Case-Based Recommendation

Barry Smyth

Presented by
Chul-Hwan Lee
Agenda

1. Introduction

2. Retrieval & Recommendation

3. Similarity & Diversity

4. Conversation Technique

5. Personalization Technique
1. Introduction

Origins of Case-Based Recommendation

Case-based Reasoning(CBR)
A model of reasoning that incorporates problem solving, understanding,
and learning, and integrates all of them with memory processes.

<- Soft Computing Methodology, Cognitive Science

[CBR prototype samples]

Cyrus, Mediator, Persuader, Chef, Julia, Casey, and Protos, CLAVIER

Case-based Recommendation:
A form of content-based recommendation that is especially well suited to many
product recommendation Domains.

Case-base -> Well-structured Concepts Description

Content-base -> Less Structured Textual Item Description
1. Introduction

Origins of Case-Based Recommendation

Case
A contextualized piece of knowledge representing an
experience that teaches a lesson fundamental to achieving the goals of the system.

Case-based System
Operates through a process of remembering one or a small set of concrete
instances or cases and basing decisions on comparisons between the new and old
situations. medical diagnosis, legal interpretation

Related Disciplines
Fuzzy Logic(FL), Neural Network(NN), Evolutionary Computing(EC), Probabilistic
Reasoning(PR), Belief Networks, Chaos Theory, Parts of Learning Theory

Successful Tasks
Planning, Design, Diagnosis, Configuration, Classification, Prediction

Successful Domains
Manufacturing, Medical, Help-desks, Sales Support
1. Introduction

Major Components of a CBR system

1. Introduction

CBR Cycle

1. Retrieving similar previously experienced cases whose problem is judged to be similar

2. Reusing the cases by copying or integrating the solutions from the cases retrieved

3. Revising or adapting the solution(s) retrieved in an attempt to solve the new problem

4. Retaining the new solution once it has been confirmed or validated

1. Introduction

CBR Cycle
1. Introduction

Major Tasks of CBR

1. Introduction

Guidelines for the Use of CBR

1. Does the domain have an underlying model?

2. Are there exceptions and novel cases?

3. Do cases recur?

4. Is there significant benefit in adapting past solutions?

5. Are relevant previous cases obtainable?

1. Introduction

Advantages of Using CBR

1. Reducing the knowledge acquisition task.

2. Avoiding repeating mistakes made in the past.
3. Providing flexibility in knowledge modeling.
4. Reasoning in domains that have not been fully understood, defined, or modeled.
5. Making predictions of the probable success of a proffered solution.
6. Learning over time.
7. Reasoning in a domain with a small body of knowledge.
8. Reasoning with incomplete or imprecise data and concepts.
9. Avoiding repeating all the steps that need to be taken to arrive at a solution.
10. Providing a means of explanation.
11. Extending to many different purposes.
12. Extending to a broad range of domains.
13. Reflecting human reasoning.
2. Retrieval & Recommendation

Case Representation
Content-base Recommendation: unstructured or semi-structured manner, using
keyword-based content analysis techniques
Case-based Recommendation: structured representations, using attribute-value
representations techniques fit into e-commerce domains

Nominal

Numeric
2. Retrieval & Recommendation

Similarity-based Retrieval
Similarity Assumption: most similar to the target problem, more sophisticated
similarity metrics that are based on an explicit mapping of case features and
the availability of specialised feature-level similarity knowledge.

t=target query, c=case, w=weight

Inverse relative difference (numerical)

For nominal data

1) Simple exact match metric (1 or 0)
2) Use domain knowledge
(similarity tables or similarity trees by domain knowledge expert)

Single-Shot Recommendation Problem: can be achieved by personalized

recommendation through extended dialog with the user.
3. Similarity & Diversity
 3. Similarity & Diversity

Bounded random selection & bounded greedy selection

 3. Similarity & Diversity

Alternative Diversity-Preserving Approach

Similarity Layers
A set of cases, ranked by their similarity to the target query are partitioned into
similarity layers, such that all cases in a given layer have the same similarity
value to the query.
Order-based Retrival
constructs an ordering relation from the query provided
by the user and applies this relation to the case-base of products returning the
k items at the top of the ordering.
Compromise-driven Approach
the most similar cases to the users query are often not representative of
compromises that the user may be prepared to accept.
 4. Conversation Technique

Navigation by Asking
Employing Natural Language Processing(NLP), originated from
conversational case-based reasoning systems.

An example conversational dialog between a user (the inquirer) and the Adaptive
Place Advisor recommender system (the advisor) in which the user is trying
to decide on a restaurant for dinner
 4. Conversation Technique

Navigation by Proposing
Preference-based feedback, ratings-based feedback, critiquing-based
feedback(dynamic compound critiques)

Entree recommends restaurants to users and solicits feedback in the form

of feature critiques. The screenshot a recommendation for Planet Hollywood along with
a variety of fixed critiques (less$$, nicer, cuisine etc.) over features such as the price,
ambiance and cuisine of the restaurant.
4. Conversation Technique

A screenshot of the digital camera recommender system evaluated in which solicits

feedback in the form of fixed unit critiques and a set of dynamically
generated compound critiques. The former are indicated on either side of the
individual camera features, while the latter are presented beneath the main product
recommendation as a set of 3 alternatives.
 5. Personalization Technique

User Modeling

Users personal preference

Users learned preference
Weak personalization to Strong personalization
Long term user preference information
This can be achieved by questionnaires, user ratings or usage traces, asking the
user to weight a variety of areas of interest, normal online behavior patterns
Case-based Profiling
Profiling Feature Preferences
 Conclusions & References

Towards to Hybrid Recommendation System, Be~~tter System!

Explain the results of their reasoning
Justify their recommendations
In/With Product Space

Final Goal is to provide good system to the world!

Thats why we are here!

[1] Pal, S. & Shiu, S. Foundations of Soft Case-Based Reasoning, Wiley Series on
Intelligent System, 2004.

[2] Smyth, B. & Cotter, P. A personalized Television Listing Service, Communications of

the ACM, 2000, 107-111.

[3] Goker, M. & Thompson, C. Personalized Conversational Case-Based

Recommendation, Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, 2004, 1-36.

[4] Ricci, F., Cavada, D., Mirzadeh, N., & Venturini, A. Case-Based Travel
Recommendations, 2005, Retrieved from
http://ectrl.itc.it:8080/home/publications/2005/cbr-cabv3.pdf on Sep. 2005.
 Question or Comments?

http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~chlee
chlee56@pitt.edu