Semantics For Logic Programs Research Articles

GEM: A distributed goal evaluation algorithm for trust management

AbstractTrust management is an approach to access control in distributed systems where access decisions are based on policy statements issued by multiple principals and stored in a distributed manner. In trust management, the policy statements of a principal can refer to other principals' statements; thus, the process of evaluating an access request (i.e., a goal) consists of finding a “chain” of policy statements that allows the access to the requested resource. Most existing goal evaluation algorithms for trust management either rely on a centralized evaluation strategy, which consists of collecting all the relevant policy statements in a single location (and therefore they do not guarantee the confidentiality of intensional policies), or do not detect the termination of the computation (i.e., when all the answers of a goal are computed). In this paper, we present GEM, a distributed goal evaluation algorithm for trust management systems that relies on function-free logic programming for the specification of policy statements. GEM detects termination in a completely distributed way without disclosing intensional policies, thereby preserving their confidentiality. We demonstrate that the algorithm terminates and is sound and complete with respect to the standard semantics for logic programs.

Towards a Common Categorical Semantics for Linear-Time Temporal Logic and Functional Reactive Programming

Linear-time temporal logic (LTL) and functional reactive programming (FRP) are related via a Curry–Howard correspondence. Based on this observation, we develop a common categorical semantics for a subset of LTL and its corresponding flavor of FRP. We devise a class of categorical models, called fan categories, that explicitly reflect the notion of time-dependent trueness of temporal propositions and a corresponding notion of time-dependent type inhabitance in FRP. Afterwards, we define the more abstract concept of temporal category by extending categorical models of intuitionistic S4. We show that fan categories are a special form of temporal categories.

RTT+ – Time Validity Constraints in RTT Language

Most of the traditional access control models, like mandatory, discretionary and role based access control make authorization decisions based on the identity, or the role of the requester, who must be known to the resource owner. Thus, they may be suitable for centralized systems but not for decentralized environments, where the requester and service provider or resource owner are often unknown to each other. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional access control models, trust management models have been presented. The topic of this paper is three different semantics (set-theoretic, operational, and logic- programming) of RTT , language from the family of role-based trust management languages (RT). RT is used for representing security policies and credentials in decentralized, distributed access control systems. A credential provides information about the privileges of users and the security policies issued by one or more trusted authorities. The set-theoretic semantics maps roles to a set of sets of entity names. Members of such a set must cooperate in order to satisfy the role. In the case of logic-programming semantics, the credentials are translated into a logic program. In the operational semantics the credentials can be established using a simple set of inference rules. It turns out to be fundamental mainly in large- scale distributed systems, where users have only partial view of their execution context. The core part of this paper is the introduction of time validity constraints to show how that can make RTT language more realistic. The new language, named RTT+ takes time validity constraints into account. The semantics for RTT+ language will also be shown. Inference system will be introduced not just for specific moment but also for time intervals. It will evaluate maximal time validity, when it is possible to derive the credential from the set of available credentials. The soundness and completeness of the inference systems with the time validity constraints with respect to the set-theoretic semantics of RTT+ will be proven.

A connection between the Cantor–Bendixson derivative and the well-founded semantics of finite logic programs

Results of Schlipf (J Comput Syst Sci 51:64---86, 1995) and Fitting (Theor Comput Sci 278:25---51, 2001) show that the well-founded semantics of a finite predicate logic program can be quite complex. In this paper, we show that there is a close connection between the construction of the perfect kernel of a $\Pi^0_1$ class via the iteration of the Cantor---Bendixson derivative through the ordinals and the construction of the well-founded semantics for finite predicate logic programs via Van Gelder's alternating fixpoint construction. This connection allows us to transfer known complexity results for the perfect kernel of $\Pi^0_1$ classes to give new complexity results for various questions about the well-founded semantics ${\mathit{wfs}}(P)$ of a finite predicate logic program P.

Semantics of structured normal logic programs

In this paper we provide semantics for normal logic programs enriched with structuring mechanisms and scoping rules. Specifically, we consider constructive negation and expressions of the form Q⊃G in goals, where Q is a program unit, G is a goal and ⊃ stands for the so-called embedded implication. Allowing the use of these expressions can be seen as adding block structuring to logic programs. In this context, we consider static and dynamic rules for visibility in blocks. In particular, we provide new semantic definitions for the class of normal logic programs with both visibility rules. For the dynamic case we follow a standard approach. We first propose an operational semantics. Then, we define a model-theoretic semantics in terms of ordered structures which are a kind of intuitionistic Beth structures. Finally, an (effective) fixpoint semantics is provided and we prove the equivalence of these three definitions. In order to deal with the static case, we first define an operational semantics and then we present an alternative semantics in terms of a transformation of the given structured programs into flat ones. We finish by showing that this transformation preserves the computed answers of the given static program.

