Utilizing an expert system for conflict resolution in a "train siding selection" simulation model

Simulation is an excellent tool for evaluating alternative configurations for system flow and/or logic. Occasionally, the complexity of a system presents problems with respect to simulating and improving the performance of that system. When confronted with these complexities, the logic requirements can easily become more difficult to develop than the effort to understand the actual system logic. Expert systems, on the other hand, are better suited for reflecting complex decision making. Many times this means solving complex problems which can only be stated in written words, therefore extending computing power beyond the mathematical and statistical constructs of simulation and conventional programming. As a result, expert systems can be significantly easier to modify, for experimentation purposes, than a set of complex "IF-THEN" statements. Through the development of an expert system and its interface to a simulation, the problem of modeling complex systems can be encountered with improved efficiency. The end result is an increased level of simulation performance and customer satisfaction.