Expert systems can be valuable because of their educational fea ture. Working with a well-developed expert system can really be like work ing with a human expert. Just as a per son can learn by working with an ex pert, so too can a person learn by work ing with an expert system. Continued experience with a working expert sys tem will often reveal the expert's strat egy for solving a problem. When that occurs, it might be inefficient to contin ue using the expert system—the user might have become as good as or better than the original expert. Enthusiasm and optimism
Any new technology goes through three stages of application: the blue skies pe riod, during which it seems that any problem can be solved by the applica tion of the new technology; the disen chanted period, during which it is dis covered that the technology has been oversold; and the mature period, dur ing which most of the true strengths and limitations have been discovered and the technology can now be proper ly applied. We have all seen this with analytical chemistry applications of ro botics (which now seems to be at the "mature" stage). Expert systems are probably enter ing or passing through the disenchant ed period right now. Fortunately, the feeling of exhilaration that comes with the discovery of strong expert systems
is usually more than enough to offset the feelings of discouragement that come with the discovery of their limita tions. As analytical chemists explore the use of expert systems, they will dis cover the true strengths and limita tions of the different types of expert systems. References (1) Dessy, R. Anal. Chem. 1984,56,1200 A. (2) DryLab, LC Resources Inc., San Jose, CA (3) Le, L. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Houston, 1987. (4) Oliver, R. Ph.D. Dissertation, Universi ty of Houston, 1987. (5) Van Horn, M. Understanding Expert Systems; Bantam Books: New York, 1986. (6) Harmon, P.; King, D. Expert Systems; Wiley: New York, 1985. (7) Waterman, D. A. A Guide to Expert Systems; Addison-Wesley: Reading, MA, 1986. (8) Buydens, L.; Massart, D. L.; Hopke, P. K. Chemometrics and Intelligent Lab oratory Systems 1988,3,199-204. (9) Otto, M. Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems 1988,4,101-20. (10) Zadeh, L. A. CHEMTECH 1987, 17, 340-44; 406-10. (11) Harrington, E. C. Industrial Quality Control 1965,21,494-98. (12) Richards, B. L. BYTE 1988, 23(4), 285-90. (13) Settle, F. Α., Jr. Presented at the Pitts burgh Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, LA, 1988; paper 1115. (14) Isenhour, T. L.; Marshall, J. C. Pre sented at the Eastern Analytical Sympo sium, New York, 1986; paper 328. (15) Epp, H; Kalin, M.; Miller, D. Science 1988,240,824-30.
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Stanley N. Deming (top left) is professor of analytical chemistry at the Univer sity of Houston. He received a B.A. degree from Carleton College and an M.S. degree and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. His interests include the use of experimental design and optimization techniques in the design of quality analyti cal methods, pattern recognition, and decision analysis expert systems. Lan Le (top right) received a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Houston in 1987. She has worked extensively with traditional rule-based expert systems as well as with decision analysis expert systems. She is currently em ployed by MBA Labs in Houston. Johnny R. Arretteig (bottom left), Allan R. de Monchy (bottom center), and Alan R. Forster (bottom right) are members of the Analytical Directorate of Westhollow Research Center. Their research interests include chromatographic sciences, elemental analysis, and general laboratory automation through hard ware and software developments.
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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 60, NO. 23, DECEMBER 1, 1988 • 1361 A
