Footnotes for mfart

1.  Though not necessarily more valid. Simply representing models on a computer says nothing about the validity of those models. Even if descriptive adequacy can be shown for a model, external criteria is required to establish whether that model can be considered `the' model used by the Zuwaya or Zapotec. Return to main text

2.  It can be done, but introduces an extra level of abstraction to the process, as the programmer must translate the problem from one regime to another. It is the case that the power of all programming languages is roughly equivalent, and most programming languages can be written in any other programming language. A programming language is best seen as a set of tools for representing problems that centers on a particular model of representation. FORTRAN was designed for problems that concentrate on the translation of arithmetic formulae (FORmula TRANslation), and that is what it does best. Return to main text

3.  There is no implication that Prolog is the `best' or most-used language for symbolic work. LISP is an early computer language designed to work well with symbols, and is the predominate language of the Artificial Intelligence community in the United States, and widely used in Europe and the U.K. However LISP contains notational obscurities that make it somewhat more difficult to learn initially than Prolog. Lisp is more general than Prolog, but Prolog is quite easy to use for certain classes of problems. Return to main text

4.  The general wisdom amongst the logic programming community is that Prolog is not `programming in logic', as it has important defects from that point of view. This can only enhance its value as a representational language for anthropology. Return to main text

5.  This is not quite what is formally meant by non-deterministic, but is descriptively adequate. Again, prescriptive, deterministic languages can be used to represent the same problems. The version of Prolog used in this paper is written in such a language, C. Prolog, however, provides certain conceptual tools with it that facilitate the process which would have to be provided by the programmer in other languages. Return to main text

6.  An interactive language is one in which the language accepts input from the user, and immediately responds to that input. The user can work incrementally on a problem, responding to changes as they occur. Return to main text

7.  The book by {.Burnham Hall.} is a simple introduction with practical examples. For a more advanced presentation, that also includes an introduction to Artificial Intelligence see {.Bratko.}. Return to main text

8.  To limit the example text I have ignored purely affinal relations. They can be easily included by introducing what will be called a spouse relation. Return to main text

9.  This description will not please Prolog purists! Return to main text

10.  Refer to appendix A on how to move from consult to query context. Return to main text

11.  Prolog can be used to create production systems, but it is probably better to use a specific programming language (which might be written in Prolog) for problems suitable for production rules, if one is available. Return to main text