Dealing with not fully described objects in decision support systems: alternative approaches

Not fully described objects may be seen in many different areas and applications - from medicine and up to space apparatus control. Starting to de-sign and develop a decision support system, which should work with not fully described objects, we may choose between alternatives. One of two approaches compared in this article is based on logical deduction according to a priory specified rules. Here the “IF-THEN” productions are intensively used. Another approach, which is often called case-based, assumes the presence of case base filled by real and/or artificial (model) cases. This second approach does not insist on rules and object models, but it is much closer to the mental model used when humans are thinking.