Software for Manipulating Belief Networks


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[Manipulation | Learning from Data | Glossary | References ]

Software for Manipulating Belief Networks

This document describes software for manipulating graphical belief function models, and related modes such as Bayesian networks, influence diagrams, and probabilistic graphical models. The Graphical-Belief Demo pages have a fairly good description of belief nets and how they could be used. Prevision also maintains Bayes Net FAQ. This page only describes software which manipulates existing models. Software which fits these models from data is described in the learning belief networks pages.

Each entry on this list contains information about features of the software and contact information. Pricing information includes the date the price was last updated as this information may vary from time to time. Hyperlinks take you demo versions (or actual software for free software) when it is available on-line.

A key to terms used in the feature lists and a list of references are available below.

Several people have inquired about the availability of examples for use with belief network software. Norsys maintains a Library of Networks to Download in their Netica ascii format which contains many of the tired, overworked examples we all know and love plus a few new ones. A working group centered at Microsoft has proposed a Bayesian Network Standard, but it has not yet been widely adopted.

Packages reviewed in this document:

"+" indicates new since last version "*" indicates changed since last version This is version 1.4.

Free Software

Software in this first list is free for educational and research purposes. In some cases it may be more freely used. Each listing includes any restrictions on the use of the software.

Hypertext links to the actual software or product descriptions are provided where available.

BAYES

Features:
Probabilities, Tree-shaped Bayesian Networks only
Lacks:
Belief Functions, Utilities, Networks, Parameter Uncertainty.
Restrictions:
Unknown
Platforms:
MS DOS
To obtain:
CMU AI repository

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BELIEF 1.2 (and 1.1)

Features:
Probabilities/Belief Functions, Parameter Uncertainty
Lacks:
Utilities, GUI
Platforms supported:
Common Lisp (CLtL 2)
Restrictions:
No resale.
To obtain:
CMU Artificial Intelligence Library
Contact:
Russell Almond ()
References:
Almond [1995]

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IDEAL

Features:
Probabilities, Utilities, Influence Diagrams
Lacks:
Parameter Uncertainty, Belief Functions
Platforms supported:
Common Lisp (CLIM based GUI available)
Restrictions:
``research (non-commercial) purposes'' only
Contact:
Ideal-Request ()
Rockwell International Science Center
More Information:
IDEAL WWW page
References:
Srinivas and Breese [1990]

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MacEvidence

Features:
Probabilities, Belief Functions.
Lacks:
Utilities.
Restrictions:
No resale.
Platforms supported:
Macintosh
To Obtain:
Send unformatted 3.5" disk to: Prakash P. Shenoy
School of Business
University of Kansas
Summerfield Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045-2003 USA
Contact:
Prakash P. Shenoy (P-shenoy@ukans.edu)
Refereneces:
Hsia and Shenoy [1989]

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+ Microsoft Bayes Networks (MSBN)

Features:
Probabilities, Utilities, Influence Diagrams, Standard Rulebase.
Lacks:
Belief Functions. Restricted to single decision influence diagram.
Restrictions:
Non-Commercial uses, License Required
Platforms supported:
Windows 95, Windows NT
To Obtain:
Description and Instructions.
Contact:
Microsoft Decision Theory Group ( )

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Pulcinella

Features:
Probabilities, Belief Functions, Possibilities, GUI
Lacks:
Utilities.
Future Plans:
Port to C with GUI (Mac, and X11).
Restrictions:
Research non-commercial use *only*
Platforms supported:
Common Lisp (CLtL1) (GUI in Allegro CL).
To Obtain:
Common Lisp Version, Project Home Page
Contact:
Alessandro Saffiotti ()
IRIDIA, Universite Libre de Bruxelles
50 av. F. Roosevelt, BP 194-6
1050 Brussels, Belgium
References:
Saffiotti and Umkehrer [1991a], Saffiotti and Umkehrer [1991b], Saffiotti, Parsons and Umkehrer [1994], Saffiotti and Umkehrer [1994].

