Towards a solution to the proper integration of a logic programming system and a large knowledge based management system

Abstract

In designing the interface between a database and a logic system with inference such as Prolog, efficiency is the major issue. Presented here are three of the methods that are considered most promising and in which much research is focused. The first method explores extending an inference machine to include a database manager, the second couples the inference mechanism with a database management system; and the third extends a database management mechanism to include inference. Acknowledging up front that no method can be claimed best, the major emphasis of this study will be to determine the strengths and limitations of all three methods and thereby help to clarify many uncertain and sometimes conflicting issues caused by the parallel lines of development from the database and artificial intelligence communities.