Introduction to Logic Programming

Goals

• Introduction to logic programming.
• Understanding logical foundations and computational model.
• Learning practical programming in Prolog.

The final grade will depend on the assignment results and on the programming project at the end of the semester. Instead of the project, students may choose the final exam on Wednesday, February 4.

Completed projects should be submitted by January 16.

Organization

Winter Semester 2008.

• Number: 326.028
• Title: Logic Programming
• Lecturer: Temur Kutsia
• Time: Wed 16:15-18:00
• Place: T 212
• First lecture: October 8
• Final exam: February 4, 2009. Time: 16:15-18:00. Room: T 211.

Registration

Please register for the course via the KUSSS system.

Contents

• Logical foundations. Introduction to Prolog programming.
• Questions, variables, conjunctions, rules, goals.
• Prolog syntax. Characters, operators, equality and matching, arithmetic.
• Using data structures. Programming techniques on Prolog (Mapping, recursion, accumulators, difference structures).
• Backtracking, generating multiple solutions, the cut.
• Selected examples.
• Unification, computational model of logic programs.
• Constraint logic programming.
• Grammar rules (DCG).
• Efficiency issues.

Course Materials

• Book: W. F. Clocksin and C. S. Mellish. Programming in Prolog. Fourth edition. Springer. 1994.
• Slides:
  • Introduction - pdf
  • Questions, variables, conjunctions, rules, goals - pdf
  • Prolog syntax - pdf
  • Data structures, mapping, recursion - pdf
  • Data structures, comparison, joining, accumulators, difference structures - pdf
  • Backtracking, the cut - pdf
  • Unification - pdf
  • Computational Model - pdf
  • Using Grammar Rules - pdf
  • Efficiency issues - pdf
  • Examples - pdf
  • Manipulating programs - pdf
• Assignments: To be submitted by email. Please write LP08-AS1, LP08-AS2, LP08-AS3, etc. in the subject of your mail when you submit assignments.
  • Assignment 1.
  • Assignment 2.
  • Assignment 3.
• Programs:
  • sisters.pro, thief.pro, backtracking.pro, density.pro, prince.pro, einstein.pro (Einstein's puzzle), pp.pro (a simple propositional prover implementing these rules), queens.pro (N-queens problem), m_and_c.pro (missionaries and cannibals).
• Projects:
  • Project 1.
  The students can suggest their own projects as well.
• Additional material:
  • M. A. Covington. Some Coding Guidelines for Prolog
  • M. A. Covington. Efficient Prolog: A Practical Guide. Research Report AI-1989-08, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 1989.
  • W. F. Clocksin. Prolog Programming (PowerPoint format).
  • J. Lloyd. Foundations of Logic Programming, second edition, 1987. Springer.
  • Open lists and difference lists. A section from Paul Brna's online Prolog book.
  • P. Gloess. Constraint Logic Programming (PowerPoint format).
• System: SWI-Prolog. For Windows users there is a convenient SWI-Prolog editor.
  
• Some useful on-line resources: WWW Virtual Library: Logic programming, Prolog newsgroup.

---

Maintained by Temur Kutsia

---