Prolog Versus You: An Introduction to Logic Programming

Prolog Versus You shows how you can take up the gauntlet of the logic programming language Prolog (PROgramming in LOGic) and use it as an obedient programming and problem solving tool. Logic programming emphasizes that programming is a human activity and consequently that programs should be easy for humans to write, understand and manipulate. In a program knowledge about the problem is stated in a logical language without consideration of the underlying machine language. This book has emerged from undergraduate courses in logic programming. The relation to logic is described and the necessary logic is provided continuously. No previous programming experience is assumed and it can be used by beginners as well as by advanced programmers. The book emphasizes the declarative reading of Prolog programs which greatly facilitates the thinking about the problems and yields programs easy to understand. The book covers logic programs, their execution and data structures; databases and expert systems; program synthesis, program correctness and program transformation as well as an efficient computation of Prolog programs. Each chapter ends with some exercises (with solutions). The book also contains a thorough index, appendices and a chapter on Prolog implementations: DECsystem-10 Prolog, Tricia, Quintus Prolog, MProlog, Turbo Prolog, micro-Prolog and LM-Prolog.