Rule extraction and validity domain on a multilayer neural network

The authors discuss the extraction of logical rules from a multilayer neural network when building a validity domain for the network is possible. This approach appears to be efficient when the expertise domain is restricted and when explicit rules are not easy to formulate. The validity domain is described as a set of mathematical and logical constraints. The constraints specifying the validity domain are then included in the constraint-propagation methods that can be used for extracting equivalent logical rules from the neural network. A corpus of jurisprudence illustrates these conditions very effectively. The logical rules that are extracted can be used either to explain the functioning of the neural network or as a first step for designing an expert system