Validating rule-based algorithms

Abstract

A rule-based system is a series of if-then statements that utilizes a set of assertions, to which rules are created on how to act upon those assertions. Rule-based systems often construct the basis of software artifacts which can provide answers to problems in place of human experts. Such systems are also referred as expert systems. Rule-based solutions are also widely applied in artificial intelligence-based systems, and graph rewriting is one of the most frequently applied implementation techniques for their realization. As the necessity for reliable rule-based systems increases, so emerges the field of research regarding verification and validation of graph rewriting-based approaches. Verification and validation indicate determining the accuracy of a model transformation / rule-based system, and ensure that the processing output satisfies specific conditions. This paper introduces the concept of taming the complexity of these verification/validation solutions by starting with the most general case and moving towards more specific solutions. Furthermore, we provide a dynamic (online) method to support the validation of algorithms designed and executed in rule-based systems. The proposed approach is based on a graph rewriting-based solution.