Observational semantics of the Prolog Resolution Box Model

TL;DR

This paper introduces an observational semantics for the Prolog Resolution Box Model, providing a formal, implementation-independent way to understand and teach Prolog tracing, highlighting its strengths and limitations.

Contribution

It offers a novel formal, declarative specification of Prolog tracers based on the Byrd box model, independent of specific implementations.

Findings

Clarifies the semantics of Prolog tracers

Provides a pedagogical framework for teaching Prolog tracing

Highlights strengths and limitations of the resolution box model

Abstract

This paper specifies an observational semantics and gives an original presentation of the Byrd box model. The approach accounts for the semantics of Prolog tracers independently of a particular Prolog implementation. Prolog traces are, in general, considered as rather obscure and difficult to use. The proposed formal presentation of its trace constitutes a simple and pedagogical approach for teaching Prolog or for implementing Prolog tracers. It is a form of declarative specification for the tracers. The trace model introduced here is only one example to illustrate general problems relating to tracers and observing processes. Observing processes know, from observed processes, only their traces. The issue is then to be able to reconstitute, by the sole analysis of the trace, part of the behaviour of the observed process, and if possible, without any loss of information. As a matter of fact, our approach highlights qualities of the Prolog resolution box model which made its success, but also its insufficiencies.