Computing Stable Models of Normal Logic Programs Without Grounding

Understand

We present a method for computing stable models of normal logic programs, i.e., logic programs extended with negation, in the presence of predicates with arbitrary terms.

• Such programs need not have a finite grounding, so traditional methods do not apply.
• Our method relies on the use of a non-Herbrand universe, as well as coinduction, constructive negation and a number of other novel techniques.
• Using our method, a normal logic program with predicates can be executed directly under the stable model semantics without requiring it to be grounded either before or during execution and without requiring that its variables range over a finite domain.