Answer Set Programming Made Easy

TL;DR

This paper simplifies Answer Set Programming by establishing a minimal core based on restricted rule formats and the logic of Here-and-There, providing a normal form and a beginner-friendly modeling methodology.

Contribution

It introduces a minimal, normal form for ASP grounded in the logic of Here-and-There, and proposes a practical modeling approach for newcomers.

Findings

A restricted rule format suffices for ASP.

A normal form for logic programs analogous to CNF.

A new methodology for ASP beginners.

Abstract

We take up an idea from the folklore of Answer Set Programming, namely that choices, integrity constraints along with a restricted rule format is sufficient for Answer Set Programming. We elaborate upon the foundations of this idea in the context of the logic of Here-and-There and show how it can be derived from the logical principle of extension by definition. We then provide an austere form of logic programs that may serve as a normalform for logic programs similar to conjunctive normalform in classical logic. Finally, we take the key ideas and propose a modeling methodology for ASP beginners and illustrate how it can be used.