Features of second-generation expert systems-An extended overview

Second-generation expert systems emerged recently in order to overcome the shortcomings and limitations of first-generation expert systems. This paper presents a systematic and extended overview of second-generation expert-system features. In order to emphasize the improvements introduced by the second generation, a detailed discussion of the shortcomings and limitations of first-generation expert systems is also presented. Several examples of second-generation expert-system research, development and application are discussed. The examples provide a precise insight into the state of the art in the field.