3,428 research outputs found
Set Unification
The unification problem in algebras capable of describing sets has been
tackled, directly or indirectly, by many researchers and it finds important
applications in various research areas--e.g., deductive databases, theorem
proving, static analysis, rapid software prototyping. The various solutions
proposed are spread across a large literature. In this paper we provide a
uniform presentation of unification of sets, formalizing it at the level of set
theory. We address the problem of deciding existence of solutions at an
abstract level. This provides also the ability to classify different types of
set unification problems. Unification algorithms are uniformly proposed to
solve the unification problem in each of such classes.
The algorithms presented are partly drawn from the literature--and properly
revisited and analyzed--and partly novel proposals. In particular, we present a
new goal-driven algorithm for general ACI1 unification and a new simpler
algorithm for general (Ab)(Cl) unification.Comment: 58 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. To appear in Theory and Practice of
Logic Programming (TPLP
Loops and Knots as Topoi of Substance. Spinoza Revisited
The relationship between modern philosophy and physics is discussed. It is
shown that the latter develops some need for a modernized metaphysics which
shows up as an ultima philosophia of considerable heuristic value, rather than
as the prima philosophia in the Aristotelian sense as it had been intended, in
the first place. It is shown then, that it is the philosophy of Spinoza in
fact, that can still serve as a paradigm for such an approach. In particular,
Spinoza's concept of infinite substance is compared with the philosophical
implications of the foundational aspects of modern physical theory. Various
connotations of sub-stance are discussed within pre-geometric theories,
especially with a view to the role of spin networks within quantum gravity. It
is found to be useful to intro-duce a separation into physics then, so as to
differ between foundational and empirical theories, respectively. This leads to
a straightforward connection bet-ween foundational theories and speculative
philosophy on the one hand, and between empirical theories and sceptical
philosophy on the other. This might help in the end, to clarify some recent
problems, such as the absence of time and causality at a fundamental level. It
is implied that recent results relating to topos theory might open the way
towards eventually deriving logic from physics, and also towards a possible
transition from logic to hermeneutic.Comment: 42 page
Restrictable Variants: A Simple and Practical Alternative to Extensible Variants
We propose restrictable variants as a simple and practical alternative to extensible variants. Restrictable variants combine nominal and structural typing: a restrictable variant is an algebraic data type indexed by a type-level set formula that captures its set of active labels. We introduce new pattern-matching constructs that allows programmers to write functions that only match on a subset of variants, i.e., pattern-matches may be non-exhaustive. We then present a type system for restrictable variants which ensures that such non-exhaustive matches cannot get stuck at runtime.
An essential feature of restrictable variants is that the type system can capture structure-preserving transformations: specifically the introduction and elimination of variants. This property is important for writing reusable functions, yet many row-based extensible variant systems lack it.
In this paper, we present a calculus with restrictable variants, two partial pattern-matching constructs, and a type system that ensures progress and preservation. The type system extends Hindley-Milner with restrictable variants and supports type inference with an extension of Algorithm W with Boolean unification. We implement restrictable variants as an extension of the Flix programming language and conduct a few case studies to illustrate their practical usefulness
A specification language for Lexical Functional Grammars
This paper defines a language L for specifying LFG grammars. This enables
constraints on LFG's composite ontology (c-structures synchronised with
f-structures) to be stated directly; no appeal to the LFG construction
algorithm is needed. We use L to specify schemata annotated rules and the LFG
uniqueness, completeness and coherence principles. Broader issues raised by
this work are noted and discussed.Comment: 6 pages, LaTeX uses eaclap.sty; Procs of Euro ACL-9
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