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S-ElimBel

Features:
Probabilities,
Lacks:
Belief Functions, Utilities, GUI.
Restrictions:
None
Platforms supported:
MIT Scheme
To Obtain:
Description, Software
Contact:
Nicolas Thiéry at

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Symbolic Probabilistic Inference (SPI)

Features:
Probabilities, Local Expression Language Utilities, Explanation, Dynamic Models, GUI.
Lacks:
Belief Functions, Documentation.
Restrictions:
Research only, no resale.
Platforms supported:
Common Lisp (Tcl/Tk Front end).
To Obtain:
Description (Postscript) , Software
Contact:
Bruce D'Ambrosio ()

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TresBel

Features:
Belief Functions, GUI
Lacks:
Probabilities
Future Plans:
Port to C with GUI (Mac, and X11), Utilities. See also Pulcinella.
Restrictions:
Research non-commercial use *only*
Platforms supported:
Allegro Common Lisp (CLtL1)
To Obtain:
Common Lisp Version
Contact:
Hong Xu ()
IRIDIA, Universite Libre de Bruxelles
50 av. F. Roosevelt, BP 194-6
1050 Brussels, Belgium
References:
Xu [1991], Xu and Kennes [1994], Xu [1993].

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XBaies v1.3

Features:
Probabilities, Chain Graphs Utilities,
Future Plans:
Model Criticism, Learning, Gaussian Variables.
Lacks:
Belief Functions.
Restrictions:
No resale.
To Obtain:
Available for: DEC Alpha, DEC Ultrix, HP, SUN Sparc, and SUN Sparc help PC Windows.
Contact:
(Robert Cowell)

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DX Solution Series

Educational Version:
DX Solution Series now offers a free license to academic users for non-commercial purposes.
Restrictions:
License Required

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COMMERCIAL

Baron 2.0

Features:
Probabilities, simulation and exact (SPI) algorithms, GUI.
Lacks:
Belief Functions, Utilities.
Platforms supported:
IBM PC/Windows 3.0 or greater, C++
Restrictions:
License Required
Price:
Pre-release (1994)
Demo:
(free on request)
Contact:
KC Associates
6512 Sunny Hill Ct.
McLean, VA 22101-1639
703-993-1639

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Demos

Features:
Hierarchical Influence Diagrams, Parameter Uncertainty, links to spreadsheets and simulations.
Lacks:
Belief Functions.
Future Plans:
A successor system called Analytica is now under development. See the Lumina Decision Systems for current information.
Platforms supported:
Macintosh, Windows (runtime version).
Price:
$695 (1996)
Demo:
More information (see instructions for obtaining demo at that site).
Contact:
Lumina Decision Systems
4894 El Camino Real, Suite 105
Los Altos, CA 94022
800-9LUMINA
FAX: 415-254-0292
References:
List of References on Demos and Decision analysis.

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DX Solution Series

Features:
Probabilities, API programming interface, development and runtime GUIs Utilities.
Lacks:
Belief Functions, Parameter Uncertainty.
Platforms supported:
Windows 3.1, NT, 95, C++
Restrictions:
License Required, Free to academic users for non-commercial, research purposes
Price:
contact KI
Demo:
Is available from the KI web site.
Contact:
Knowledge Industries, Inc.
350 Cambridge Avenue.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Voice: 415-321-0400
FAX: 415-322-3554
References:
Horvitz, Breese, and Henrion [1988].

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Ergo

Features:
Probabilities.
Lacks:
Belief Functions, Utilities, Parameter Uncertainty.
Platforms supported:
Mac, Windows (New)
Restrictions:
License Required
Price:
$800 (1996)
Demo:
Ergo Macintosh Demo (binhex, 655041 bytes) , Ergo Windows Demo (self-installing executable, 494496 bytes)
Contact:
Noetic Systems, Inc.
2504 Maryland Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21218--4545
Voice: 410-889-4079
FAX: 410-889-4183
Reference:
Mislevy [1993]

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GRAPHICAL-BELIEF 2.0 (Successor to BELIEF)

Features:
Valuations (Probabilities/Belief Functions), Parameter Uncertainty, Knowledge Based Model Construction
Future Plans:
Utilities, Learning.
Platforms supported:
Unix Workstations, Common Lisp
Restrictions:
License Required
Price:
Pre-release beta version available soon.
Demo:
Walkthrough including many screen shots.
Contact:
Russell Almond () or
George Mellman ( StatSci (MathSoft, Inc.)
1700 Westlake Ave. N
Seattle, WA 98109
206-283-8802
References:
Almond [1995], Almond, Bradshaw and Madigan [1994].

