It is necessary to represent the computer's knowledge of the world by some kind of data structures in the machine's memory. Traditional computer programs deal with large amounts of data that are structured in simple and uniform ways. A.I. programs need to deal with complex relationships, reflecting the complexity of the real world.

Several kinds of knowledge need to be represented:

• Factual Data: Known facts about the world.

• General Principles: ``Every dog is a mammal.''

• Hypothetical Data: The computer must consider hypotheticals in order to reason about the effects of actions that are being contemplated.

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