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Problems

1 September, 2015 - 12:06

1.

Select a software package to which you have access that incorporates an intelligent agent. Describe the actions of the intelligent agent and how these actions assist in the use of this package.

2.

Assume that you are the owner of a small local business of your choosing. Assume further that you are trying to decide if you want to extend your business by adding an e-business component. For each of the decision-making steps—intelligence, design, and choice—describe the information that you will need and the source of that information.

3.

For their maintenance and repair division, Otis Elevator had a goal of not being noticed. That is, the company wanted its elevators to work all the time. They wanted to anticipate when any elevator would need repair and to get the right person, with the right parts and knowledge, to fix any elevator that is having, or may have, a problem. Describe how the company could accomplish this objective by applying the technology introduced in this chapter. For each technology application, describe how it will be used to help achieve the objective.

4.

While studying for your open-book final exam in biology, you daydream about having access to an expert system during the exam that would help you get all the correct answers. Based on the ES components described in Technology Insight 5.3, describe the contents of the ES. Describe where each of the following would be found:

 

a.

Contents of the textbook

 

b.

Your lecture notes

 

c.

Problem background provided on the exam

 

d.

Your personal experience with nature

 

e.

Your common sense

 

f.

Answers to questions you have about the objective of a problem

 

Which kinds of questions (e.g., multiple choice, true/false, short essay, problem solving) would the expert system best help you to answer? For which kinds would a neural net be better?

5.

Many full-time students aim to complete their college education in a four-year period. Often, students join clubs, fraternities or sororities, or other campus organizations while in school. Since membership in these organizations changes radically each year, it would be very useful for the membership to create and use a knowledge management system to record the “organizational memory” of its prior officers, members, and event planners. Describe the contents of such a knowledge management system for an organization to which you belong. Discuss how your organization might design, create, use and control access to the system.

6.

Search the Web to locate the home page of an OLAP or business intelligence software vendor. Download a demo version of the software and try it. Is it easy to use? Does it provide a good level of flexibility? Overall, how would you evaluate the software?