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HUGIN

Features:
Probabilities, Utilities, model criticism, parameter uncertainty, chain graphs.
Lacks:
Belief Functions,
Platforms supported:
Unix Workstations, Windows
Restrictions:
License Required
Price:
Explorer 3000 ECU (1996) (US $ 3840 5/96)
Professional 7500 ECU (1996) (US $ 9600 5/96)
Academic discount 66.6%, check product list for more complete pricing information.
Demo:
Sun/Sun OS, Sun/Solaris
Windows 95
WWW Home Page or Alternate URL
Contact:
Hugin Expert A/S
Niels Jernes Vej 10
DK-9220 Aaloborg
DENMARK
+45 9815 6644
FAX: +45 9815 8550
References:
Lauritzen and Spiegelhalter [1988], Andersen et al. [1989]. Hugin Home Page

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Netica

Features:
Probabilities, Utilities, Influence Diagrams, API.
Lacks:
Belief Functions, Parameter Uncertainty.
Future Plans:
More advanced learning, integration with Case Based Reasoning, real-time control
Platforms supported:
Application on Macintosh, Windows (summer 96), Unix (next year)
API available on all platforms.
Restrictions:
License Required
Price:
Netica:
Commercial $1185 (Introductory $585, 5/96) Educational/Personal $585 (Introductory $285)
Disks and Manuals are $45 extra.
Netica API:
Commercial $1385 (Introductory $685, 5/96) Educational/Personal $585 (Introductory $285)
Disks and Manuals are $45 extra.
Demo:
More Information:
Home Page , Netica , Netica API , Network Library.
Contact:
Brent Boerlage (boerlage@norsys.comf) Norsys Software Corp.
2315 Dunbar St.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6R 3N1

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Strategist

Features:
Probabilities, Conditional Queries, Utilities, Local Interactions (eg, noisy-or), Asymmetries, Contingencies.
Lacks:
Belief Functions,
Platforms supported:
Windows 3.1/95/NT (C++ API only available for Unix and (maybe?)Mac)
Restrictions:
License Required
Price:
Educational: $0 ECU (1996) (US $0 5/96) (research only)
Professional: contact
Prevision for more complete pricing information.
Demo projected summer '96 (API available now):
ScreenShots,
Contact:
Prevision
1947 NW Garryanna St.
Corvallis, OR 97330
USA
541 754 0569
FAX: 541 757 0976
References:
SPI bibliography .

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Other Resources

Check out the Air Force Institute of Technology, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory page on Bayesian Networks.

Over the web you should check out the Carnegie Mellon Artificial Intelligence Repository. Look under the topic reasonng/probabl/) or mail server: . Some of the things in this package (including Bayes and BELIEF) are available on CD-rom from:

Prime Time Freeware
370 Altair Way, Suite 150
Sunnyvale, CA 94086, USA
Tel: +1 408-433-9662
Fax: +1 408-433-0727
E-mail:

The Association for Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence is frequented by many researchers using graphical models.

The Society For Artificial Intelligence and Statistics serves a lot of people interested in graphical models.

Also check out the Decision/Risk Analysis page and the Decision Net server.

[Manipulation | Learning from Data | Glossary | References ]

This list is maintained by Russell G. Almond.

Software for Belief Networks / almond@acm.org

Please send me any updates, corrections, omissions or suggestions for improvement. This is version 1.4 (3/2/95), so please bear with any mistakes. (As this is just a minor bug fix since the last release, I've left the "new" and "changed" markers from the 1.0 to 1.3 updagrade.) The next version should include information of model fitting software. Please send contributions to me.

Thanks to David Madigan and the University of Washington Statistics Department for hosting this Web page.

Last modified: Mon Aug 12 16:56:49 1996