In knowledge-based systems, what is the term for a computer program that emulates the problem-solving and decision-making processes of human experts within a narrow domain?

Introduction / Context:
Before modern data-driven AI, expert systems dominated practical AI deployment in medicine, finance, engineering, and troubleshooting. These systems attempted to encode expert knowledge in a formal representation and apply it through an inference engine, providing explanations and recommendations similar to those of human specialists. Understanding this term anchors the history and methodology of symbolic AI.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We seek the recognized name for a program that simulates expert-level reasoning in a limited domain.
• The system leverages knowledge bases, rules, and inference rather than general human-like cognition.
• The answer choices include distractors that are not standard technical terms.

Concept / Approach:

An expert system couples a knowledge base (facts and production rules) with an inference engine (forward or backward chaining) and may include an explanation facility. Its strength lies in transparency and domain specificity, trading broad generalization for structured expert guidance and justifications for conclusions.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Classic systems like MYCIN, XCON, and DENDRAL are consistently labeled expert systems, reinforcing the definition and usage.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Human logic / Expert reason / Personal information: Not formal AI categories.

None: Incorrect because a precise term exists.

Common Pitfalls:

Assuming all AI that mimics people is an 'expert system'; modern ML systems differ in architecture and learning methodology.

Final Answer:

Expert system