An interactive system for proving theorems in the predicate calculus

  • Authors:

  • Jacques Cohen;Ann Rubin

  • Affiliations:

  • -;-

  • Venue:
  • SYMSAC '71 Proceedings of the second ACM symposium on Symbolic and algebraic manipulation
  • Year:
  • 1971

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Abstract

This paper describes an interactive system for proving theorems in the first order predicate calculus. The system utilizes Jeffrey's tree method, a variant of Beth's method of semantic tableaux, which lends it self well to a man-machine interactive type of implementation. The method also permits one to separate clearly the basic problems involved in automatic theorem proving from those of devising suitable heuristics to obtain a proof. The latter can be superimposed on the basic system at a later stage by means of a strategy language. This paper places special emphasis on a detailed description of programs involved. The system is operational on a small computer.