An Automated Consultant for MACSYMA

Laboratory for Computer Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Consider a person trying to solve a problem with a computer system he does not fully understand. And assume that, although he has encountered a difficulty due to his lack of knowledge, he is unwilling to learn more about the system than is necessary to solve the problem. The simplest way for him to acquire just the information he needs and no more is to consult an expert. Consultation is a method widely used in computer centers as well as in domains like business, law, and medicine. Unfortunately, human consultants are a scarce resource and quite expensive. The purpose of this paper is to propose as an alternative an automated consultant and, in doing so, to outline its requirements and publicize a current research effort* directed toward constructing such a consultant for the algebraic manipulation system MACSYMA. Such a program should be able to converse with its user in English about a difficulty he has encountered and provide advice tailored to his need. As currently conceived, the MACSYMA Advisor would be a program distinct from MACSYMA with its own separate data base and expertise.