Dendral

Why It Was Important

Developed at Stanford, Dendral analyzed mass spectrometry data to determine the molecular structure of organic compounds. It represented a paradigm shift in AI: moving away from attempting universal problem solvers (like GPS) toward domain-specific 'expert systems' that leveraged specialized human knowledge.

Who Invented It

Edward Feigenbaum, Joshua Lederberg, Bruce Buchanan

Feigenbaum became known as the 'father of expert systems'.

Applications

• Expert Systems
• Computational Chemistry
• Rule-based Logic