Design and implementation of a modular interface to integrate CLP and tabled execution

Logic programming (LP) is a family of high-level programming languages which provides high expressive power. With LP, the programmer writes the properties of the result and / or executable specifications instead of detailed computation steps. Logic programming systems which feature tabled execution and constraint logic programming have been shown to increase the declarativeness and efficiency of Prolog, while at the same time making it possible to write very expressive programs. Tabled execution avoids infinite failure in some cases, while improving efficiency in programs which repeat computations. CLP reduces the search tree and brings the power of solving (in)equations over arbitrary domains. Similarly to the LP case, CLP systems can also benefit from the power of tabling. Previous implementations which take ful advantage of the ideas behind tabling (e.g., forcing suspension, answer subsumption, etc. wherever it is necessary to avoid recomputation and terminate whenever possible) did not offer a simple, well-documented, easy-to-understand interface. This would be necessary to make the integratation of arbitrary CLP solvers into existing tabling systems possible. This clearly hinders a more widespread usage of the combination of both facilities. In this thesis we examine the requirements that a constraint solver must fulfill in order to be interfaced with a tabling system. We propose and implement a framework, which we have called Mod TCLP, with a minimal set of operations (e.g., entailment checking and projection) which the constraint solver has to provide to the tabling engine. We validate the design of Mod TCLP by a series of use cases: we re-engineer a previously existing tabled constrain domain (difference constraints) which was connected in an ad-hoc manner with the tabling engine in Ciao Prolog; we integrateHolzbauer’s CLP(Q) implementationwith Ciao Prolog’s tabling engine; and we implement a constraint solver over (finite) lattices. We evaluate its performance with several benchmarks that implement a simple abstract interpreter whose fixpoint is reached by means of tabled execution, and whose domain operations are handled by the constraint over (finite) lattices, where TCLP avoids recomputing subsumed abstractions.---ABSTRACT---La programación lógica con restricciones (CLP) y la tabulación son extensiones de la programación lógica que incrementan la declaratividad y eficiencia de Prolog, al mismo tiempo que hacen posible escribir programasmás expresivos. Las implementaciones anteriores que integran completamente ambas extensiones, incluyendo la suspensión de la ejecución de objetivos siempre que sea necesario, la implementación de inclusión (subsumption) de respuestas, etc., en todos los puntos en los que sea necesario para evitar recomputaciones y garantizar la terminación cuando sea posible, no han proporcionan una interfaz simple, bien documentada y fácil de entender. Esta interfaz es necesaria para permitir integrar resolutores de CLP arbitrarios en el sistema de tabulación. Esto claramente dificulta un uso más generalizado de la integración de ambas extensiones. En esta tesis examinamos los requisitos que un resolutor de restricciones debe cumplir para ser integrado con un sistema de tabulación. Proponemos un esquema (y su implementación), que hemos llamadoMod TCLP, que requiere un reducido conjunto de operaciones (en particular, y entre otras, entailment y proyección de almacenes de restricciones) que el resolutor de restricciones debe ofrecer al sistema de tabulación. Hemos validado el diseño de Mod TCLP con una serie de casos de uso: la refactorización de un sistema de restricciones (difference constraints) previamente conectado de un modo ad-hoc con la tabulación de Ciao Prolog; la integración del sistema de restricciones CLP(Q) de Holzbauer; y la implementación de un resolutor de restricciones sobre retículos finitos. Hemos evaluado su rendimiento con varios programas de prueba, incluyendo la implementación de un intérprete abstracto que alcanza su punto fijo mediante el sistema de tabulación y en el que las operaciones en el dominio son realizadas por el resolutor de restricciones sobre retículos (finitos) donde TCLP evita la recomputación de valores abstractos de las variables ya contenidos en llamadas anteriores.

Algorithms hardware implementation for ultrasonic data processing in SHM system

Nowadays, devices that monitor the health of structures consume a lot of power and need a lot of time to acquire, process, and send the information about the structure to the main processing unit. To decrease this time, fast electronic devices are starting to be used to accelerate this processing. In this paper some hardware algorithms implemented in an electronic logic programming device are described. The goal of this implementation is accelerate the process and diminish the information that has to be send. By reaching this goal, the time the processor needs for treating all the information is reduced and so the power consumption is reduced too.

