VP-Expert

VP-Expert is an artificial intelligence development tool that gained popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. Published by Paperback Software, VP-Expert was designed to facilitate the creation of rule-based expert systems, primarily for applications in business and industry.^[1][2]

VP-Expert
Initial release	1987
Stable release	/ 1993
Operating system	MS-DOS
Type	Expert System Development Tool
License	Proprietary

Features

VP-Expert incorporated several features that supported the development and deployment of expert systems:^[3]

• Rule-Based Reasoning: VP-Expert utilized a rule-based inference engine to process knowledge represented as IF-THEN rules.^[3]
• Backward Chaining: The system primarily employed backward chaining, a goal-driven reasoning strategy, to deduce conclusions or solutions based on the given facts and rules.^[3]
• User Interface: VP-Expert offered a user-friendly interface for knowledge acquisition, simplifying the process of defining rules, facts, and goals.^[4]
• Explanation Facility: The system was capable of providing explanations for its reasoning, enhancing user understanding of how conclusions were reached.^[4]

Applications

VP-Expert found applications across various domains. In environmental analysis, researchers used VP-Expert to develop a knowledge-based system for analyzing the impact of particulate matter air pollution on human health.^[5] In engineering design, VP-Expert was utilized in the creation of a prototype expert system to assist in fishway design.^[6] In aviation management, the tool was employed to develop an expert system aimed at maximizing airport capacity while adhering to noise-mitigation plans.^[7]

Limitations

While VP-Expert offered certain advantages, it also had limitations. Its rule-based approach could become challenging to manage for large and complex knowledge bases,^[4] and the process of eliciting and encoding knowledge from experts could be time-consuming and difficult. ^[4]