[rules-users] Expert Systems and Functional programming?

[Matteo Mortari]

Ciao everybody, I have a question I would like to submit to this community,
given Drools is my preferred choice for Expert Systems :)

A quick background: I'm not an Expert Systems / Rule engines expert, but
I'm a happy power user "of Rules" since my CS Engineering thesis, a paper
published, and used it with happy results at work and hobby projects.
Currently boarded on a new project with Rules+Processes at work, and still
very happy, so happy, I'm using Drools again in a new hobby project.
[semi-brag-mode off]

Now, in recent times, I cannot ignore what (apparently) is a strong
renaissance of Functional Programming, specifically all this momentum which
Scala and Java 8's Lambda's are getting.

The Question I'm asking myself: is there a specific, or few, areas where
Functional Programming could actually benefit Expert Systems so much to
actually spawn new paradigms of writing Rules? Or benefit in a new
generation of the Rete algorithm?
Or actually, Functional Programming will spawn a completely different
paradigm of system which will go beyond Expert Systems the way are designed
today?

Ignore my rant if you feel it's too generic, but I really wanted to seize a
chance to ask the question to this community :)

Thank you for your feedback,
Ciao,
Matteo
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