A Schema for Generating Update Semantics

In this paper, we present a general schema for de ning new update semantics. This schema takes as input any basic logic programming semantics, such as the stable semantics, the p-stable semantics or the MMr semantics, and gives as output a new update semantics. The schema proposed is based on a concept called minimal generalized S models, where S is any of the logic programming semantics. Each update semantics is associated to an update operator. We also present some properties of these update operators.

The loop formula based semantics of description logic programs

Description logic programs (dl-programs) proposed by Eiter et al. constitute an elegant yet powerful formalism for the integration of answer set programming with description logics, for the Semantic Web. In this paper, we generalize the notions of completion and loop formulas of logic programs to description logic programs and show that the answer sets of a dl-program can be precisely captured by the models of its completion and loop formulas. Furthermore, we propose a new, alternative semantics for dl-programs, called the canonical answer set semantics, which is defined by the models of completion that satisfy what are called canonical loop formulas. A desirable property of canonical answer sets is that they are free of circular justifications. Some properties of canonical answer sets are also explored and we compare the canonical answer set semantics with the FLP-semantics and the answer set semantics by translating dl-programs into logic programs with abstract constraints. We present a clear picture on the relationship among these semantics variations for dl-programs.

Interdefinability of defeasible logic and logic programming under the well-founded semantics

AbstractWe provide a method of translating theories of Nute's defeasible logic into logic programs, and a corresponding translation in the opposite direction. Under certain natural restrictions, the conclusions of defeasible theories under the ambiguity propagating defeasible logic ADL correspond to those of the well-founded semantics for normal logic programs, and so it turns out that the two formalisms are closely related. Using the same translation of logic programs into defeasible theories, the semantics for the ambiguity blocking defeasible logic NDL can be seen as indirectly providing an ambiguity blocking semantics for logic programs. We also provide antimonotone operators for both ADL and NDL, each based on the Gelfond–Lifschitz (GL) operator for logic programs. For defeasible theories without defeaters or priorities on rules, the operator for ADL corresponds to the GL operator and so can be seen as partially capturing the consequences according to ADL. Similarly, the operator for NDL captures the consequences according to NDL, though in this case no restrictions on theories apply. Both operators can be used to define stable model semantics for defeasible theories.

Progression Semantics for Disjunctive Logic Programs

In this paper, we extend the progression semantics for first-order disjunctive logic programs and show that it coincides with the stable model semantics. Based on it, we further show how disjunctive answer set programming is related to Satisfiability Modulo Theories.

Semantics for Possibilistic Disjunctive Programs

AbstractIn this paper, a possibilistic disjunctive logic programming approach for modeling uncertain, incomplete, and inconsistent information is defined. This approach introduces the use of possibilistic disjunctive clauses, which are able to capture incomplete information and states of a knowledge base at the same time. By considering a possibilistic logic program as a possibilistic logic theory, a construction of a possibilistic logic programming semantic based on answer sets and the proof theory of possibilistic logic is defined. It shows that this possibilistic semantics for disjunctive logic programs can be characterized by a fixed-point operator. It is also shown that the suggested possibilistic semantics can be computed by a resolution algorithm and the consideration of optimal refutations from a possibilistic logic theory. In order to manage inconsistent possibilistic logic programs, a preference criterion between inconsistent possibilistic models is defined. In addition, the approach of cuts for restoring consistency of an inconsistent possibilistic knowledge base is adopted. The approach is illustrated in a medical scenario.

Contextual hypotheses and semantics of logic programs

AbstractLogic programming has developed as a rich field, built over a logical substratum whose main constituent is a nonclassical form of negation, sometimes coexisting with classical negation. The field has seen the advent of a number of alternative semantics, with Kripke–Kleene semantics, the well-founded semantics, the stable model semantics, and the answer-set semantics standing out as the most successful. We show that all aforementioned semantics are particular cases of a generic semantics, in a framework where classical negation is the unique form of negation and where the literals in the bodies of the rules can be ‘marked’ to indicate that they can be the targets of hypotheses. A particular semantics then amounts to choosing a particular marking scheme and choosing a particular set of hypotheses. When a literal belongs to the chosen set of hypotheses, all marked occurrences of that literal in the body of a rule are assumed to be true, whereas the occurrences of that literal that have not been marked in the body of the rule are to be derived in order to contribute to the firing of the rule. Hence the notion of hypothetical reasoning that is presented in this framework is not based on making global assumptions, but more subtly on making local, contextual assumptions, taking effect as indicated by the chosen marking scheme on the basis of the chosen set of hypotheses. Our approach offers a unified view on the various semantics proposed in logic programming, classical in that only classical negation is used, and links the semantics of logic programs to mechanisms that endow rule-based systems with the power to harness hypothetical reasoning.

