Integrating spatial relations into case-based reasoning to solve geographic problems

The Nature-Based Solutions Case-Based System: A hybrid expert system

Deriving knowledge and learning from past experiences is essential for the successful adoption of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as novel integrative solutions that involve many uncertainties. Past experiences in implementing NBS have been collected in a number of repositories; however, it is a major challenge to derive knowledge from the huge amount of information provided by these repositories. This calls for information systems that can facilitate the knowledge extraction process. This paper introduces the NBS Case-Based System (NBS-CBS), an expert system that uses a hybrid architecture to derive information and recommendations from an NBS experience repository. The NBS-CBS combines a 'black-box' artificial neural networks model with a 'white-box' case-based reasoning model to deliver an intelligent, adaptive, and explainable system. Experts have tested this system to assess its functionality and accuracy. Accordingly, the NBS-CBS appears to provide inspirational recommendations and information for the NBS planning and design process.

An Associated Representation Method for Defining Agricultural Cases in a Case-Based Reasoning System for Fast Case Retrieval

As an artificial intelligence technique, case-based reasoning has considerable potential to build intelligent systems for smart agriculture, providing farmers with advice about farming operation management. A proper case representation method plays a crucial role in case-based reasoning systems. Some methods like textual, attribute-value pair, and ontological representations have been well explored by researchers. However, these methods may lead to inefficient case retrieval when a large volume of data is stored in the case base. Thus, an associated representation method is proposed in this paper for fast case retrieval. Each case is interconnected with several similar and dissimilar ones. Once a new case is reported, its features are compared with historical data by similarity measurements for identifying a relative similar past case. The similarity of associated cases is measured preferentially, instead of comparing all the cases in the case base. Experiments on case retrieval were performed between the associated case representation and traditional methods, following two criteria: the number of visited cases and retrieval accuracy. The result demonstrates that our proposal enables fast case retrieval with promising accuracy by visiting fewer past cases. In conclusion, the associated case representation method outperforms traditional methods in the aspect of retrieval efficiency.

U. Reasoning Temporally Attributed Spatial Entity Knowledge Towards Qualitative Inference of Geographic Process

Knowledge discovery with geo-spatial information processing is of prime importance in geomorphology. The temporal characteristics of evolving geographic features result in geo-spatial events that occur at a specific geographic location. Those events when consecutively occur result in a geo-spatial process that causes a phenomenal change over the period of time. Event and process are essential constituents in geo-spatial dynamism. The geo-spatial data acquired by remote sensing technology is the source of input for knowledge discovery of geographic features. This article performs qualitative inference of geographic process by identifying events causing geo-spatial deformation over time. The evolving geographic features and their types have association with spatial and temporal factors. Event calculus-based spatial knowledge formalism allows reasoning over intervals of time. Hence, representation of Event Attributed Spatial Entity (EASE) Knowledge is proposed. Logical event-based queries are evaluated on the formal representation of EASE Knowledge Base. Event-based queries are executed on the proposed knowledge base and when experimented on, real data sets yielded comprehensive results. Further, the significance of EASE-based spatio-temporal reasoning is proved by evaluating with respect to query processing time and accuracy. The enhancement of EASE with a direction for further development to explore its significance towards prediction is discussed towards the end.