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Search and Optimization Problems in Datalog

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Computational Logic: Logic Programming and Beyond

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 2408))

Abstract

This paper analyzes the ability of DATALOG languages to express search and optimization problems. It is first shown that \( \mathcal{N}\mathcal{P} \) search problems can be formulated as unstratified DATALOG queries under non-deterministic stable model semantics so that each stable model corresponds to a possible solution. \( \mathcal{N}\mathcal{P} \) optimization problems are then formulated by adding a max (or min) construct to select the stable model (thus, the solution) which maximizes (resp., minimizes) the result of a polynomial function applied to the answer relation. In order to enable a simpler and more intuitive formulation for search and optimization problems, it is introduced a DATALOG language in which the use of stable model semantics is disciplined to refrain from abstruse forms of unstratified negation. The core of our language is stratified negation extended with two constructs allowing nondeterministic selections and with query goals enforcing conditions to be satisfied by stable models. The language is modular as the level of expressivity can be tuned and selected by means of a suitable use of the above constructs, thus capturing significant subclasses of search and optimization queries.

Work partially supported by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and by MURST (projects DATA-X and D2I).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DEIS, Univ. della Calabria, 87030, Rende, Italy

    Sergio Greco & Domenico Saccà

  2. ISI-CNR, 87030, Rende, Italy

    Sergio Greco & Domenico Saccà

Authors
  1. Sergio Greco
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  2. Domenico Saccà
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Cyprus, 75 Kallipoleos St., 1678, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Antonis C. Kakas

  2. Department of Computing, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, 180 Queen’s Gate, London, SW7 2BZ, UK

    Fariba Sadri

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© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Greco, S., Saccà, D. (2002). Search and Optimization Problems in Datalog. In: Kakas, A.C., Sadri, F. (eds) Computational Logic: Logic Programming and Beyond. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 2408. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45632-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45632-5_3

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43960-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-45632-2

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