Introduction: SMILE

From DSL

SMILE (Structural Modeling, Inference, and Learning Engine) is a fully platform independent library of functions implementing graphical probabilistic and decision-theoretic models, such as Bayesian networks, influence diagrams, and structural equation models. Its individual functions, defined in SMILE Applications Programmer Interface, allow to create, edit, save, and load graphical models, and use them for probabilistic reasoning and decision making under uncertainty.

SMILE is implemented in C++ in a platform independent fashion. We also provide Java and .NET wrappers for users who want to use SMILE with languages other than C++. SMILE is equipped with an outer shell, a developer's environment for building graphical decision models, known as GeNIe. GeNIe is platform dependent and runs only on Windows computers. SMILE can be embedded in programs that use graphical probabilistic models as their reasoning engines. Models developed in SMILE can be equipped with a user interface that suits the user of the resulting application most.

We have designed and developed SMILE and GeNIe to be major teaching and research tools in academic environments and we are using it in our research and in teaching courses at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Alaska, Anchorage. Most of our research results find ultimately their way into GeNIe and SMILE. Because of their versatility and reliability, GeNIe and SMILE have also been embraced by a number of government, military and commercial users.