RAPS - A RULE-BASED LANGUAGE FOR SPECIFYING RESOURCE-ALLOCATION AND TIME-TABLING PROBLEMS

A general language for specifying resource allocation and time-tabling problems is presented. The language is based on an expert system para digm that was developed previously by the authors and that enables the solution of resource allocation problems by using experts' knowledge and heuristics. The language enables the specification of a problem in terms of resources, activities, allocation rules, and constraints, an d thus provides a convenient knowledge acquisition tool. The language syntax is powerful and allows the specification of rules and constrain ts that are very difficult to formulate with traditional approaches, a nd it also supports the specification of various control and backtrack ing strategies. We constructed a generalized inference engine that run s compiled resource allocation problem specification language (RAPS) p rograms and provides all necessary control structures. This engine act s as an expert system shell and is called expert system for resource a llocation (ESRA). The performance of RAPS combined with ESRA is demons trated by analyzing its solution of a typical resource allocation prob lem.