On Correctness and Completeness of an n Queens Program. Issue 1 (14th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: DRABENT, WŁODZIMIERZ
• Is Part Of: Theory and practice of logic programming. Volume 22:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 37
• Page End: 50
• Publication Date: 2022-01-14
• Subjects: logic programming -- declarative programming -- program completeness -- program correctness -- specification -- nonground answers; Logic programming -- Periodicals; Artificial intelligence -- Computer programs -- Periodicals; Constraint programming (Computer science) -- Periodicals; 005.115
• DOI: 10.1017/S1471068421000223
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-0684

Abstract

Abstract: Thom Frühwirth presented a short, elegant, and efficient Prolog program for the n queens problem. However, the program may be seen as rather tricky and one may not be convinced about its correctness. This paper explains the program in a declarative way and provides proofs of its correctness and completeness. The specification and the proofs are declarative, that is they abstract from any operational semantics. The specification is approximate, it is unnecessary to describe the program's semantics exactly. Despite the program works on non-ground terms, this work employs the standard semantics, based on logical consequence and Herbrand interpretations. Another purpose of the paper is to present an example of precise declarative reasoning about the semantics of a logic program.