Production system (computer science)

A production system (or production rule system) is a <a href="/facts/Computer_program/e38jH9N9">computer program</a> typically used to provide some form of <a href="/facts/Artificial_intelligence/lJGauQwX">artificial intelligence</a>, which consists primarily of a set of rules about behavior, but also includes the mechanism necessary to follow those rules as the system responds to states of the world. Those rules, termed productions, are a basic <a href="/facts/Knowledge_representation/9lnzyILD">knowledge representation</a> found useful in <a href="/facts/Automated_planning_and_scheduling/VL1TcrmD">automated planning and scheduling</a>, <a href="/facts/Expert_systems/CUCzSEaX">expert systems</a>, and <a href="/facts/Action_selection/PQPAvJvl">action selection</a>.
Productions consist of two parts: a sensory precondition (or "IF" statement) and an action ("THEN"). If a production's precondition matches the current <a href="/facts/State_(computer_science)/4Yu8xXHS">state</a> of the world, then the production is said to be triggered. If a production's action is <a href="/facts/Execution_(computers)/1fyfGMFm">executed</a>, it has fired. A production system also contains a database, sometimes called <a href="/facts/Working_memory/kzeDD3KQ">working memory</a>, which maintains data about the current state or knowledge, and a rule interpreter. The rule interpreter must provide a mechanism for prioritizing productions when more than one is triggered.

Production system (computer science) open-in-new

Production system (computer science)