Improving flexible databases searches using machine learning

El objetivo principal de este proyecto ha sido introducir aprendizaje automático en la aplicación FleSe. FleSe es una aplicación web que permite realizar consultas borrosas sobre bases de datos nítidos. Para llevar a cabo esta función la aplicación utiliza unos criterios para definir los conceptos borrosos usados para llevar a cabo las consultas. FleSe además permite que el usuario cambie estas personalizaciones. Es aquí donde introduciremos el aprendizaje automático, de tal manera que los criterios por defecto cambien y aprendan en función de las personalizaciones que van realizando los usuarios. Los objetivos secundarios han sido familiarizarse con el desarrollo y diseño web, al igual que recordar y ampliar el conocimiento sobre lógica borrosa y el lenguaje de programación lógica Ciao-Prolog. A lo largo de la realización del proyecto y sobre todo después del estudio de los resultados se demuestra que la agrupación de los usuarios marca la diferencia con la última versión de la aplicación. Esto se basa en la siguiente idea, podemos usar un algoritmo de aprendizaje automático sobre las personalizaciones de los criterios de todos los usuarios, pero la gran diversidad de opiniones de los usuarios puede llevar al algoritmo a concluir criterios erróneos o no representativos. Para solucionar este problema agrupamos a los usuarios intentando que cada grupo tengan la misma opinión o mismo criterio sobre el concepto. Y después de haber realizado las agrupaciones usar el algoritmo de aprendizaje automático para precisar el criterio por defecto de cada grupo de usuarios. Como posibles mejoras para futuras versiones de la aplicación FleSe sería un mejor control y manejo del ejecutable plserver. Este archivo se encarga de permitir a la aplicación web usar el lenguaje de programación lógica Ciao-Prolog para llevar a cabo la lógica borrosa relacionada con las consultas. Uno de los problemas más importantes que ofrece plserver es que bloquea el hilo de ejecución al intentar cargar un archivo con errores y en caso de ocurrir repetidas veces bloquea todas las peticiones siguientes bloqueando la aplicación. Pensando en los usuarios y posibles clientes, sería también importante permitir que FleSe trabajase con bases de datos de SQL en vez de almacenar la base de datos en los archivos de Prolog. Otra posible mejora basarse en distintas características a la hora de agrupar los usuarios dependiendo de los conceptos borrosos que se van ha utilizar en las consultas. Con esto se conseguiría que para cada concepto borroso, se generasen distintos grupos de usuarios, los cuales tendrían opiniones distintas sobre el concepto en cuestión. Así se generarían criterios por defecto más precisos para cada usuario y cada concepto borroso.---ABSTRACT---The main objective of this project has been to introduce machine learning in the application FleSe. FleSe is a web application that makes fuzzy queries over databases with precise information, using defined criteria to define the fuzzy concepts used by the queries. The application allows the users to change and custom these criteria. On this point is where the machine learning would be introduced, so FleSe learn from every new user customization of the criteria in order to generate a new default value of it. The secondary objectives of this project were get familiar with web development and web design in order to understand the how the application works, as well as refresh and improve the knowledge about fuzzy logic and logic programing. During the realization of the project and after the study of the results, I realized that clustering the users in different groups makes the difference between this new version of the application and the previous. This conclusion follows the next idea, we can use an algorithm to introduce machine learning over the criteria that people have, but the problem is the diversity of opinions and judgements that exists, making impossible to generate a unique correct criteria for all the users. In order to solve this problem, before using the machine learning methods, we cluster the users in order to make groups that have the same opinion, and afterwards, use the machine learning methods to precise the default criteria of each users group. The future improvements that could be important for the next versions of FleSe will be to control better the behaviour of the plserver file, that cost many troubles at the beginning of this project and it also generate important errors in the previous version. The file plserver allows the web application to use Ciao-Prolog, a logic programming language that control and manage all the fuzzy logic. One of the main problems with plserver is that when the user uploads a file with errors, it will block the thread and when this happens multiple times it will start blocking all the requests. Oriented to the customer, would be important as well to allow FleSe to manage and work with SQL databases instead of store the data in the Prolog files. Another possible improvement would that the cluster algorithm would be based on different criteria depending on the fuzzy concepts that the selected Prolog file have. This will generate more meaningful clusters, and therefore, the default criteria offered to the users will be more precise.

