Problem Solving by Equivalent Transformation of Logic Programs

摘要

This paper proposes a new framework for solving problems based on equivalent transformation of logic programs, where equivalent transformation is defined as changing programs while preserving their declarative semantics. In conventional logic programming, (1) knowledge in a given problem is represented in terms of a logic program, (2) the given problem is formalized as proving a given query from the knowledge, and (3) the problem is solved by using inference rules such as resolution. In contrast, the method proposed here uses equivalent transformation rather than inference of logic programs. In the new method, (1) knowledge together with a given query in a given problem is represented as a logic program, (2) the. given problem is formalized as finding its equivalent logic program in a certain form, and (3) the problem is solved by equivalent transformation of logic programs using equivalent transformation rules. Many problems, including the kind of problems solved by Prolog, can be formalized and solved correctly using the new method, often more efficiently.