> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.rainbird.ai/rainbird/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.rainbird.ai/rainbird/knowledge-modelling/modelling-features/relationships/rules/match-infer-ask-process.md).

# Match, Infer, Ask process

When trying to determine if a condition can be met, Rainbird broadly follows a **Match, Infer, Ask** process. The acronym **‘MIA’** can help you to recall this.

* **Match**\
  Rainbird will first look at the facts it already knows, to see if the condition can be directly satisfied. Rainbird will consider relationship instances directly asserted in the knowledge map, relationship instances previously created while running the current query, and relationship instances that can be provided by an external data source.
* **Infer**\
  If Rainbird has been unable to match a condition against a fact, it will attempt to satisfy the condition by generating appropriate relationship instances through running any rules that are provided for the relationship in question.
* **Ask**\
  If Rainbird has been unable to infer a fact it will ask the end user a question. If the user provides an answer a new relationship instance will be created which Rainbird can attempt to use to satisfy the condition once more.

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