PhD Thesis Proposal Defence


"Answer set programming: SAT Based Solver and Phase Transition"

By

Mr. Yuting Zhao


Abstract

Answer Set Programming (ASP) is a constraint based programming
paradigm proposed recently by AI researchers. In this paradigm one solves
a problem by encoding constraints as logic program rules in such a way
that solutions to the original problem correspond to so-called answer set
of these logic program rules.

Researchers have found applications of this paradigm in problems ranging
from combinational search problems such as graph coloring and Hamiltonian
circuit problem to product configurations and data encryptions. In this
thesis proposal, we shall propose to make the following two contributions
to the new programming paradigm. First, we shall discuss our recent work
on implementing ASP using traditional SAT (propositional satisfiability)
solvers. This is done by a translation from logic programs to clauses in
propositional logic. We shall present experimentations that show the
advantages of this approach over specialized ASP systems. Secondly, we
shall study some phase transition phenomenon in randomly generated logic
programs whose rules are of a fixed length. Hopefully, this study will
shed some lights on the hard regions of logic programs.


Date:				Friday, 28 February 2003

Time:				8:45a.m.-10:45a.m.

Venue:				Room 3301A
				Lifts 17-18

Committee Members:		Dr. Fangzhen Lin (Supervisor)
				Dr. Nevin Zhang (Chairman)
				Dr. Rudolf Fleischer
				Dr. Dit-Yan Yeung


**** ALL are Welcome ****