Best Problems and Solutions

Chapter 13

Multiple Choice Questions

1. To achieve true intelligence, computers must do all of the following except:

a. understand common sense

b. understand facts and manipulate qualitative data
c. deal with exceptions and discontinuity
d. all of the above
2. AI encompasses which of the following related technologies? (Choose all that
apply.)

a. Electronic data processing

b. Expert systems
c. Genetic algorithms
d. Intelligent agents
3. Expert systems have been used in which of the following fields? (Choose all
that apply.)

a. Aerospace
b. Airline industry
c. Payroll processing
d. Banking and finance
4. Which of the following is a component of an expert system? (Choose all that
apply.)

a. Knowledge acquisition facility

b. Knowledge base
c. Knowledge base management system
d. Transaction-processing system
5. Some important capabilities of a sophisticated intelligent agent include which
of the following? (Choose all that apply.)

a. Adaptability
b. Autonomy
 c. Collaborative behavior
d. All of the above
6. Which of the following is a type of intelligent agent? (Choose all that apply.)

a. Shopping agent
b. Personal agent
c. Payroll agent
d. Monitoring and surveillance agents

True/False Questions

7. An expert system consists of programs that attempt to mimic human thought

behavior in a specific area that human experts have solved successfully. True
or False?

8. When fuzzy logic is applied to computers, it does not accommodate the

complex approximation of human reasoning process and provides a crisp
conclusion. True or False?

9. An ANN uses a large number of connected microprocessors and software to

solve a problem. True or False?

10. Genetic algorithms apply a set of adaptive procedures used in a computer

system that are based on Darwin's theory of natural selection and survival of
the fittest. True or False?

11. Automatic paraphrasing is not a use of NLP. True or False?

12. Membership in fuzzy logic is the degree of exclusion in a set. True or False?

Solutions to Multiple Choice and True/False Questions

1. D
2. B,C,D
3. A,B,D
4. A,B,C
5. D
6. A,B,D
 7. TRUE
8. FALSE
9. TRUE
10. TRUE
11. FALSE
12. FALSE

Projects

Answers to projects will vary.

1. Go to the Alyuda Research Company’s Web site (www.alyuda.com). What are

some software products and services this company offers, and what are their
unique features? Who are some of this company’s competitors?

2. Nuance Communications (www.nuance.com) is a major provider of speech

and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers. Visit the company’s Web
site and examine its speech products. What are some advantages of using
these products instead of traditional computer languages for user interfaces?
What are some disadvantages?

3. Case-based reasoning has been used as a problem-solving technique in real-

life situations. Write a two-page report on the applications of this AI
technology in the business world.

4. Agents, Inc. Firefly, Excite Jango, Intel Smart NewsReader, and the
University of Michigan’s AuctionBot are four examples of intelligent agents
used in e-commerce. Write a two-page report on how these intelligent agents
are used.

5. Write a two-page report on how fuzzy logic has been used in appliances,
including advantages these appliances have.

6. Write a two-page report on how artificial neural networks have been used in
stock market analysis.
 7. Write a two-page report on the applications of genetic algorithms, and
compare them with other AI technologies discussed in this chapter.

8. Write a two-page report on the applications of NLP in database query systems,

including the advantages of NLP over traditional query languages.

9. Handwriting recognition is a promising application of AI technologies. Write

a two-page report on how this technology is used in business, including its
unique advantages.

10. Watch the video on AI at

www.archive.org/details/CC1024_artificial_intelligence, and write a two-page
paper describing artificial intelligence and summarizing some successful
applications of this technology.

Review Questions

1. What are some examples of AI-related technologies?

Answer—AI-related technologies include robotics, expert systems, fuzzy
logic systems, intelligent agents, artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms,
and natural language processing.
2. In which settings have robotics been the most successful?
Answer—They perform well at simple, repetitive tasks and can be used to free
workers from tedious or hazardous jobs.
3. What is the role of a knowledge acquisition facility in an expert system? Of an
inference engine?
Answer—A knowledge acquisition facility is a software package with manual
or automated methods for acquiring and incorporating new rules and facts so
that the expert system is capable of growth. An inference engine is similar to
the model base component of a decision support system. By using different
techniques, such as forward and backward chaining, it manipulates a series of
rules.
4. Give some examples of situations in which using an expert system isn’t
suitable.
Answer—The following types of problems are unsuitable for expert systems:
 Very few rules (less than 10) are included. Solving these types of
problems with human experts is more effective.
 Too many rules (usually more than 10,000) are included because
processing is slowed down to unacceptable levels.
  Well-structured numerical problems (such as payroll processing) are
involved, as standard transaction processing methods can solve these
problems more quickly and economically.
 Problems are in areas that are too wide and shallow, meaning they
cover a broad range, and not many rules are involved. Expert systems
work better in deep and narrow problem areas.
5. Describe the differences and similarities between expert systems and case-
based reasoning.
Answer—Expert systems mimic human expertise in a field to solve a problem
in a well-defined area. Case-based reasoning (CBR) is a problem-solving
technique that matches a new case (problem) with a previously solved case
and its solution stored in a database. After searching for a match, the CBR
system offers a solution; if no match can be found, even after supplying more
information, the human expert must solve the problem.
6. What is fuzzy logic?
Answer—Fuzzy logic allows a smooth, gradual transition between human and
computer vocabularies and deals with variations in linguistic terms by using a
degree of membership.
7. What are some applications of an artificial neural network?
Answer—ANNs are used for many tasks, including the following:
 Bankruptcy prediction
 Credit rating
 Investment analysis
 Oil and gas exploration
 Target marketing
8. What are some similarities and differences between expert systems and
artificial neural networks?
Answer—Expert systems have memory and are able to explain their results
and usually do not have learning capability. Artificial neural networks do not
have memory and are not able to explain their results but they can learn.
9. What are some applications of genetic algorithms?
Answer—Genetic algorithms are used for optimization problems that deal
with many input variables, such as jet engine design, portfolio development,
network design, and so forth.
10. What are the differences between NLP and traditional computer languages?
Answer—Traditional computer languages are more difficult to learn and use
compared to NLP which provide a user-friendly interface particularly for
those users who are not all that familiar with computer technologies. A true
 NLP enables a user to interact with a computer in his or her own natural
language.
11. What are the advantages of integrating AI technologies with decision support
systems?
Answer—AI-related technologies, such as expert systems, natural language
processing, and artificial neural networks, can improve the quality of decision
support systems (DSSs). They can add explanation capabilities (by integrating
expert systems) and learning capabilities (by integrating ANNs) and create an
interface that’s easier to use (by integrating an NLP system).