50 lines
1021 B
Markdown
50 lines
1021 B
Markdown
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## Unification
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Two terms unify if they are
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1. The same term
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2. They contain variables that can be uniformly instantiated such that the
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resulting terms are equal.
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Unification is foundational to Prolog.
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`=/2` checks whether its two arguments unify:
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```
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12 ?- =(a, a).
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true.
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13 ?- =(a, b).
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false.
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```
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*NB* variable assignment with `=`:
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```
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24 ?- vincent = X.
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X = vincent.
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25 ?- jealous(Y, X).
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Y = vincent,
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X = marsellus ;
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Y = marsellus,
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X = vincent ;
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false.
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```
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### Lines
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```
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/* lines.pl */
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vertical(line(point(X,Y),point(X,Z))).
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horizontal(line(point(X,Y),point(Z,Y))).
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```
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Check this out:
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```
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39 ?- vertical(line(point(1, 7), P)).
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P = point(1, _402).
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```
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The answer is structured: `_402` is a placeholder variable that means "any old
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value of Y will do." This answer was derived solely through unification, and
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didn't require logic (e.g. modus ponens) or any sort of mathematical
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relationships. "Moreover, when a program is written that makes heavy use of
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unification, it is likely to be extremely efficient."
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