Discovering and Proving Invariants in Answer Set Programming and Planning

Abstract: Answer set programming (ASP) and planning are two widely used paradigms for solving logic programs with declarative programming. In both cases, the quality of the input programs has a major influence on the quality and performance of the solving or planning process. Hence, programmers need to understand how to make their programs efficient and still correct. In my PhD studies, I explore how input programs can be improved and verified automatically as a means to support programmers. One of my research directions consists in discovering invariants in planning programs without human support, which I implemented in a system called ginkgo. Studying dynamic systems in greater depth, I then developed plasp 3 with members of my research group, which is a significant step forward in effective planning in ASP. As a second research direction, I am concerned with automating the verification of ASP programs against formal specifications. For this joint work with Lifschitz's group at the University of Texas, I developed a verification system called anthem. In my future PhD studies, I will extend my research concerning the discovery and verification of ASP and planning problems.