Search in concurrent logic languages
Matthew M. Huntbach · 1995
Starting from a simple declarative all-solutions program, we develop a variety of search programs in the concurrent logic language RGDC [Cohen et al 92], leading up to a full heuristics-guided parallel version of branch-and-bound search. Our programs are general enough to be useable in a variety of problems in artificial intelligence, operations research and logic metaprogramming. We aim to meet the criticism that concurrent logic languages are unsuitable for programming search problems, and counter-argue that their removal of automated backtracking is in fact a desirable feature. This calls into question whether the development of "portmanteau " logic programming languages which attempt to combine features from Prolog and the committed choice logic languages is the best way for logic programming to develop, when the power of these features could equally be provided by the development of programming techniques in committed choice logic languages. BACKTRACKING CONSIDERED HARMFUL? The c...