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Combinator evaluation of functional programs with logical variables

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LISP and Symbolic Computation

Abstract

A technique is presented that brings logical variables into the scope of the well-known Turner method for normal order evaluation of functional programs by S, K, I combinator graph reduction. This extension is illustrated bySASL+LV, an extension of Turner's languageSASL in which arbitrary expressions serve as formal parameters, and parameter passage is done by unification. The conceptual and practical advantages of such an extension are discussed, as well as semantic pitfalls that arise from the attendant weakening of referential transparency. Only five new combinators (LV, BV, FN, FB and UNIFY) are introduced. The resulting object code is fully upward compatible in the sense that previously compiledSASL programs remain executable with unchanged semantics. However,read-only variable usage inSASL+LV programs requires amultitasking extension of the customary stack-based evaluation method. Mechanisms are presented for managing this multitasking on both single and multiprocessor systems. Finally, directions are mentioned for applying this technique to implementations involving larger granularity combinators, and fuller semantic treatment of logical variables (e.g. accommodation of failing unifications).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Science Laboratory, S-125 25, Ellemtel, Älvsjö Sweden

    Göran Båge

  2. Department of Computer Science, University of Utah, 84112, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Gary Lindstrom

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  1. Göran Båge
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  2. Gary Lindstrom
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Additional information

Research was supported in part by the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation.

Research supported in part by grant CCR-8704778 from the National Science Foundation, and by an unrestricted gift from Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Stockholm.

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Båge, G., Lindstrom, G. Combinator evaluation of functional programs with logical variables. Lisp and Symbolic Computation 3, 289–320 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806101

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