Declarative Semantics for Active Rules

TL;DR

This paper explores declarative semantics for active rules, integrating deductive and active rule paradigms, and analyzing various stable model semantics for deterministic and non-deterministic interpretations.

Contribution

It introduces a framework that combines deductive and active rules using stable model semantics, applicable to infinite databases and queries with function symbols.

Findings

Framework supports integration of deductive and active rules

Applicable to infinite databases and function-symbol queries

Analyzes multiple stable model semantics for active rules

Abstract

In this paper we analyze declarative deterministic and non-deterministic semantics for active rules. In particular we consider several (partial) stable model semantics, previously defined for deductive rules, such as well-founded, max deterministic, unique total stable model, total stable model, and maximal stable model semantics. The semantics of an active program AP is given by first rewriting it into a deductive program P, then computing a model M defining the declarative semantics of P and, finally, applying `consistent' updates contained in M to the source database. The framework we propose permits a natural integration of deductive and active rules and can also be applied to queries with function symbols or to queries over infinite databases.