On the design of an expert help system for computer algebra systems

TL;DR

This paper discusses the design and implementation of Smart Help, an expert help system for Computer Algebra Systems, focusing on REDUCE, using a hybrid knowledge representation and production system approach.

Contribution

It introduces Smart Help, a novel expert help system architecture for Computer Algebra Systems, based on MANTRA and implemented in Lisp for REDUCE.

Findings

Prototype successfully implemented on SUN workstation

Smart Help demonstrates potential for aiding users of Computer Algebra Systems

System architecture is extendable to other CAS beyond REDUCE

Abstract

It is our intention here only to discuss the nature, complexity and tools concerning the design of Smart Help, an expert help facility for aiding users of Computer Algebra Systems. Although the expert help system presented here has been particularly oriented to REDUCE (as a consequence of our former experience with this system), we point out that the concept of Smart Help can be extended to other Computer Algebra Systems. Technically, Smart Help is a Production System on the top of a particular implementation of MANTRA, a hybrid knowledge representation system, which has REDUCE integrated as an additional knowledge representation module. Since the heuristic level of MANTRA has not yet been implemented, being presently represented by the Lisp language itself, Smart Help is coded in Lisp and resides in the same Lisp session of MANTRA. A prototype of Smart Help is now running on a SUN work-station on an experimental basis.