Focusing on fundamental scientific and engineering issues, this book communicates the principles of building and using knowledge systems from the conceptual standpoint as well as the practical Previous treatments of knowledge systems have focusedon applications within a particular field, or on symbol-level representations, such as the оеэтя use of frame and rule representations Introduction to Knowledge Systems presents fundamentals of symbol-level representations including representationsfor time, space, uncertainty, and vagueness It also compares the knowledge-level organizations for three common knowledge-intensive tasks: classification, configuration, and diagnosis The art of building knowledge systems incorporates computer science theory, programming practice, and psychology The scope of this book is appropriately broad, ranging from the design of hierarchical search algorithms to techniques for acquiring the task-specific knowledge needed for successful applications Each chapter proceeds from concepts to applications, and closes with a brief tour of current research topics and open issues Readers will come away with a solid foundation that will enable them to create real-world knowledge systems usingwhatever tools and programming languages are most current and appropriate.  MenscheISBN 155860166X.