BNR Prolog is a logic programming language and software system that was developed in the late 1980s by the Bell-Northern Research (BNR) division of Nortel. It is a descendant of the Prolog programming language and was specifically designed for developing expert systems and artificial intelligence applications.
BNR Prolog follows the principles of declarative programming, where the programmer specifies the problem to be solved rather than explicitly outlining the steps to solve it. It is based on first-order predicate logic, allowing the representation and manipulation of knowledge using logical statements and rules.
The language features of BNR Prolog include pattern matching, unification, and backtracking, which enable efficient searching and reasoning. It supports a wide range of data types, including atoms, numbers, variables, and lists. BNR Prolog also provides mechanisms for defining rules, which are used to derive new facts and perform logical inference.
The BNR Prolog software system consists of a compiler and runtime environment. The compiler translates the BNR Prolog source code into machine-readable instructions, while the runtime environment executes these instructions. The system supports interactive debugging and profiling tools to aid in program development and optimization.
Overall, BNR Prolog is a powerful tool for developing knowledge-based systems and solving complex problems. Its logical, declarative nature and rich set of features make it well-suited for applications in the field of artificial intelligence.