A structured alternative to Prolog with simple compositional semantics

AbstractProlog's very useful expressive power is not captured by traditional logic programming semantics, due mainly to the cut and goal and clause order. Several alternative semantics have been put forward, exposing operational details of the computation state. We propose instead to redesign Prolog around structured alternatives to the cut and clauses, keeping the expressive power and computation model but with a compositional denotational semantics over much simpler states—just variable bindings. This considerably eases reasoning about programs, by programmers and tools such as a partial evaluator, with safe unfolding of calls through predicate definitions. Anif-then-elseacross clauses replaces most uses of the cut, but the cut's full power is achieved by anuntilconstruct. Disjunction, conjunction anduntil, along with unification, are the primitive goal types with a compositional semantics yielding sequences of variable-binding solutions. This extends to programs via the usual technique of a least fixpoint construction. A simple interpreter for Prolog in the alternative language, and a definition ofuntilin Prolog, establish the identical expressive power of the two languages. Many useful control constructs are derivable from the primitives, and the semantic framework illuminates the discussion of alternative ones. The formalisation rests on a term language with variable abstraction as in the λ-calculus. A clause is an abstraction on the call arguments, a continuation, and the local variables. It can be inclusive or exclusive, expressing a local case bound to a continuation by either a disjunction or anif-then-else. Clauses are open definitions, composed (and closed) with simple functional application β-reduction). This paves the way for a simple account of flexible module composition mechanisms.Cube, a concrete language with the exposed principles, has been implemented on top of a Prolog engine and successfully used to build large real-world applications.

Local closed world reasoning with description logics under the well-founded semantics

An important question for the upcoming Semantic Web is how to best combine open world ontology languages, such as the OWL-based ones, with closed world rule-based languages. One of the most mature proposals for this combination is known as hybrid MKNF knowledge bases (Motik and Rosati, 2010 [52]), and it is based on an adaptation of the Stable Model Semantics to knowledge bases consisting of ontology axioms and rules. In this paper we propose a well-founded semantics for nondisjunctive hybrid MKNF knowledge bases that promises to provide better efficiency of reasoning, and that is compatible with both the OWL-based semantics and the traditional Well-Founded Semantics for logic programs. Moreover, our proposal allows for the detection of inconsistencies, possibly occurring in tightly integrated ontology axioms and rules, with only little additional effort. We also identify tractable fragments of the resulting language.

A Schema for Generating Relevant Logic Programming Semantics and its Applications in Argumentation Theory

In the literature, there are several approaches which try to perform common sense reasoning. Among them, the approaches which have probably received the most attention the last two decades are the approaches based on logic programming semantics with negation as failure and argumentation theory. Even though both approaches have their own features, it seems that they share some common behaviours which can be studied by considering the close relationship between logic programming semantics and extension-based argumentation semantics. In this paper, we will present a general recursive schema for defining new logic programming semantics. This schema takes as input any basic logic programming semantics, such as the stable model semantics, and gives as output a new logic programming semantics which satisfies some desired properties such as relevance and the existence of the intended models for every normal program. We will see that these new logic programming semantics can define candidate extension-based argumentation semantics. These new argumentation semantics will overcome some of the weakness of the extension-based argumentation semantics based on admissible sets. In fact, we will see that some of these new argumentation semantics have similar behaviour to the extension-based argumentation semantics built in terms of strongly connected components.

Well-founded semantics for description logic programs in the semantic web

The realization of the Semantic Web vision, in which computational logic has a prominent role, has stimulated a lot of research on combining rules and ontologies, which are formulated in different formalisms. In particular, combining logic programming with the Web Ontology Language (OWL), which is a standard based on description logics, emerged as an important issue for linking the Rules and Ontology Layers of the Semantic Web. Nonmonotonic description logic programs (dl-programs) were introduced for such a combination, in which a pair(L,P)of a description logic knowledge baseLand a set of rulesPwith negation as failure is given a model-based semantics that generalizes the answer set semantics of logic programs. In this article, we reconsider dl-programs and present a well-founded semantics for them as an analog for the other main semantics of logic programs. It generalizes the canonical definition of the well-founded semantics based on unfounded sets, and, as we show, lifts many of the well-known properties from ordinary logic programs to dl-programs. Among these properties, our semantics amounts to a partial model approximating the answer set semantics, which yields for positive and stratified dl-programs, a total model coinciding with the answer set semantics; it has polynomial data complexity provided the access to the description logic knowledge base is polynomial; under suitable restrictions, it has lower complexity and even first-order rewritability is achievable. The results add to previous evidence that dl-programs are a versatile and robust combination approach, which moreover is implementable using legacy engines.

