Languages that optimise using logic programming

Question

Are there any languages that perform compile-time optimisation using arbitrary logic programming?

I'm looking for an example of a language that will enable you to do something like:

Define an arbitrary predicate, e.g. is-idempotent?
Tell the compiler that f(f(x)) is equal to f(x) if the is-idempotent? function is true for f
Specify is-idempotent? for various functions (possibly indirectly, e.g. implied by other logic statements)
Have the compiler perform optimisations based on the predicates / optimisations that it is aware of

I think Maxima (and Mathematica) have this ability, but it's technically not a compiled language — John Dvorak
– John Dvorak, Commented Dec 28, 2012 at 11:32
MBase framework is using an embedded Prolog for some analysis and optimisation passes. — SK-logic
– SK-logic, Commented Dec 28, 2012 at 12:48

Ira Baxter · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-28 17:28:27Z

2

I think what you want is a program transformation system.

These can let you define rules to apply to source code, e.g., algrebraic laws to optimize code.

What you will discover is that there is a variety of problems. The first is handling scoping rules and side effects in langauges. The second is sequencing of the transformations; the order in which they are applied often produces radically different results.

answered Dec 28, 2012 at 17:28

Ira Baxter

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