Skip to main content

T-string unification: Unifying prefixes in non-classical proof methods

  • Contributed Papers
  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Book cover Theorem Proving with Analytic Tableaux and Related Methods (TABLEAUX 1996)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 1071))

Abstract

For an efficient proof search in non-classical logics, particular in intuitionistic and modal logics, two similar approaches have been established: Wallen's matrix characterization and Ohlbach's resolution calculus. Beside the usual term-unification both methods require a specialized string-unification to unify the so-called prefixes of atomic formulae (in Wallen's notation) or world-paths (in Ohlbach's notation). For this purpose we present an efficient algorithm, called T-String-Unification, which computes a minimal set of most general unifiers. By transforming systems of equations we obtain an elegant unification procedure, which is applicable to the intuitionistic logic J and the modal logic S4. With some modifications we are also able to treat the modal logics D, K, D4, K4, S5, and T. We explain our method by an intuitive graphical presentation, prove correctness, completeness, minimality, and termination and investigate its complexity.

Supported by the Adolf Messer Stiftung

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. H. Abdulrab and J.-P. Pecuchet. Solving word equations. In C. Kirchner, editor, Unification, pages 353–375. Academic Press, London, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  2. B. Beckert and J. Posegga. leanTAP: Lean tableau-based theorem proving. In Alan Bundy, editor, Proceedings of the 12th Conference on Automated Deduction, LNAI 814, Springer Verlag, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  3. E. W. Beth. The foundations of mathematics. North-Holland, 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  4. W. Bibel, S. Brüning, U. Egly, T. Rath. Komet. In Alan Bundy, editor, Proceedings of the 12th Conference on Automated Deduction, LNAI 814, pages 783–787. Springer Verlag, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  5. W. Bibel. On matrices with connections. Jour. of the ACM, 28, p. 633–645, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  6. W. Bibel. Automated Theorem Proving. Vieweg Verlag, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  7. J. J. Herbrand. Recherches sur la théorie de la démonstration. Travaux Soc. Sciences et Lettres Varsovie, Cl. 3 (Mathem., Phys.), page 128 pp., 1930. Engl. transl. in W. D. Goldfarb, ed. J.J. Herbrand — Logical writings, Reidel, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  8. R. Letz, J. Schumann, S. Bayerl, W. Bibel. Setheo: A high-performance theorem prover. Journal of Automated Reasoning, 8:183–212, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  9. G. S. Makanin. The problem of solvability of equations in a free semigroup. Math. Sb., 103(145):147–236, 1977. English translation: Math. USSR Sb. 32.

    Google Scholar 

  10. G. S. Makanin. Algorithmic decidability of the rank of constant free equations in a free semigroup. Dokl. Akad. Nauk, SSSR, 243, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  11. A. Martelli and Ugo Montanari. An efficient unification algorithm. ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems (TOPLAS), 4:258–282, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  12. H. J. Ohlbach. A resolution calculus for modal logics. Ph.D. Thesis (SEKI Report SR-88-08), Universität Kaiserslautern, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  13. H. J. Ohlbach. A resolution calculus for modal logics. In E. Lusk and R. Overbeek, editors, Proceedings of the 9 th Conference on Automated Deduction, LNCS 310, pages 500–515. Springer Verlag, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  14. J. Otten, C. Kreitz. A connection based proof method for intuitionistic logic. In Proceedings of the 4th Workshop on Theorem Proving with Analytic Tableaux and Related Methods, LNAI 918, pp. 122–137, Springer Verlag, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  15. J. Otten. Ein konnektionenorientiertes Beweisverfahren für intuitionistische Logik. Master's thesis, TH Darmstadt, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  16. G. Plotkin. Building-in Equational Theories. Machine Intelligence, 7:73–90, Edinburgh University Press, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  17. J. A. Robinson. A machine-oriented logic based on the resolution principle. Journal of the Association for Computing Machinery, 12(1):23–41, January 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  18. M. Schmidt-Schauss. Unification in a combination of arbitrary disjoint equational theories. In E. Lusk and R. Overbeek, editors, Proceedings of the 9 th Conference on Automated Deduction, LNCS 310, pages 378–392. Springer Verlag, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  19. L. Wallen. Automated deduction in nonclassical logic. MIT Press, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  20. L. Wos et. al. Automated reasoning contributes to mathematics and logic. In Proceedings of the 10 th Conference on Automated Deduction, LNCS 449, pages 485–499. Springer Verlag 1990.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

P. Miglioli U. Moscato D. Mundici M. Ornaghi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Otten, J., Kreitz, C. (1996). T-string unification: Unifying prefixes in non-classical proof methods. In: Miglioli, P., Moscato, U., Mundici, D., Ornaghi, M. (eds) Theorem Proving with Analytic Tableaux and Related Methods. TABLEAUX 1996. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1071. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-61208-4_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-61208-4_16

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-61208-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-68368-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics