Discrete event simulation in prolog

Abstract

A logic programming language for simulation is presented along with several examples of its use. This language uses the same primitives as Concurrent Prolog with the addition of delay expressions in the guards. An advantage of this approach is that Concurrent Prolog programs can be prototyped and debugged via simulation after which the delay expressions can be ignored to produce the final Concurrent Prolog program. Limited backtracking is supported in the initial language interpreter which is written in standard Prolog. This enables alternate paths in a simulation to be explored for acceptable solutions. As in Concurrent Prolog a declarative interpretation of a program is possible. That is, a Concurrent Prolog program can be considered as a set of axioms in first order logic.