Publication Details

A Language for Writing Problem-Solving Programs

by Rulifson, Johns F., Waldinger, Richard J., Derksen, Jan A.

Technical Note 48
Institution: AI Center, SRI International
Address: 333 Ravenswood Ave, Menlo Park, CA 94025"
Apr 1971.

Note: Paper accepted for presentation at IFIP Congress ’71, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, August 23-28, 1971. SRI Projects 8259, 8721, 8550. The research reported herein was sponsored by the Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Contracts NAS12-2221, and NASW-2086, and by Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories under Contract F19628-70-C-2046.

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This paper describes a language for constructing problem-solving programs. The language can manipulate several data structures, including ordered and unordered sets. Pattern matching facilities may be used in various ways, including the binding of variables. Implicit backtracking facilitates the compact representation of search procedures. Expressions are treated analogously to atoms in LISP. A "context" device is used to implement variable bindings, to effect conditional proofs, and to solve the "frame" problem in robot planning.