Chapter 15 Intelligent Systems

Programming Right From the Start with Visual Basic.NET

CHAPTER 15

Intelligent Systems

True-False Questions

1. “Information Overload” occurs because information increases in a linear fashion each year. Answer: False Level: Hard Section: 15-1 Page: 411

2. The increasing sophistication of computing technology can lead to Information Overload, but it can also support intelligent systems, which use information to create useful knowledge. Answer: True Level: Moderate Section: 15-1 Page: 411

3. Computer technology can be seen as a tool that improves the efficiency of information workers. Answer: True Level: Easy Section: 15-1 Page: 411

4. Numbers and characters, as stored in variables on a computer, are examples of information. Answer: False Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

5. The processing of knowledge leads to information. Answer: False Level: Easy Section: 15-2 Page: 412

6. Data must be viewed within a framework or context to have any meaning. Answer: True Level: Easy Section: 15-2 Page: 412

7. Intelligent systems are used to gather and use knowledge. Answer: True Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

8. Intelligence is seen as the process of turning knowledge into data and information. Answer: False Level: Easy Section: 15-2 Page: 412

9. To be intelligent a computer system must apply the appropriate knowledge to a situation. Answer: True Level: Moderate Section: 15-3 Page: 412

10. Expert systems are designed to deliver expert information on demand. Answer: False Level: Moderate Section: 15-3 Page: 415

15 - 1 Chapter 15 – Intelligent Systems

11. Expert systems work by capturing rules that can be applied in future situations. Answer: True Level: Hard Section: 15-3 Page: 415

12. Data mining is used to search for patterns in data collected from everyday business activity. Answer: True Level: Moderate Section: 15-3 Page: 415

13. A heuristic is defined as an information rule derived from experience. Answer: False Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 415

14. Heuristics are classified as either domain-specific or general purpose. Answer: True Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 416

15. “Act in haste, repent in leisure” is an example of a domain-specific heuristic. Answer: False Level: Easy Section: 15-4 Page: 416

16. Heuristics cannot easily be used with problems that are made up of a series of actions and states. Answer: False Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 416

17. A heuristic function is used to quantify the state of a problem. Answer: True Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 417

18. An advantage of heuristics is that they can easily adapt based on past experience. Answer: False Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 428

19. Heuristics are easy to implement for complex problems. Answer: False Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 428

20. Positive and negative reinforcement can only alter the behavior of living systems such as rats. Answer: False Level: Easy Section: 15-5 Page: 428

21. MENACE stands for Matchbox Educable Noughts and Crosses Engine. Answer: True Level: Easy Section: 15-5 Page: 428

22. MENACE is a computer program that can learn from past experience. Answer: False Level: Moderate Section: 15-5 Page: 428

Multiple Choice Questions

23. Information overload means that: a.) information is being generated at an exponential rate. b.) workers are overwhelmed with information from many sources. c.) there is no hope for a worker to manage the excess of information. d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

Answer: d Level: Easy Section: 15-1 Page: 411

24. Numbers, characters, or bits stored in the memory of a computer are viewed as: a.) data. b.) knowledge. c.) information. d.) intelligence. e.) wisdom.

Answer: a Level: Easy Section: 15-2 Page: 412

25. The processing of numbers and characters leads to: a.) data. b.) knowledge. c.) information. d.) intelligence. e.) wisdom.

Answer: c Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

26. Patterns observed from months of sales reports can lead to: a.) data. b.) knowledge. c.) information. d.) intelligence. e.) wisdom.

Answer: b Level: Hard Section: 15-2 Page: 412

27. Graphs, reports, and tables are examples of: a.) data. b.) knowledge. c.) information. d.) intelligence. e.) wisdom.

28. Intelligent systems are used to gather and process: a.) data. b.) knowledge. c.) information. d.) intelligence. e.) wisdom.

Answer: b Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

29. The ability to use knowledge to guide decision making is called: a.) analysis. b.) data. c.) information. d.) intelligence. e.) wisdom.

Answer: e Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

30. An intelligent computer program would be able to: a.) apply the appropriate knowledge needed to solve a problem. b.) identify the appropriate knowledge needed to solve a problem. c.) store the appropriate knowledge needed to solve a problem. d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

Answer: d Level: Hard Section: 15-3 Page: 412

31. The ability to solve a problem requires the ability to: a.) identify relevant data. b.) identify relevant information. c.) identify relevant knowledge. d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

32. Which type of computer applications are used by businesses for problem solving? a.) Data mining b.) Expert systems c.) Conventional computing systems d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

Answer: d Level: Moderate Section: 15-3 Page: 415

33. Using heuristics to solve a problem requires: a.) a set of rules applied that can be applied to the problem. b.) knowledge about the specific problem. c.) experience with the problem. d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

Answer: e Level: Hard Section: 15-4 Page: 415

34. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is an example of a: a.) domain-specific heuristic. b.) general-purpose level heuristic. c.) heuristic function. d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

Answer: b Level: Easy Section: 15-4 Page: 416

35. In order to use heuristics to solve a problem, we have to break the problem into components of: a.) actions and characteristics. b.) actions and processes. c.) actions and states. d.) processes and characteristics. e.) processes and reinforcements.

