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Cited by 176History of Computing TechnologiesLogic, programming, and type systemsLogic, Reasoning, and Knowledge

The early years of logic programming

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Kowalski, Robert A.·1988·Communications of the ACM
DOI 10.1145/35043.35046
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Abstract

This firsthand recollection of those early days of logic programming traces the shared influences and inspirations that connected Edinburgh, Scotland, and Marseilles, France.

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  • Prolog is a logic programming language based on SLD-resolution and is therefore restricted to Horn clauses.

    “Prolog (Kowalski, 1988; Colmerauer & Roussel, 1993) is a logic programming language based on SLD-resolution and is therefore restricted to Horn clauses.”

    From Inductive Logic Programming At 30: A New Introduction (2022) · cites this paper as Kowalski, 1988

    In “The Edinburgh–Marseilles” (page unavailable), Kowalski identifies SLD-resolution as a procedure for Horn clauses and associates Prolog with logic programming using the Horn-clause subset. The passages do not explicitly say that Prolog is based on SLD-resolution or that it is restricted to Horn clauses; the latter is stronger than the source establishes. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 25

  1. Bayer, R.S., and Moore, JS. The sharing of structure in theorem proving programs. In Machine Intelligence, vol. 7. B. Meltzer and Il. Michie, Eds. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, U.K., pp. 101-116.
  2. Bayer. R.S.. and Moore, JS. Proving theorems about LISP functions. I. ACM 22. 1 (Jan. 19751, 129-144.
  3. Clark, K.L. Negation as failure. In Logic and Data Bases, H. Gall&e and J. Minker, Eds. Plenum, New York. 1978, pp. 293-322.
  4. Clark, K.L., McCabe, F.G., and Gregory, S. IC-PROLOG language features. In Logic Programming, K.L. Clark and S.-A. TBtmlund, Eds. Academic Press, New York, pp. 253-266.
  5. Elcock, E.W. Descriptions. In Machine Intelligence. vol. 3, D. Michie. Ed. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, U.K.. 1968, pp. 173-180.
  6. Foster. J.J., and Elcock, E.W. Absys 1: An incremental compiler for assertions-An introduction. In Machine Intelligence, vol. 4, D. Michie, Ed. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, U.K., pp. 423-429.
  7. Foster, J.M. Assertions: Programs written without specifying unnec- essary order. In Machine Intelligence. vol. 3, D. Michie, Ed. Edin- burgh University Press, Edinbirgh, U.K., 1968. pp. 387-392.
  8. Green, CC. Application of theorem-proving to problem solving. In Proceedings offICAI-1.
  9. D.E. Walker and L.M. Norton, Eds. (Washing- ton, DC.). IJCAI, 1969, pp. X9-240.
  10. Hayes, P.J. Computation and deduction. In Proceedings of the 2nd MFCS Symposium. Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 1973, pp. 105-118.
  11. Hewitt, C. PLANNER: A language for proving theorems in robots. In Proceedings oflJCAZ-I [Washington, D.C.). IJCAI. 1969, pp. 295-301.
  12. Kowalski, R.A. The predicate calculus as a programming language. In Proceedings of the Internafional Symposium and Summer School on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (Jablonna, Poland, Aug.). 1972.
  13. Kowalski, R.A. Predicate logic as a programming language. DCL Memo 70, School of Artificial Intelligence, Univ. of Edinburgh, U.K., Nov. 1973. (Also in Proceedings of ZFIP 1974 [Stockholm, Sweden).
  14. Kowalski. R.A. A proof procedure using connection graphs. DCL Memo 74, School of Artificial Intelligence, Univ. of Edinburgh, U.K., 1973. [Also: I. ACM 22, 4 (Oct. 1974), 572-595.)
  15. Kowalski, R.A. Logic for problem solving. DCL Memo 75, School of 31. van Emden, M.H., and Kowalski, R.A. The semantics of predicate Artificial Intelligence. Univ. of Edinburgh, U.K., 1974. logic as a programming language. I. ACM 23, 4 (Oct. 1976), 733-742.
  16. Kowalski. R.A. Algorithm = logic + control. Commun. ACM 22, 7 (Also: DCL Memo 73, School of Artificial Intelligence, Univ. of Edin- (July 1979),424-436.
  17. Kowalski, R.A. Logic for problem solving. Elsevier North Holland Inc.. New York, 1979.
  18. Kowalski, R.A., and Kuehner. D. Linear resolution with selection function. School of Artificial Intelligence, DCL Memo 34, Univ. of Edinburgh, U.K., 1971. (Also: Artif Intell. 2 (1971), 227-260.)
  19. Loveland, D.W. Mechanical theorem-proving by model elimination. J. ACM 15, 2 (Apr. 1966). 236-251.
  20. Loveland, D.W. A linear format for resolution. In Proceedings of the INRlA Symposium on Automatic Demonstration. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1970, pp. 147-162.
  21. Warren, D.H.D. Higher-order extensions to PROLOG: Are they needed? In Machine Intelligence, vol. 10. I.E. Hayes and D. Michie, Eds. Wiley, New York, 1982, pp. 441-454.
  22. Luckham, D. Refinement theorems in resolution theory. In Proceed- ings of the INRIA Symposium on Automatic Demonstration. Springer- Verlag. New York, 1970, pp. 163-190. December 1966, Rocquen- court, France. CR Categories and Subjects Descriptors: D.3.2 [Programming Lan- guages]: Language Classifications-Prolog; F.4.1 [Mathematical Logic and Formal Languages]: Mathematical Logic--logic programming; 1.2.3 Artificial Intelligence]: Deduction and Theorem-Proving-logic pro- gramming: K.2 [Computing Milieu]: History of Computing-people; soft- ware; systems; theory
  23. Reiter, R. Two results on ordering for resolution with merging and linear format. I. ACM 18, 4 (Oct. 1971), 630-646.
  24. Robinson, J.A. A machine-oriented logic based on the resolution principle. 1. ACM 12, I (Jan. 1965), 23-41.
  25. Roussel, P. Definition et traitement de l'egalitc formelle an dbmon- stration automatique. Thesis, Facultb des Sciences, Univ. d'Aix- Marseille, Luminy, France, 1972.

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Authors
Kowalski, R. A.
Affiliations
University of London (GB)
Corresponding author
Kowalski, Robert A.
ORCID
Kowalski, Robert A.
Venue
Communications of the ACM
Publisher
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Published
1988-01
Volume
31
Issue
1
Pages
38-43
ISSN
  • 0001-0782 (ISSN-L)
  • 1557-7317
DOI
10.1145/35043.35046
OpenAlex
W2023181724
Cited by
176
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 6
FWCI
15.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.acm.org/publications/policies/copyright_policy#Background (vor)
Locations
Communications of the ACM (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › History of Computing Technologies
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Logic, programming, and type systems
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Logic, Reasoning, and Knowledge
Keywords
logic programming, memoirs, history of programming languages

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