16.module6 EBL 18

Knowledge in Learning
Explanation-Based Learning
Explanation-Based Learning
(EBL)
One definition:
Learning general
problem-solving
techniques by
observing and
analyzing solutions to
specific problems.
SBL (vs. EBL)
lots of data (examples)
• Similarity-based learning (SBL) are inductive:
– generalizes from training data
– empirically identifies patterns that distinguish between positive and
negative examples of a target concept.
• Inductive results are justified empirically (e.g., by statistical

arguments such as those used in establishing theoretical results
in Probably Approximately Correct (PAC) learning).
• Generally requires significant numbers of training examples in

order to produce statistically justified conclusions.
• Generally does not require or exploit background knowledge.

EBL (vs. SBL)
lots of knowledge
• Explanation-based learning (EBL) is (usually) deductive:

– uses prior knowledge to “explain” each training example
– Explanation identifies what properties are relevant to the target
function and which are irrelevant.
• Prior knowledge is used to reduce the hypothesis space and

focus the learner on hypotheses that are consistent with prior
knowledge about the target concept.
• Accurate learning is possible from very few (0) training

examples (typically 1 example per learned rule).
The EBL Hypothesis
• By understanding why an example is a member of a target concept, one
can learn the essential properties of the concept
• Trade-off
the need to collect many examples
for
the ability to “explain” single examples (via a domain theory(inference
rul))
• This assumes the domain theory is competent:

– Correct: does not entail that any negative example is positive
– Complete: each positive example can be “explained”
– Tractable: an “explanation” can be found for each positive example.
SBL vs. EBL
entailment constraints
SBL:
Hypothesis & Descriptions ╞ Classifications
Hypothesis is selected from restricted hypothesis space.
EBL:
Hypothesis & Descriptions ╞ Classifications
Background╞ Hypothesis
EBL Task
• In addition to a set of training examples, EBL also
takes as input a domain theory, background
knowledge about the target concept that is usually
specified as a set of logical rules (Horn clauses) and
operationality criteria.
• The goal is to find an efficient or operational

definition of the target concept that is consistent with
both the domain theory and the training examples.
EBL Task: operationality
observable vs. unobservable
• Operationality is often imposed by restricting the hypothesis

space to using only certain predicates (e.g., those that are
directly used to describe the examples).
• Observable: predicates used to describe examples

• Unobservable: the target concept
• In “classical EBL” the learned definition is

– logically entailed by the domain theory
– a more efficient definition of the target concept
– requires only “look-up” (pattern matching) using
observable predicates rather than search (logical inference)
mapping observables to unobservables.
EBL Task
Given:
• Goal concept
• Training example
• Domain Theory
• Operationality Criteria
Find: a generalization of the training example that is a

sufficient criteria for the target concept and satisfies
the operationality criteria
EBL Example
• Goal concept: SafeToStack(x,y)
• Training Examples: One example

SafeToStack (Obj1,Obj2)
On(Obj1,Obj2) Owner(Obj1,Molly)
Type(Obj1,Box) Owner(Obj2, Muffet)
Type(Obj2,Endtable) Fragile(Obj2)
Color(Obj1,Red) Material(Obj1,Cardboard)
Color(Obj2,Blue) Material(Obj2,Wood)
Volume(Obj1, 0.1) Density(Obj1,0.1)
EBL Example
• Domain Theory:
SafeToStack(x,y) :- not(Fragile(y)).
SafeToStack(x,y) :- Lighter(x,y).
Lighter(x,y) :- Weight(x,wx), Weight(y,wy), wx < wy.
Weight(x,w) :- Volume(x,v), Density(x,d), w=v*d.
Weight(x,5) :- Type(x,Endtable).
Fragile(x) :- Material(x,Glass).
• Opertional predicates: Type, Color, Volume, Owner,

Fragile, Material, Density, On, <, >, =.
EBL Method
For each positive example not correctly covered by an
“operational” rule do:
1. Explain: Use the domain theory to construct a logical

proof that the example is a member of the concept.
2. Analyze: Generalize the explanation to determine a rule
that logically follows from the domain theory given the
structure of the proof and is operational.
Add the new rule to the concept definition.

EBL Example
Training Example:
SafeToStack (Obj1,Obj2) Type(Obj2,Endtable)
Volume(Obj1, 0.1) Density(Obj1,0.1)
…
Domain Theory:
SafeToStack(x,y) :- Lighter(x,y).
Lighter(x,y) :- Weight(x,wx), Weight(y,wy), wx < wy.
Weight(x,w) :- Volume(x,v), Density(x,d), w=v*d.
Weight(x,5) :- Type(x,Endtable).
…
Example Explanation (Proof)
SafeToStack(Obj1,Obj2)
Lighter(Obj1,Obj2)
Weight(Obj1,0.6) Weight(Obj2,5)
06.<5
Volume(Obj1,2) 0.6=2*0.3
Type(Obj2.Endtable)
Density(Obj1,0.3)
Applications
• Planning (macro operators in STRIPS)
• Mathematics (search control in LEX)

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Knowledge in Learning

• Inductive results are justified empirically (e.g., by statistical

• Generally requires significant numbers of training examples in

• Generally does not require or exploit background knowledge.

• Explanation-based learning (EBL) is (usually) deductive:

• Prior knowledge is used to reduce the hypothesis space and

• Accurate learning is possible from very few (0) training

• This assumes the domain theory is competent:

• The goal is to find an efficient or operational

• Operationality is often imposed by restricting the hypothesis

• Observable: predicates used to describe examples

• In “classical EBL” the learned definition is

Find: a generalization of the training example that is a

• Training Examples: One example

• Opertional predicates: Type, Color, Volume, Owner,

1. Explain: Use the domain theory to construct a logical

Add the new rule to the concept definition.

• Mathematics (search control in LEX)

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