Experiments with a Deductive Question-Answering Program As an investigation in artificial intelligence, computer experiments on deductive question-answering were run with a LISP program called DEDUCOM, an acronym for DEDUctive COMmunicator. When given 68 facts, DEDUCOM answered 10 questions answerable from the facts. A fact tells DEDUCOM either some specific information or a method of answering a general kind of question. Some conclusions drawn in the article are: (1) DEDUCOM can answer a wide variety of questions. (2) A human can increase the deductive power of DEDUCOM by telling it more facts. (3) DEDUCOM can write very simple programs (it is hoped that this ability is the forerunner of an ability to self-program, which is a way to learn). (4)DEDUCOM's search procedure at present has two bad defects: some questions answerable from the given facts cannot be answered and some other answerable questions can be answered only if the relevant facts are given in the "right" order. (6) At present, DEDUCOM's method of making logical deductions in predicate calculus has two bad defects: some facts have to be changed to logically equivalent ones before being given to DEDUCOM, and some redundant facts have to be given to DEDUCOM. CACM December, 1965 Slagle, J. R. CA651214 JB March 6, 1978 3:34 PM 1155 4 1155 1456 4 1155 1468 4 1155 1515 4 1155 1699 4 1155 1856 4 1155 2127 4 1155 1155 5 1155 1155 5 1155 1155 5 1155 1324 5 1155 1515 5 1155 2096 5 1155 2127 5 1155 2210 5 1155 1155 6 1155 1155 6 1155 1155 6 1155 1155 6 1155 1324 6 1155 1324 6 1155 1487 6 1155 1527 6 1155 1781 6 1155 1856 6 1155