Unlike current survey articles and textbooks, here the so-called confluence and termination hierarchies play a key role. Throughout, the relationships between the properties in the hierarchies are reviewed, and it is shown that for every implication X => Y in the hierarchies, the property X is undecidable for all term rewriting systems satisfying Y. Topics covered include: the newest techniques for proving termination of rewrite systems; a comprehensive chapter on conditional term rewriting systems; a state-of-the-art survey of modularity in term rewriting, and a uniform framework for term and graph rewriting, as well as the first result on conditional graph rewriting.

Term rewriting systems developed out of mathematical logic and are an important part of theoretical computer science. They consist of sequences of discrete transformation steps where one term is replaced with another and have applications in many areas, from functional programming to automatic theorem proving and computer algebra. This 2003 book starts at an elementary level with the earlier chapters providing a foundation for the rest of the work. Much of the advanced material appeared here for the first time in book form. Subjects treated include orthogonality, termination, completion, lambda calculus, higher-order rewriting, infinitary rewriting and term graph rewriting. Many exercises are included with selected solutions provided on the web. A comprehensive bibliography makes this book ideal both for teaching and research. A chapter is included presenting applications of term rewriting systems, with many pointers to actual implementations.

Unified and self-contained introduction to term-rewriting; suited for students or professionals.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Rewriting Techniques and Applications, RTA 2005, held in Nara, Japan in April 2005. The 29 revised full papers and 2 systems description papers presented together with 5 invited articles were carefully reviewed and selected from 79 submissions. All current issues in Rewriting are addressed, ranging from foundational and methodological issues to applications in various contexts; due to the fact that the first RTA conference was held 20 years ago, the conference offered 3 invited historical papers 2 of which are included in this proceedings.

A comprehensive study and exposition on the benefits of graph and term rewriting. Contains such theoretical advances as a single pushout categorical model of graph rewriting, a new theory of transfinite term rewriting and an abstract interpretation for term graph rewriting. Includes a discussion of parallelism.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Rewriting Techniques and Applications, RTA 2006, held in Seattle, WA, USA in August 2006. The book presents 23 revised full papers and 4 systems description papers together with 2 invited talks and a plenary talk of the hosting FLoC conference. Topics include equational reasoning, system verification, lambda calculus, theorem proving, system descriptions, termination, higher-order rewriting and unification, and more.

Maude is a language and system based on rewriting logic. In this comprehensive account, you’ll discover how Maude and its formal tool environment can be used in three mutually reinforcing ways: as a declarative programming language, as an executable formal specification language, and as a formal verification system. Examples used throughout the book illustrate key concepts, features, and the many practical uses of Maude.

Automated and semi-automated manipulation of so-called labelled transition systems has become an important means in discovering flaws in software and hardware systems. Process algebra has been developed to express such labelled transition systems algebraically, which enhances the ways of manipulation by means of equational logic and term rewriting. The theory of process algebra has developed rapidly over the last twenty years, and verification tools have been developed on the basis of process algebra, often in cooperation with techniques related to model checking. This textbook gives a thorough introduction into the basics of process algebra and its applications.

Over the past 20 years, the emergence of clone theory, hyperequational theory, commutator theory and tame congruence theory has led to a growth of universal algebra both in richness and in applications, especially in computer science. Yet most of the classic books on the subject are long out of print and, to date, no other book has integrated these theories with the long-established work that supports them. Universal Algebra and Applications in Theoretical Computer Science introduces the basic concepts of universal algebra and surveys some of the newer developments in the field. The first half of the book provides a solid grounding in the core material. A leisurely pace, careful exposition, numerous examples, and exercises combine to form an introduction to the subject ideal for beginning graduate students or researchers from other areas. The second half of the book focuses on applications in theoretical computer science and advanced topics, including Mal'cev conditions, tame congruence theory, clones, and commutators. The impact of the advances in universal algebra on computer science is just beginning to be realized, and the field will undoubtedly continue to grow and mature. Universal Algebra and Applications in Theoretical Computer Science forms an outstanding text and offers a unique opportunity to build the foundation needed for further developments in its theory and in its computer science applications.

Handbook of Knowledge Representation describes the essential foundations of Knowledge Representation, which lies at the core of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The book provides an up-to-date review of twenty-five key topics in knowledge representation, written by the leaders of each field. It includes a tutorial background and cutting-edge developments, as well as applications of Knowledge Representation in a variety of AI systems. This handbook is organized into three parts. Part I deals with general methods in Knowledge Representation and reasoning and covers such topics as classical logic in Knowledge Representation; satisfiability solvers; description logics; constraint programming; conceptual graphs; nonmonotonic reasoning; model-based problem solving; and Bayesian networks. Part II focuses on classes of knowledge and specialized representations, with chapters on temporal representation and reasoning; spatial and physical reasoning; reasoning about knowledge and belief; temporal action logics; and nonmonotonic causal logic. Part III discusses Knowledge Representation in applications such as question answering; the semantic web; automated planning; cognitive robotics; multi-agent systems; and knowledge engineering. This book is an essential resource for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners in knowledge representation and AI. * Make your computer smarter* Handle qualitative and uncertain information* Improve computational tractability to solve your problems easily