Soluciones de control para el Hogar Digital Accesible

En este proyecto, se pretende obtener la solución óptima para el control del hogar digital accesible. Para ello, comenzaremos explicando el funcionamiento básico de un sistema dómotico, enumeraremos los diversos dispositivos que se utilizan en este tipo de automatizaciones, y comentaremos las diferentes posibilidades con respecto a la arquitectura del sistema. Para elegir la opción más adecuada, se realizará un pequeño estudio a acerca de cada una de las tecnologías existentes, protocolos cerrados, y abiertos, así como tecnologías inalámbricas o de bus. Se realizará un estudio con mayor profundidad del estándar KNX, ya que será una de las tecnologías elegidas finalmente para la realización del proyecto. Una vez elegido el estándar, hemos de centrarnos en las necesidades del recinto, para así poder empezar a definir cada uno de los elementos que incluiremos en nuestra instalación, sensores, actuadores, elementos de intercomunicación, procesadores y dispositivos de control. El siguiente paso consistiría en la programación de la vivienda, para ello hemos de tener previamente estructurados y definidos tanto el número de circuitos eléctricos, como la función que estos desempeñan dentro del recinto inteligente, es decir, accionamiento, regulación etc, para así poder asignar cada circuito a la salida correspondiente de su propio actuador. La vivienda se programará a través de ETS, software asociado a la marca KNX. Mediante este protocolo controlaremos, iluminación, motores, climatización y seguridad. Debido a los recursos limitados que ofrece KNX con respecto a la programación lógica de eventos y secuencias de acciones, y la necesidad de visualizar la interfaz gráfica de la vivienda se ha integrado un procesador. Considerando el deseo de integrar el control de un televisor en la vivienda, futuras ampliaciones y otros aspectos, el procesador integrado será de Crestron Electronics, marca correspondiente a un protocolo cerrado de automatización de sistemas, que cuenta con grandes avances en el control multimedia. Por tanto, la segunda parte de la programación se realizará mediante otros dos softwares diferentes, pertenecientes a la marca, Simple Windows se encargará de la programación lógica del sistema, mientras que Vision Tools creará la visualización. Por último, obtendremos las conclusiones necesarias, adjuntaremos un diagrama de conexionado, presupuesto de la instalación, planos y un pequeño manual de usuario. ABSTRACT. The aim of this project is to optimize the environment control of the Accesible Digital Home unit located in ETSIST - UPM, through different essays, valuing the domestic possibilities and the current interfaces. The tests will be carried out comparing different protocols and the possibilities of optimization that they offer to a Digital Home. Aspects such as: ease the communications with other systems, reliability, costs, long term maintenance of the installation, etc. After conducting trials protocol or most appropriate technology for the automation of the enclosure shall be elected. One Chosen the standard, we have to focus on the needs of the enclosure, so, to begin defining each of the elements included in our installation, sensors, actuators, elements intercom, processors and control devices. The next step is the programing of housing, for that we have previously structured and defined both the number of electrical circuits, as the role they play in the intelligent enclosure, that is, switching, dimming etc., in order to assign each circuit to the corresponding output of its own actuator. The house will be scheduled through ETS, software associated with the brand KNX. Through this protocol we will control, lighting, motors, air conditioning and security. Due to the limited resources available in KNX with respect logic programming of events and sequences of actions, and the need to display the graphical interface housing has been integrated processor belonging to the closed protocol or Crestron electronics brand. Finally, when we get the necessary conclusions, enclose a diagram of wiring, installation budget, planes and a small manual.

Optimizing supply chain waste management through the use of RFID technology

This paper presents a Decision Support System framework based on Constrain Logic Programming and offers suggestions for using RFID technology to improve several of the critical procedures involved. This paper suggests that a widely distributed and semi-structured network of waste producing and waste collecting/processing enterprises can improve their planning both by the proposed Decision Support System, but also by implementing RFID technology to update and validate information in a continuous manner. © 2010 IEEE.

The application of knowledge based expert systems to mechanical engineering design

Investigation of the different approaches used by Expert Systems researchers to solve problems in the domain of Mechanical Design and Expert Systems was carried out. The techniques used for conventional formal logic programming were compared with those used when applying Expert Systems concepts. A literature survey of design processes was also conducted with a view to adopting a suitable model of the design process. A model, comprising a variation on two established ones, was developed and applied to a problem within what are described as class 3 design tasks. The research explored the application of these concepts to Mechanical Engineering Design problems and their implementation on a microcomputer using an Expert System building tool. It was necessary to explore the use of Expert Systems in this manner so as to bridge the gap between their use as a control structure and for detailed analytical design. The former application is well researched into and this thesis discusses the latter. Some Expert System building tools available to the author at the beginning of his work were evaluated specifically for their suitability for Mechanical Engineering design problems. Microsynics was found to be the most suitable on which to implement a design problem because of its simple but powerful Semantic Net Knowledge Representation structure and the ability to use other types of representation schemes. Two major implementations were carried out. The first involved a design program for a Helical compression spring and the second a gearpair system design. Two concepts were proposed in the thesis for the modelling and implementation of design systems involving many equations. The method proposed enables equation manipulation and analysis using a combination of frames, semantic nets and production rules. The use of semantic nets for purposes other than for psychology and natural language interpretation, is quite new and represents one of the major contributions to knowledge by the author. The development of a purpose built shell program for this type of design problems was recommended as an extension of the research. Microsynics may usefully be used as a platform for this development.

