Logic Programming (Introduction to Prolog)

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary from the lecture on Logic Programming and Prolog, providing definitions and insights into important terms.

Logic programming

A programming paradigm that uses a set of logical rules to direct goal-oriented problem-solving.

Prolog

A logic programming language designed in 1972, used in AI, expert systems, and computational linguistics.

Knowledge Base (KB)

A collection of facts and rules that represent knowledge in a given domain.

Predicates

Statements expressing facts or relationships between objects, often with arguments.

Variables

Symbols used to represent any object, instantiated during matching, often starting with an uppercase letter.

Queries

Requests for information from the knowledge base, often consisting of goals to be satisfied.

Backtracking

A search algorithm used in Prolog to find solutions by trying different possible routes to satisfy goals.

Horn clauses

A type of logical statement used commonly in Prolog, typically having a single consequent.

Existential quantification

A logical quantifier indicating that a certain condition holds for at least one element.

Recursion

The process where a function calls itself in order to solve smaller instances of the same problem.

Function in Prolog

A relation defined for performing calculations, using rules and clauses to establish relationships.

Facts

Basic assertions or statements about the world, stored in the knowledge base.

Rules

Logical statements that describe relationships between facts and allow inference in Prolog.

Interpretation

The process of deriving new information from existing facts and rules in a knowledge base.

Goal-directed search

A process where queries are directed toward finding specific information based on established rules.

Declarative programming

A programming paradigm that expresses the logic of computation without describing its control flow.