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Introduction to Logic Programming with Prolog

Explore the fundamentals of Logic Programming using Prolog, a declarative paradigm for problem-solving. Learn about predicates, rules, and goals to solve complex problems efficiently. Join us for a practical and theory-based course orientation.

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Introduction to Logic Programming with Prolog

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  1. Logic Programming • Lecture 1: • Course orientation; • Getting started with Prolog

  2. What is Logic Programming? • Logic Programming is a programming paradigm • cf. object-oriented or functional programming • Not a particular language (like Java or Haskell) • Declarative philosophy • specify problem, let computer search for answer

  3. The declarative dream • Slogan: "Algorithm = Logic + Control" • Would like to write a program that describes the solutions to the problem • Computer then finds answers • Programmer shouldn't have to think about how the system works

  4. The reality • Purely declarative programming can only get you so far • I/O, interaction with outside world, seem inherently "imperative" • For efficiency/termination, sometimes need finer-grained control over search

  5. Prolog • Prolog is the best-known LP language • Core based on first-order (predicate) logic • Algorithmic realization via unification, search • Many implementations that make it into a full-fledged programming language • I/O, primitive ops, efficiency issues complicate declarative story

  6. Why learn LP? • LP often great for rapidly prototyping algorithms/search strategies • "Declarative" ideas arise in many areas of CS • LP concepts very important in AI, databases, PL • SAT solvers, model-checking, constraint programming • Becoming important in program analysis, Semantic Web • Learning a very different "way to think about problems" makes you a better programmer

  7. Course objectives • Theory • first-order logic, semantics of LP • unification, resolution proof search • Programming • basic LP techniques in Prolog • how to use LP to solve interesting problems • AI, parsing, search, symbolic processing

  8. Organization • Lectures M,Th 15:00 • First two weeks: • 2 programming, 2 theory • Remainder of semester: alternate • Theory Monday, programming Thursday • No lectures week of Nov 1 • Tutorial/lab sessions: M,Th,F 16:00, from week 3 • Slides, tutorial problems posted on course web page: • www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/lp/

  9. Evaluation • 10 point UG3 course • No coursework • but tutorial participation strongly encouraged • Tutorial exercises representative of exam problems • Final exam: • Programming 50% • Theory 50% • UG3 students: pass mark 40% • MSc students: pass mark 50%

  10. Getting started • We’ll use SICStus Prolog • Free for UofE students • Can request through Windows support • Available on all DICE machines • Tutorials, exams will be based on this version • Online documentation • http://www.sics.se/isl/sicstuswww/site/index.html

  11. Hello World • Prolog is an interactive language. • $ sicstus

  12. Hello World • Prolog is an interactive language. • $ sicstus • ?- Prompt

  13. Hello World • Prolog is an interactive language. • $ sicstus • ?- print(’hello world’). Goal

  14. Hello World • Prolog is an interactive language. • $ sicstus • ?- print(’hello world’). • hello world • yes Output response

  15. Atoms • An atom is • a sequence of alphanumeric characters • usually starting with lower case letter • or, a string enclosed in single quotes • Examples: • homer marge lisa bart • ‘Mr. Burns’ ’Principal Skinner’

  16. Variables • A variable is a sequence of alphanumeric characters • usually starting with an uppercase letter • Examples: • X Y Z Parent Child Foo

  17. Predicates • A predicate has the form • p(t1,...,tn) • where p is an atom and t1...tn are terms • (For now a term is just an atom or variable) • Examples: • father(homer, bart) • mother(marge, bart)

  18. Predicates (2) • A predicate has a name • = atom p in p(t1,...,tn) • and an arity • = number of arguments (n) • Predicates with same name but different arity are different • We write foo/1, foo/2, ... to refer to these different predicates

  19. Facts Punctuation is important! • A fact is an assertion that a predicate is true: • father(homer, bart). • mother(marge, bart). • A collection of facts is sometimes called a knowledge base (or database).

  20. Goals • A goal is a sequence of predicates • p(t1,...,tn), ..., q(t1',...,tn'). • We interpret “,” as conjunction • Logically, read as "p holds of t1...tn and ... and q holds of t1'...tm'" • Predicates can be 0-ary • Some built-ins: true, false, fail

  21. Answers • Given a goal, Prolog searches for answer(s) • “yes” (possibly with answer substitution) • “no” • Substitutions are bindings of variables that make goal true • Use “;” to see more answers

  22. Examples • ?- father(X,bart). • X = homer ; • no • ?- father(X,Z), mother(Y,Z). • X = homer, Y = marge, Z = bart ; • X = homer, Y = marge, Z = lisa ; • X = homer, Y = marge, Z = maggie ; • no

  23. Rules • A rule is an assertion of the form • p(ts) :- q(ts’), ..., r(ts’’). • where ts, ts’, ts’’ are sequences of terms • “p(ts) holds if q(ts’) holds and ... and r(ts’’) holds” • Example: • sibling(X,Y) :- parent(Z,X), • parent(Z,Y).

  24. Miscellaneous • Comments • % single line comment • /* multiple • line • comment */ • To quit Sicstus, type • ?- exit. • (or just control-D)

  25. Consulting • A Prolog program is a collection of facts and rules, or clauses • stored in one or more files • The predicate consult/1 loads the facts/rules in a file • ?- consult(‘simpsons.pl’).

  26. Consulting (2) • If the file name ends with '.pl', can just write: • ?- consult(simpsons). • Also, can just write • ?- [simpsons].

  27. A complete program • /* hello.pl • * James Cheney • * Sept. 20, 2010 • */ • main :- print('hello world').

  28. Tracing • trace/0 turns on tracing • notrace/0 turns tracing off • debugging/0 shows tracing status

  29. Further reading • Quick Start Prolog notes (Dave Robertson) • http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/lp/prolognotes.pdf • Learn Prolog Now! (Blackburn, Bos, Striegnitz) • online, free • http://www.learnprolognow.org/ • Programming in Prolog (Clocksin & Mellish) • a standard/classic text, many library copies

  30. Exercises • Using simpsons.pl, write goal bodies for: • classmate(X,Y) • employer(X) • parent(X,Y) • grandparent(X,Y) • More in tutorial problems handout

  31. Next time • Compound terms • Equality and unification • How Prolog searches for answers

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