Robert M. MacGregor
Robert M. MacGregor’s research concerns knowledge representation and reasoning. His work includes the Loom system and the PowerLoom-based OntoLoom programme. ISI’s shared Loom development began in 1986, and ISI projects used Loom by 1988. The system represented explicit domain models and used a classifier to infer relationships between concepts and instances. As of August 1997, MacGregor was the project’s principal investigator. Knowledge Builder assembled and managed knowledge bases, with PowerLoom as the reasoning system. The project released C++ and Common Lisp versions that fiscal year. His August 1999 Loom report explains how classification, queries and production rules work together. Loom was a shared research system used for natural-language processing, expert systems and other knowledge-based applications.
- Works
- 39
- Citations
- 1,444
- h-index
- 17
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 14 October 2026.
Timeline
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1986–1988
The Loom programme
MacGregor began ISI’s shared Loom development in 1986, and ISI projects used it by 1988. The system represented explicit domain models and used a classifier to infer relationships between concepts and instances.
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1997
OntoLoom and PowerLoom
MacGregor was principal investigator of the August 1997 project. Knowledge Builder assembled and managed knowledge bases, with PowerLoom as the reasoning system; the project released C++ and Common Lisp versions among its fiscal-year accomplishments.
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1999
A retrospective on reasoning systems
In an August 1999 report on Loom, MacGregor explained how classification, queries and production rules work together. Loom was a shared research system used for natural-language processing, expert systems and other knowledge-based applications.
Sources and credits
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