Case-based reasoning (CBR) is the enterprise of solving new problems by analogy with old ones. Problems and their solutions are stored as cases, and to solve a new problem, a CBR system retrieves a case of a similar problem, and adapts its solution to solve the new problem.
Given the shortcomings of AI systems that reason only from first principles, I believe that CBR will be key to making computers more intelligent than man next century. For complex problems, CBR promises greater efficiency than solving problems from scratch. Cases can suggest solutions even to ill-defined problems in weak-theory domains for which there may be no adequate set of rules or hard-wired algorithms. CBR systems can learn from experience (by acquiring new cases), and so can improve their own efficiency and competence over time. Analogy is key to creativity, since new knowledge derives not from nowhere, but from a combination of old knowledge.
Although many of today's CBR systems use retrieval without automated adaptation, I firmly believe that the power of true CBR comes from the combination of retrieval and adaptation. Only by using both together will computers surpass all human capabilities. Adaptation will be the most major challenge for CBR over the coming decades.
"Case-Based Reasoning": an overview paper written by me
Proposed CS3461 Syllabus
CBR Bibliography
External links
AI-CBR
Institute for Learning Sciences
CISA 494 course at Loyola University
External links: Conferences and workshops
ICCBR 2001 (4th International Conference on CBR)
ES99 (19th SGES International Conference on KBS and Applied AI)
UKCBR4 (4th UK CBR Workshop, 1999)
ICCBR Home Page
ICCBR-99 (3rd International Conference on CBR)
EWCBR 98 (4th European Workshop on CBR)
ECAI 1996: Adaptation
AAAI 1995 Fall Symposium: Adaptation of Knowledge for Reuse
External links: Applications of CBR
Chris Price's CBR page (for CASPIAN)
CASUEL: A Common Case Representation Language
Broderbund - The GizmoTapper: contact Eric Levinson
Information Service Agents Lab at Simon Fraser University
Roger Schank's FTP directory (Inside Case-Based Reasoning)
Bruce Porter's FTP directory (Inside Case-Based Reasoning)
External links: Research-groups
Case-Based Reasoning at UMCS
CBR Group at the University of Massachusetts
University of Kaiserlautern CBR Home Page
IRST's CBR Home Page
CBR Group at Simon Fraser University
External links: People
Sanja Petrovic
Janet Kolodner
Barry Smyth
Mark Keane
Padraig Cunningham
Nick Filer
David Leake
Agnar Aamodt
Enric Plaza
Ralph Bergmann
Ian Watson
Manuela Veloso
David Aha
Michael Lehane
Amarnath Poola
Michel Jaczynski
Email me