1. A system for analyzing an anomalous condition, comprising: a process for producing a product, including: at least one actuator for controlling the process; at least one sensor for measuring information pertaining to the status of the process, and for generating output based thereon; a parameter extractor for receiving the output from the at least one sensor, and for generating at least one representative value that is characteristic of a pattern expressed in the output; a knowledge base for storing data including a plurality of representative values, and also including information which maps the representative values to associated anomalous conditions; an analyzer for analyzing the representative value output from the parameter extractor with respect to the data stored in the knowledge base, and for generating a diagnostic result which diagnoses an anomalous condition in the process; and control logic for using the diagnostic result to affect corrective action to the process by adjusting the at least one actuator.