Splitting Computation of Answer Set Program and Its Application on E-service

As a primary means for representing and reasoning about knowledge, Answer Set Programming (ASP) has been applying in many areas such as planning, decision making, fault diagnosing and increasingly prevalent e-service. Based on the stable model semantics of logic programming, ASP can be used to solve various combinatorial search problems by finding the answer sets of logic programs which declaratively describe the problems. It's not an easy task to compute answer sets of a logic program using Gelfond and Lifschitz's definition directly. In this paper, we show some results on characterization of answer sets of a logic program with constraints, and propose a way to split a program into several non-intersecting parts step by step, thus the computation of answer sets for every subprogram becomes relatively easy. To instantiate our splitting computation theory, an example about personalized product configuration in e-retailing is given to show the effectiveness of our method.

Axiomatic semantics of projection temporal logic programs

In this paper, we investigate the axiomatic semantics of the projection temporal logic programming language MSVL. To this end, we employ Propositional Projection Temporal Logic (PPTL) as an assertion language to specify the desired properties. We give a set of state axioms and state inference rules. In order to deduce a program over an interval, we also formalise a set of rules in terms of a Hoare logic-like triple. These rules enable us to deduce a program into its normal form and from the current state to the next one. They also enable us to verify properties over intervals. In this way, an axiom system for proving the correctness of MSVL programs is established. The axiom system is proved to be sound and relatively complete with respect to an operational model of MSVL, and give an example showing how the axiom system works. Finally, we employ a recently developed prototype verifier based on PVS as an example of semi-automatic verification using MSVL.

Reducts of propositional theories, satisfiability relations, and generalizations of semantics of logic programs

Over the years, the stable-model semantics has gained a position of the correct (two-valued) interpretation of default negation in programs. However, for programs with aggregates (constraints), the stable-model semantics, in its broadly accepted generalization stemming from the work by Pearce, Ferraris and Lifschitz, has a competitor: the semantics proposed by Faber, Leone and Pfeifer, which seems to be essentially different. Our goal is to explain the relationship between the two semantics. Pearce, Ferraris and Lifschitz's extension of the stable-model semantics is best viewed in the setting of arbitrary propositional theories. We propose here an extension of the Faber–Leone–Pfeifer semantics, or FLP semantics, for short, to the full propositional language, which reveals both common threads and differences between the FLP and stable-model semantics. We use our characterizations of FLP-stable models to derive corresponding results on strong equivalence and on normal forms of theories under the FLP semantics. We apply a similar approach to define supported models for arbitrary propositional theories, and to study their properties.

Hybrid rules with well-founded semantics

A general framework is proposed for integration of rules and external first-order theories. It is based on the well-founded semantics of normal logic programs and inspired by ideas of Constraint Logic Programming (CLP) and constructive negation for logic programs. Hybrid rules are normal clauses extended with constraints in the bodies; constraints are certain formulae in the language of the external theory. A hybrid program consists of a set of hybrid rules and an external theory. Instances of the framework are obtained by specifying the class of external theories and the class of constraints. An example instance is integration of (non-disjunctive) Datalog with ontologies formalized in description logics. The paper defines a declarative semantics of hybrid programs and a goal-driven formal operational semantics. The latter can be seen as a generalization of SLS-resolution. It provides a basis for hybrid implementations combining Prolog with constraint solvers (such as ontology reasoners). Soundness of the operational semantics is proven. Sufficient conditions for decidability of the declarative semantics and for completeness of the operational semantics are given.

From answer set logic programming to circumscription via logic of GK

We first embed Pearce's equilibrium logic and Ferraris's propositional general logic programs in Lin and Shoham's logic of GK, a nonmonotonic modal logic that has been shown to include as special cases both Reiter's default logic in the propositional case and Moore's autoepistemic logic. From this embedding, we obtain a mapping from Ferraris's propositional general logic programs to circumscription, and show that this mapping can be used to check the strong equivalence between two propositional logic programs in classical logic. We also show that Ferraris's propositional general logic programs can be extended to the first-order case, and our mapping from Ferraris's propositional general logic programs to circumscription can be extended to the first-order case as well to provide a semantics for these first-order general logic programs.