Contradictory reasoning network:an EEG and FMRI study

Contradiction is a cornerstone of human rationality, essential for everyday life and communication. We investigated electroencephalographic (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in separate recording sessions during contradictory judgments, using a logical structure based on categorical propositions of the Aristotelian Square of Opposition (ASoO). The use of ASoO propositions, while controlling for potential linguistic or semantic confounds, enabled us to observe the spatial temporal unfolding of this contradictory reasoning. The processing started with the inversion of the logical operators corresponding to right middle frontal gyrus (rMFG-BA11) activation, followed by identification of contradictory statement associated with in the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG-BA47) activation. Right medial frontal gyrus (rMeFG, BA10) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, BA32) contributed to the later stages of process. We observed a correlation between the delayed latency of rBA11 response and the reaction time delay during inductive vs. deductive reasoning. This supports the notion that rBA11 is crucial for manipulating the logical operators. Slower processing time and stronger brain responses for inductive logic suggested that examples are easier to process than general principles and are more likely to simplify communication. © 2014 Porcaro et al.

A decision support system for waste collection management and its potential improvement with Radio-Frequency Identification Technology (RFID)

Due to vigorous globalisation and product proliferation in recent years, more waste has been produced by the soaring manufacturing activities. This has contributed to the significant need for an efficient waste management system to ensure, with all efforts, the waste is properly treated for recycling or disposed. This paper presents a Decision Support System (DSS) framework, based on Constraint Logic Programming (CLP), for the collection management of industrial waste (of all kinds) and discusses the potential employment of Radio-Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) to improve several critical procedures involved in managing waste collection. This paper also demonstrates a widely distributed and semi-structured network of waste producing enterprises (e.g. manufacturers) and waste processing enterprises (i.e. waste recycling/treatment stations) improving their operations planning by means of using the proposed DSS. The potential RFID applications to update and validate information in a continuous manner to bring value-added benefits to the waste collection business are also presented. © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

BOWL:augmenting the semantic web with beliefs

As the Semantic Web is an open, complex and constantly evolving medium, it is the norm, but not exception that information at different sites is incomplete or inconsistent. This poses challenges for the engineering and development of agent systems on the Semantic Web, since autonomous software agents need to understand, process and aggregate this information. Ontology language OWL provides core language constructs to semantically markup resources on the Semantic Web, on which software agents interact and cooperate to accomplish complex tasks. However, as OWL was designed on top of (a subset of) classic predicate logic, it lacks the ability to reason about inconsistent or incomplete information. Belief-augmented Frames (BAF) is a frame-based logic system that associates with each frame a supporting and a refuting belief value. In this paper, we propose a new ontology language Belief-augmented OWL (BOWL) by integrating OWL DL and BAF to incorporate the notion of confidence. BOWL is paraconsistent, hence it can perform useful reasoning services in the presence of inconsistencies and incompleteness. We define the abstract syntax and semantics of BOWL by extending those of OWL. We have proposed reasoning algorithms for various reasoning tasks in the BOWL framework and we have implemented the algorithms using the constraint logic programming framework. One example in the sensor fusion domain is presented to demonstrate the application of BOWL.

Innovációmenedzsment és innovációs stratégiák – a vállalati tudás szerepe az innovációs folyamatokban (Innovation management and innovation strategies – the role of corporate knowledge in innovative processes)

