'. . . and nothing else changes': the frame problem in procedure specifications

The first aim of this analysis is to outline a certain general problem which arises in all formal specifications using the pre/postcondition notation, and which is related to a longstanding problem in the field of AI, called the frame problem (J. McCarthy and P. Hayes, 1969). The authors then presen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inProceedings of 1993 15th International Conference on Software Engineering pp. 303 - 314
Main Authors Borgida, A., Mylopoulos, J., Reiter, R.
Format Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published IEEE Comput. Soc. Press 1993
Subjects
Artificial intelligence
Computer science
Councils
Formal specifications
Intelligent robots
Intelligent systems
Logic
Proposals
Specification languages
Standards development
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ISBN9780818637001
0818637005
ISSN0270-5257
DOI10.1109/ICSE.1993.346034

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Summary:The first aim of this analysis is to outline a certain general problem which arises in all formal specifications using the pre/postcondition notation, and which is related to a longstanding problem in the field of AI, called the frame problem (J. McCarthy and P. Hayes, 1969). The authors then present examples illustrating this problem, which becomes particularly acute for large object-oriented specifications where inheritance plays a central role. The examples are intended to demonstrate that failure to deal with the frame problem compromises a formal specification language with respect to its notational suitability and its capacity to support a methodology for formally proving properties of specifications. How existing specification languages have endeavored to cope with the problem are reviewed. A novel approach is presented based on recent work intended to solve the frame problem in planning applications within AI.< >
ISBN:9780818637001
0818637005
ISSN:0270-5257
DOI:10.1109/ICSE.1993.346034