Final answer:
Dan created an expert system by transferring his troubleshooting knowledge into a database. An expert system simulates the judgment and behavior of a human expert in a specific field, using a large amount of specialized information and a set of rules to solve complex problems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before Dan retired, his manager asked him to “download” his troubleshooting knowledge into a database so the person who replaced him in the maintenance department could have the benefit of Dan’s decades of experience. In this way, Dan created an expert system.
Expert systems are computer programs that simulate the judgment and behavior of a human or an organization that has expert knowledge and experience in a particular field. Typically, these systems involve the input of a large amount of specialized information and a set of rules. When Dan “downloaded” his expertise into a database, he contributed the critical knowledge and rules that could be used to replicate his troubleshooting skills, thereby creating an expert system.
Expert systems are designed to solve complex problems by reasoning about knowledge, represented mainly as if-then rules rather than through conventional procedural code. The primary goal is to transfer the decision-making expertise from a human to a computer.