A szerzők kutatásának célja, hogy az innovációmenedzsment és az innovációs stratégiák összefüggéseiben rávilágítsanak a magyarországi vállalatokat jellemző stratégiai irányokra és azonosítsák a vállalati tudás szerepét az innovációs folyamatokban. Az induktív logikán alapuló, kvalitatív interjúkra építkező módszertan segítségével történt az adatok gyűjtése és elemzése. Kutatási eredményeik alapján megállapítható, hogy a magyar vállalatok többsége tisztában van az innováció stratégiai jelentőségével és a tudás innovációfokozó erejével. Azonban a bizonytalan szabályozási környezet, a negatív piaci hangulat, a finanszírozási forrásokhoz való hozzáférés és a globális verseny megnehezítik a hazai KKV-k innovációs törekvéseit. Ugyanakkor a multinacionális vállalatok élen járnak mind a technológiai, mind pedig a nem technológiai innovációk terén is. A nem technológiai innováció területén komoly fejlődési lehetőségek körvonalazódhatnak a magyar KKV-k számára is, hiszen ezek kevésbé költségesek és időigényesek, és a belső erőforrásokat felhasználva a szervezeti tudásbázisra is épülhetnek. ____ The aim of the authors’ research is to highlight the characteristic strategic directions of Hungarian companies and identify the role of corporate knowledge in the innovative processes in the context of innovation management and innovative strategies. The collection and analysis of data were helped by a methodology which is based on inductive logic and qualitative interviews. The diagnosis, based on there search results,was that the majority of Hungarian companies are aware of the strategic importance of innovation and the innovation enhancing power of knowledge.

Um Framework para criação de jogos voltados para o ensino de lógica de programação

Digital games have been used as aiding tool for transmission of knowledge, allowing faster dissemination of content. Using this strategy of disseminating logical reasoning development for basic school children can be the motivating gear that helps in the learning process for any area. In this context, many games can be created and provided for the use of teacher and student. However, the complexity of construction of these games becomes a obstacle which can, often, prevent their construction. Thus, this paper presents a framework for creating games, which teach programming logic, presenting from their conception to their integration with the visual programming environment (Blockly) and scenarios created in HTML5.

A Soft Computing Approach to Quality Evaluation of General Chemistry Learning in Higher Education

In contemporary societies higher education must shape individuals able to solve problems in a workable and simpler manner and, therefore, a multidisciplinary view of the problems, with insights in disciplines like psychology, mathematics or computer science becomes mandatory. Undeniably, the great challenge for teachers is to provide a comprehensive training in General Chemistry with high standards of quality, and aiming not only at the promotion of the student’s academic success, but also at the understanding of the competences/skills required to their future doings. Thus, this work will be focused on the development of an intelligent system to assess the Quality-of-General-Chemistry-Learning, based on factors related with subject, teachers and students.

Assessing the Role of General Chemistry Learning in Higher Education

The inclusion of General Chemistry (GC) in the curricula of higher education courses in science and technology aims, on the one hand, to develop students' skills necessary for further studies and, on the other hand, to respond to the need of endowing future professionals of knowledge to analyze and solve multidisciplinary problems in a sustainable way. The participation of students in the evaluation of the role played by the GC in their training is crucial, and the analysis of the results can be an essential tool to increase success in the education of students and improving practices in various professions. Undeniably, this work will be focused on the development of an intelligent system to assess the role of GC. The computational framework is built on top of a Logic Programming approach to Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, complemented with a problem solving methodology moored on Artificial Neural Networks. The results so far obtained show that the proposed model stands for a good start, being its overall accuracy higher than 95%.

Quality of Judgment Assessment

The intersection of Artificial Intelligence and The Law stands for a multifaceted matter, and its effects set the advances on culture, organization, as well as the social matters, when the emergent information technologies are taken into consideration. From this point of view, the weight of formal and informal Conflict Resolution settings should be highlighted, and the use of defective data, information or knowledge must be emphasized. Indeed, it is hard to do it with traditional problem solving methodologies. Therefore, in this work the focus is on the development of decision support systems, in terms of its knowledge representation and reasoning procedures, under a formal framework based on Logic Programming, complemented with an approach to computing centered on Artificial Neural Networks. It is intended to evaluate the Quality-of-Judgments and the respective Degree-of-Confidence that one has on such happenings.

An Artificial Intelligence Approach to Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia stands for a brain-based condition that makes it hard to make sense of numbers and mathematical concepts. Some adolescents with dyscalculia cannot grasp basic number concepts. They work hard to learn and memorize basic number facts. They may know what to do in mathematical classes but do not understand why they are doing it. In other words, they miss the logic behind it. However, it may be worked out in order to decrease its degree of severity. For example, disMAT, an app developed for android may help children to apply mathematical concepts, without much effort, that is turning in itself, a promising tool to dyscalculia treatment. Thus, this work focuses on the development of an Intelligent System to estimate children evidences of dyscalculia, based on data obtained on-the-fly with disMAT. The computational framework is built on top of a Logic Programming framework to Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, complemented with a Case-Based problem solving approach to computing, that allows for the handling of incomplete, unknown, or even contradictory information.