AI · Theory

Means-Ends Analysis

Theory

24/215

Means-Ends Analysis

Means-ends analysis: compare current state to goal, pick a difference, choose an action that reduces that difference, recurse. GPS (the old program) used this. Planning “I need to be at the station → I need a ticket → I need money” is the everyday version.

Difference from blind search: you attack the gap, not every neighbour. Still can fail if actions have side-effects (the frame problem).

Output — idea / do / check for Means-Ends Analysis. Fill those three in the viva.

Exam tip

Ticket/station story in three steps.

Example

# Means-Ends Analysis
print("idea :", "Means-Ends Analysis")
print("do   : one tiny example on paper")
print("check: one failure case")

Output: idea / do / check for Means-Ends Analysis. Fill those three in the viva.

Short notes

DefReduce the difference to the goal.
Useplanning.

AI · Theory

Means-Ends Analysis

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Theory

24/215

Means-Ends Analysis

Difference from blind search: you attack the gap, not every neighbour. Still can fail if actions have side-effects (the frame problem).

Output — idea / do / check for Means-Ends Analysis. Fill those three in the viva.

Exam tip

Ticket/station story in three steps.

Example

# Means-Ends Analysis
print("idea :", "Means-Ends Analysis")
print("do   : one tiny example on paper")
print("check: one failure case")

Output: idea / do / check for Means-Ends Analysis. Fill those three in the viva.

Short notes

DefReduce the difference to the goal.
Useplanning.

Means-Ends Analysis

Example

Short notes

Questions

Means-Ends Analysis

Example

Short notes

Questions