Application areas and added value of knowledge base systems

Abstract A knowledge base system is characterized by a separation between application-dependent knowledge and application-independent deduction rules. When used in a business environment, it is not clear what added value this separation has, over conventional systems. It also is not clear what characteristics make a problem tractable for a solution using a knowledge base system. This paper tries to formulate answers to these questions. In order to obtain a sound basis for discussion, a formal model of a knowledge base system is presented.