRDG Publications, University of Calgary. track: Shareable and reusable problem-solving methods.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wielinga, B. J. & Schreiber, A. T. (1997). Configuration-design problem solving. IEEE Expert (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wielinga, B. J., Velde, W. V. D., Schreiber, A. T., & Akkermans, J. M. (1993). Towards a unification of knowledge modeling approaches. In David, J. M., Krivine, J. P., & Simmons, R., editors, Second-generation expert systems, chapter 14, pages 299–335. Berlin, Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wielinga, R. J. (1996). Requirements Engineering: Frameworks for Understanding. Chicester, England, John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Enric Plaza Richard Benjamins

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Pos, A., Akkermans, H., Straatman, R. (1997). Problem solving for redesign. In: Plaza, E., Benjamins, R. (eds) Knowledge Acquisition, Modeling and Management. EKAW 1997. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1319. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0026787

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0026787

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-63592-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69606-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics