Mathematical Aspects of Logic Programming Semantics

Presenting the methods required to study the semantics of logic programs, this book significantly extends these tools from the order theory traditionally used in the subject to include nontraditional methods depending on topology, generalized distance functions, and their associated fixed-point theory. The authors provide a self-contained, detailed overview of the development of both conventional and nonconventional methods and techniques, fulfilling a significant gap in the literature on theoretical computer science. They examine the interaction between logic programming and connectionist systems from the point of view of semantics.