Your problem is to diagnose faults in any hair dryer, using a representation scheme which uses logic as its basis.

1. Describe the functional behavior of the components of hair dryers and their interrelationships, using appropriate expressions in first-order predicate calculus. Use function symbols to express the relationship between the dryer and its parts. (30 points)

Express the dryer's behavior using both diagnostic rules AND causal rule

Include a rule or rules that expresses the `single fault hypothesis', which says that one and only one component is faulty at any one time.

2. Give one example of how a diagnosis can be made by representing the dryer and its faulty symptoms and then using resolution (or an equivalent logical proof technique) to draw a conclusion about the faulty component or components. (40 points)

3. State the limitations of the diagnostic and causal formulations of diagnosis with reference to the dryer task. Using the same basic knowledge of the hair dryer, Outline an alternative approach to diagnosis that use either analogical or case-based reasoning

methods. (30 points)

The knowledge needed to describe a dryer and its faults contains at least the following:

1. a dryer has a switch, a fan, a heater and a wiring harness.

2. the wiring harness connects the switch to the fan and the heater,

3. if the wiring harness is faulty either the fan or the heater will

4. if the switch is faulty neither the fan nor the heater will work.

5. if any of the fan, the heater, the wiring or the switch is faulty, then the dryer is faulty.

6. Possible observations are that the fan blows air or not, that the heater heats up or not, that the switch is loose or not and/or that

Last modified: July 19, 2000.
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