1155	 Experiments with a Deductive Question-Answering Program	 As an investigation in artificial intelligence computer experiments on deductive question-answering were run with a LISP program called DEDUCOM an acronym for DEDUctive COMmunicator. When given facts DEDUCOM answered questions answerable from the facts. A fact tells DEDUCOM either some specific information or a method of answering a general kind of question. Some conclusions drawn in the article are DEDUCOM can answer a wide variety of questions. A human can increase the deductive power of DEDUCOM by telling it more facts. DEDUCOM can write very simple programs it is hoped that this ability is the forerunner of an ability to self-program which is a way to learn . DEDUCOM s search procedure at present has two bad defects some questions answerable from the given facts cannot be answered and some other answerable questions can be answered only if the relevant facts are given in the right order. At present DEDUCOM s method of making logical deductions in predicate calculus has two bad defects some facts have to be changed to logically equivalent ones before being given to DEDUCOM and some redundant facts have to be given to DEDUCOM.
