Abstract
We describe a technique for synthesising logic (Prolog) programs from non-executable specifications. This technique is adapted from one for synthesising functional programs as total functions. Logic programs, on the other hand, define predicates. They can be run in different input modes, they sometimes produce multiple outputs and sometimes none. They may not terminate. The key idea of the adaptation is that a predicate is a total function in the all-ground mode, i.e. when all its arguments are inputs (pred(+,...,+) in Prolog notation). The program is synthesised as a function in this mode and then run in other modes. To make the technique work it is necessary to synthesise pure logic programs, without the closed world assumption, and then compile these into Prolog programs. The technique has been tested on the OYSTER (functional) program development system.
The Synthesis of Logic Programs from Inductive Proofs
The research reported in this paper was supported by Esprit BRA grant 3012, and an SERC Senior Fellowship to the first author. We are grateful for feedback from Frank van Harmelen, David Basin and an anonymous referee on earlier drafts. Seán Matthews helped us defeat TEX.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
M. Bruynooghe, D. de Schreye, and B. Krekels. Compiling control. Journal of Logic Programming, 135–162, 1989.
A. Bundy. A broader interpretation of logic in logic programming. In Proceedings of the Fifth International Logic Programming Conference/ Fifth Symposium on Logic Programming, pages 1624–1648, MIT Press, 1988. Also available from Edinburgh as Research Paper No. 388.
A. Bundy. Proposal for a Recursive Techniques Editor for Prolog. Research Paper 394, Dept. of Artificial Intelligence, Edinburgh, 1988. Submitted to the special issue of Instructional Science on Learning Prolog: Tools and Related Issues.
R.L. Constable, S.F. Allen, H.M. Bromley, et al. Implementing Mathematics with the Nuprl Proof Development System. Prentice Hall, 1986.
C.J. Hogger. Derivation of logic programs. JACM, 28(2):372–392, April 1981.
C. Horn. The Nurprl Proof Development System. Working paper 214, Dept. of Artificial Intelligence, Edinburgh, 1988. The Edinburgh version of Nurprl has been renamed Oyster.
J.W. Lloyd. Foundations of Logic Programs. Symbolic Computation, Springer-Verlag, 1987. Second, extended edition.
Z. Manna and R. Waldinger. The origin of a binary-search paradigm. Science of Computer Programming, 9:37–83, 1987.
Per Martin-Löf. Constructive mathematics and computer programming. In 6th International Congress for Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, pages 153–175, Hanover, August 1979. Published by North Holland, Amsterdam. 1982.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 ECSC — EEC — EAEC, Brussels — Luxembourg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bundy, A., Smaill, A., Wiggins, G. (1990). The Synthesis of Logic Programs from Inductive Proofs. In: Lloyd, J.W. (eds) Computational Logic. ESPRIT Basic Research Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76274-1_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76274-1_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-76276-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-76274-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive