Efficiently organizing objects in a rete pattern matching network

摘要

An improved expert system method for use with the RETE pattern matching algorithm is disclosed. At the heart of the invention is the concept of a "shuffleboard," a data structure conducive to sorting elements. The shuffleboard is essentially a list of lists. It is comprised of a set of nodes which are linked together in a series of columns. Each column corresponds to a test condition within a rule, and each node within a column corresponds to a variable referenced by the test condition. The shuffleboard approach provides a means of finding all tests using a given variable and associating those tests. The shuffleboard provides a frame of reference for constructing a new ordering of tests from which the RETE network can be constructed.