Statistical exploratory data analysis (EDA) poses a di cult search problem. However, the EDA process lends itself to a planning formulation. We have built a system, called Aide, to help users explore data. Aide relies on partial hierarchical planning, a form of planning appropriate for tasks in complex, uncertain environments. Our description of the EDA task and the Aide system provides a case study of the successful application of planning to a novel domain.
Robert St. Amant, Paul R. Cohen