36. A heuristic function: a.) assigns a value to each action of a problem. b.) assigns a value to each state of a problem. c.) compares all actions of a problem. d.) compares all states of a problem. e.) None of the above.

37. Increasing the probability of an action associated with a successful outcome is analogous to a: a.) negative reinforcement. b.) positive reinforcement. c.) punishment. d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

38. MENACE is one of the first examples of a ______learning system to successfully play tic-tac- toe. a.) computer program b.) living c.) non-living d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

39. When does learning occur for the MENACE and MLearning examples in the textbook? a.) Before each game. b.) During each game. c.) After each game. d.) Both a and b. e.) All of the above.

Fill in the Blank Questions

40. Getting information from many sources every day (voice messages, emails, pagers, cell phones, paper documents, PDAs, etc) is an example of ___information overload___. Level: Easy Section: 15-1 Page: 411

41. Technologies that process and produce knowledge are called ___intelligent (knowledge) systems___. Level: Moderate Section: 15-1 Page: 411

42. An information worker must be able to use technology as a(n) ___tool___ to create knowledge. Level: Moderate Section: 15-1 Page: 411

43. Variables of numbers, characters, and images are called ___Data___. Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

44. The processing of data in a given situation generates ___information___. Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

45. Patterns of information can generate ___knowledge___. Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

46. Intelligence is defined as the capacity to accumulate ___knowledge___. Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

47. Following the best course of action based on one’s knowledge is called ___wisdom___. Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

48. A typical computer system designed to fill catalog orders processes ___data___ and ___information___. Level: Moderate Section: 15-2 Page: 412

49. The ability to identify ___relevant knowledge___ is essential to problem solving. Level: Moderate Section: 15-3 Page: 413

50. A(n) ___expert system___ is used to capture expert knowledge for use in the future. Level: Easy Section: 15-3 Page: 415

51. ___Data mining___ techniques are used to find patterns and relationships with everyday business events. Level: Moderate Section: 15-3 Page: 415

52. A heuristic is a ___rule___ for solving a problem. Level: Easy Section: 15-4 Page: 415

53. A heuristic is based on ___(past) experience___. Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 415

54. “Save your work every 10 minutes” is a(n) ___domain-specific___ type of heuristic. Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 416

55. A heuristic function will measure the goodness of a(n) ___state___ in a problem. Level: Moderate Section: 15-4 Page: 417

56. MENACE is an early example of a ___non-living___ system that could learn. Level: Moderate Section: 15-5 Page: 428

57. A system that changes its behavior based on previous experiences is called a(n) ___intelligent___ system. Level: Moderate Section: 15-5 Page: 428

58. A(n) ___reinforcement___ will increase the likelihood of a trained behavior. Level: Hard Section: 15-5 Page: 428

Essay Questions

59. What is the sequence of events by which data is turned into action?

When data is stored on a computer it has no meaning outside of the design of the program that creates it. Computer programs give context to data and transforms data into information. Information can be thought of as facts relating to the business problem.

Patterns observed in the information will generate knowledge, which can be thought of as rules that describe what to do in different situations. Intelligence is the ability to generate knowledge. An intelligent computer system aids in the discovery of knowledge, such as a data mining system.

Appropriate actions are finally generated by individuals with the wisdom to use the appropriate knowledge at hand in order to solve the business problems facing them.

60. What is a heuristic? How does it differ from a computer system that can learn?

A heuristic is a rule based on the knowledge of a particular problem. Experience with a particular type of problem gives experts the knowledge of how to solve the problem. Rules generated by experts can be codified and used to create expert systems.

To be useful the rules should be domain-specific. A problem that can be conceptualized as having states and actions that can be quantified can by solved with a computer system using heuristic rules.

Once the computer system is generated, it analyzes any particular situation and generates an appropriate response based on the fixed rules hard coded into the program.

A computer system that learns collects data after each attempt to solve a problem. The responses that it generates to solve the problem will slowly change over time until it finds the best possible responses to each particular situation. Thus given a particular set of inputs the heuristic will always generate the exact same response to that situation, the learning system will change its responses until it finds the best possible output.

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