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RedAlert: Determinacy inference for Prolog

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2011

JAEL KRIENER and
ANDY KING
JAEL KRIENER
Affiliation:
School of Computing, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NF, UK (e-mail: Jael.E.Kriener@kent.ac.uk, A.M.King@kent.ac.uk)
ANDY KING
Affiliation:
School of Computing, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NF, UK (e-mail: Jael.E.Kriener@kent.ac.uk, A.M.King@kent.ac.uk)
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Abstract

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This paper revisits the problem of determinacy inference addressing the problem of how to uniformly handle cut. To this end a new semantics is introduced for cut, which is abstracted to systematically derive a backward analysis that derives conditions sufficient for a goal to succeed at most once. The method is conceptionally simpler and easier to implement than the existing techniques, while improving the latter's handling of cut. Formal arguments substantiate correctness and experimental work, and a tool called ‘RedAlert’ demonstrates the method's generality and applicability.

Keywords

abstract interpretationbackwards analysisBoolean formulaeconstraintscutdeterminacy inferenceProlog

Information

Type
Regular Papers
Information
Theory and Practice of Logic Programming , Volume 11 , Special Issue 4-5: 27th International Conference on Logic Programming , July 2011, pp. 537 - 553
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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