Preliminary Performance Analysis of the PROSPECTOR Consultant System for Mineral Exploration

Abstract

To demonstrate that the performance of an expert knowledge-based system is comparable to that of the experts it emulates, it is useful to subject the system to an appropriate objective evaluation. The Prospector consultant system is intended to aid a geologist in evaluating the mineral potential of an exploration site. Here we report the results of a preliminary performance analysis of three Prospector ore deposit models. Using data from known deposits as test cases, we compare the system's performance in detail with analogous target values supplied by the model designer based on the same input data. These calibration results measure how well a model embodies the model designer's intentions, and identify particular sections of a model that would benefit from revision. We discuss limitations of the present experiments and future work. Put briefly, we report how work-a-day performance analysis instruments can accelerate the model design and refinement process in expert systems.