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Selective backtracking for logic programs

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5th Conference on Automated Deduction Les Arcs, France, July 8–11, 1980 (CADE 1980)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 87))

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Abstract

We present a selective backtracking method for Horn clause programs, as applied to Prolog (2)(6)(11)(12), a programming language based on first-order predicate calculus (3)(4), developed at the university of Marseille (10).

This method is based on the general method expounded in (7) for backtracking intelligently in AND/OR trees. It consists, essentially, in avoiding backtracking to any goal whose alternative solutions cannot possibly prevent the repetition of the failures which caused backtracking.

This is a renewed version of an earlier report (8), which was spurred by the work of Bruynooghe (1).

In (9) we present an implementation of a selective backtracking interpreter using the methods discussed in this paper.

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References

  1. Bruynooghe, M. Intelligent backtracking for Horn clause logic programs Colloquium on Mathematical Logic in Programming Salgotarjan, Hungary 1978

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  7. Pereira, L.M. Backtracking intelligently in AND/OR trees Departamento de Informática Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa 1979

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  8. Pereira, L.M.; Porto, A. Intelligent backtracking and sidetracking in Horn clause programs — the theory Departamento de Informática Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa 1979

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  9. Pereira, L.M.; Porto, A. An interpreter of logic programs using selective backtracking Paper submitted to the Workshop on Logic Programming, organized by the von Neumann Computer Society, Budapest July 1980

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  10. Roussel, P. Prolog: manuel de réfèrence et d'utilisation Groupe d'Intelligence Artificielle, Université d'Aix-Marseille II 1975

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  11. Warren, D.H.D. Implementing Prolog, Parts I and II Department of Artificial Intelligence Edinburgh University 1977

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  12. Warren, D.H.D.; Pereira, L.M.; Pereira, F.C.N. Prolog, the language and its implementation compared with Lisp ACM Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Programming Languages, Sigart Newsletter no. 64, and Sigplan Notices vol. 12, no. 8, August 1977

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Wolfgang Bibel Robert Kowalski

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© 1980 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Pereira, L.M., Porto, A. (1980). Selective backtracking for logic programs. In: Bibel, W., Kowalski, R. (eds) 5th Conference on Automated Deduction Les Arcs, France, July 8–11, 1980. CADE 1980. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 87. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-10009-1_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-10009-1_24

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-10009-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-38140-2

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