Abstract

This monograph provides an intensive course for graduate students in computer science, as well as others interested in extensions of logic programming, on the theoretical foundations of disjunctive logic programming. Disjunctive logic programming permits the description of indefinite or incomplete information through a disjunction of atoms in the head of a clause. The authors describe model theoretic semantics, proof theoretic semantics, and fix point semantics for disjunctive and normal disjunctive programs (a normal disjunctive program permits negated atoms in the body of a clause) and present theories of negation. They conclude with selected applications to knowledge databases. Jorge Lobo is Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle. Jack Minker is Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Institute for Advanced Computer Studies at the University of Maryland. Arcot Rajasekar is Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Kentucky. Contents: Introduction and Background. Definitions and Terminology. Declarative Semantics. Proof Theory. Negation. Weak Negation. Normal Logic Programs. Procedural Semantics: Normal Programs. Disjunctive Databases. Applications.