Processing Indefinite Deductive Databases under the Possible Model Semantics

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Johnson, C.A.

Affiliations: School of Computing, University of Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, England

Abstract: The relationship between possible and supported models of unstratified indefinite deductive databases is studied, when disjunction is interpreted inclusively. Possible and supported models are shown to coincide under a suitable definition of supportedness, and the concept of a supported cover is introduced and shown to characterise possible models and facilitate top-down query processing and compilation under the possible model semantics. The properties and query processing of deductive databases under the possible model semantics is compared and contrasted with the perfect model semantics.

Keywords: Indefinite deductive databases, possible models, stable models, stationary models, supported models, perfect models, supported covers, query processing, query compilation

Journal: Fundamenta Informaticae, vol. 49, no. 4, pp. 325-347, 2002