On Zeno-like Behaviors in the Event Calculus with Goal-directed Answer Set Programming

On Zeno-like Behaviors in the Event Calculus with Goal-directed Answer Set Programming

Stať ve sborníku v databázi WoS či Scopus

It has been argued that Event Calculus (EC) is suitable for modeling high-level specifications of safety-critical cyber-physical systems. The primary advantage lies in the rather small semantic gap between EC models and requirements expressed in a semi-formal natural language. Moreover, its use of continuous time and variables avoids imprecision that stems from discretization. In the past, we have shown that a goal-directed ASP system can be used for implementing these EC models. However, precise representation of time as an infinitesimally divisible continuous quantity leads to Zeno-like behaviors and to non-termination in such a system. In this work, we model a number of well-known example problems from the literature to systematically study various natural EC modeling patterns that yield these Zeno-like behaviors, and propose ways to deal with them. Moreover, weal so propose a technique to automatically detect all such cases.

It has been argued that Event Calculus (EC) is suitable for modeling high-level specifications of safety-critical cyber-physical systems. The primary advantage lies in the rather small semantic gap between EC models and requirements expressed in a semi-formal natural language. Moreover, its use of continuous time and variables avoids imprecision that stems from discretization. In the past, we have shown that a goal-directed ASP system can be used for implementing these EC models. However, precise representation of time as an infinitesimally divisible continuous quantity leads to Zeno-like behaviors and to non-termination in such a system. In this work, we model a number of well-known example problems from the literature to systematically study various natural EC modeling patterns that yield these Zeno-like behaviors, and propose ways to deal with them. Moreover, weal so propose a technique to automatically detect all such cases.

Embedded systems; Logic programming; Safety engineering; Semantics

Embedded systems; Logic programming; Safety engineering; Semantics

VAŠÍČEK, O.; ARIAS, J.; FIEDOR, J.; GUPTA, G.; HALL, B.; KŘENA, B.; LARSON, B.; VOJNAR, T.

2026

31.12.2025

EPTCS

Proceedings 41st International Conference on Logic Programming

Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science, EPTCS

439

Australské společenství

496

510

15

https://cgi.cse.unsw.edu.au/~eptcs/paper.cgi?ICLP2025.34

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/256431