UNIVERSITY OF TOURISM, TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS

STUDIES
Business Information Technology
4th Year / Morning
Knowledge Based Information Systems
Lecturer: Jean Paul NIZEYIMANA
Recap Assignment
Instructions
- Answer all questions
1. For the 8-puzzle problem, given this initial starting state

2 8 7
3 1 4
5 6
a)
Using breadth first search, show the search tree that would be built down to level 2 (assume level
zero is the root of the tree).
b)
Using depth first search, show the state of the search tree down the level 3 (stop once you have
expanded one node that goes to level 3)
c)

What is the worst-case time and space complexity of the above two algorithms.

d)

Describe the terms complete and optimal with regards to evaluating search strategies?

e)

Are either depth-first-search or breadth-first-search complete or optimal? Justify your answer.

2. Inference Practice Questions

Based on the clues in these stories, using your best inference strategies, make an
inference about the following statements. The first two are done for you.
a. I wouldn't eat after that two-year-old if I were you.
Inference: The two-year-old probably did something gross to the food you were about to eat or has a
cold and you could catch it. Something bad will happen to you if you eat it!
1

b. For Valentines Day, my fantastic neighbor gave his wife a poem that took him about two seconds to write.
Sheesh!
Inference: My neighbor is not very considerate since he didn't take his time writing the
poem.
c. Jake almost wished that he hadnt listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his umbrella even
though he would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning.
Inference:
d. Hey! What happened to all the school construction money taken from the taxpayers? It paid for
this toilet the money was flushed down.
Inference:
e. A woman walks into a hospital clutching her abdomen and cursing out her husband, who trails
behind her carrying a large bag.
Inference:
3. Which of the following search algorithms finds the optimal solution?
a. breadth first
c. depth first
b. hill climbing
d. greedy search
4. A search algorithm is complete if it
a. always finds the optimal solution
b. always finds a solution if there is one
c. finds all possible solutions
d. never finds a solution
5. Describe the main differences between rules and mathematical logic (in particular
predicate logic) with respect to the representation and processing of knowledge. What
are the respective advantages and problems?