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Applications of Machine Learning: Towards knowledge synthesis

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Abstract

This paper shows, by discussing a number of Machine Learning (ML) applications, that the existing ML techniques can be effectively applied in knowledge acquisition for expert systems, thereby alleviating the known knowledge acquisition bottleneck. Analysis in domains of practical interest indicates that the performance accuracy of knowledge induced through learning from examples compares very favourably with the accuracy of best human experts. Also, in addition to accuracy, there are encouraging examples regarding the clarity and meaningfulness of induced knowledge. This points towards automated knowledge synthesis, although much further research is needed in this direction. The state of the art of some approaches to Machine Learning is assessed relative to their practical applicability and the characteristics of a problem domain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Ljubljana University, Tržaška 25, 61000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Ivan Bratko

  2. J. Stefan Institute, Tržaška 25, 61000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Ivan Bratko

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  1. Ivan Bratko
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Ivan Bratko, Ph. D.: He is professor at the Faculty of Electrical Eng. and Computer Science, Ljubljana University, Slovenia. He heads the AI laboratories at J. Stefan Institute and the University. He is also fellow of the Turing Institute, Glasgow, Scotland, and the chairman of the International School for the Synthesis of Expert Knowledge (ISSEK, based in Udine, Italy). He has conducted research in machine learning, knowledge-based systems, qualitative modelling, intelligent robotics, heuristic programming and computer chess. Currently he is the principal researcher of the project Automated Knowledge Synthesis, and is collaborating in the European Esprit III Basic Research Project Inductive Logic Programming. Ivan Bratko received his B. Sc. and Ph. D degrees from Ljubljana University, Slovenia.

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Bratko, I. Applications of Machine Learning: Towards knowledge synthesis. New Gener Comput 11, 343–360 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037182

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