An introduction to case-based reasoning

Case-based reasoning means using old experiences to understand and solve new problems. In case-based reasoning, a reasoner remembers a previous situation similar to the current one and uses that to solve the new problem. Case-based reasoning can mean adapting old solutions to meet new demands; using old cases to explain new situations; using old cases to critique new solutions; or reasoning from precedents to interpret a new situation (much like lawyers do) or create an equitable solution to a new problem (much like labor mediators do). This paper discusses the processes involved in case-based reasoning and the tasks for which case-based reasoning is useful.This article is excerpted from Case-Based Reasoning by Janet Kolodner, to be published by Morgan-Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. in 1992.This work was partially funded by darpa under Contract No. F49620-88-C-0058 monitored by AFOSR, by NSF under Grant No. IST-8608362, and by ARI under Contract No. MDA-903-86-C-173.