Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 February 2009
The linking of research in machine learning with research in knowledge-based design is such that each of the two areas benefit from the consideration of the other. The use of machine learning in design addresses the perceived need to support the capture and representation of design knowledge, because handcrafting a representation is a difficult and time-consuming task. In addition, design provides a task with which to investigate the usefulness of existing machine learning techniques, and, perhaps, to discover new ones.