An Environment for Non Monotonic Logic Programs

Title: An Environment for Non Monotonic Logic Programs

Research Question: How can we create an environment that integrates two semantics of non-monotonic reasoning, Stable Model Semantics and Well Founded Semantics, to provide an interactive system for exploring both semantics?

Methodology: The researchers combined two existing systems, XSB and SMODELS, to create a new system called XNMR. XSB is a Prolog system that uses a tabling mechanism to implement Well Founded Semantics, while SMODELS implements Stable Model Semantics for a special class of programs called range-restricted programs. By integrating these two systems, XNMR provides an interactive environment for exploring both semantics.

Results: The integration of XSB and SMODELS in XNMR has several benefits. It allows for easy experimentation with large systems by exploiting modularity, and it provides an interactive environment for users to study new possibilities in the joint use of Stable Model Semantics and Well Founded Semantics. Additionally, the use of a full Prolog system as a front-end to a Stable Models engine expands the language accepted by such systems.

Implications: The creation of XNMR has several implications. It provides a new way to explore non-monotonic reasoning, making it easier for users to understand their programs or knowledge bases. It also opens up new possibilities for debugging large knowledge bases using the usual Prolog debugging techniques. Furthermore, it demonstrates the potential of combining different semantics to create a more powerful and versatile system for non-monotonic reasoning.

Link to Article: https://arxiv.org/abs/0111049v1 Authors: arXiv ID: 0111049v1