Europe's Network of Excellence in Computational Logic
COMPULOG NET is the European Network of Excellence in Computational Logic.
Founded in 1991 within the ESPRIT programme of the European Union, this
fast-growing network already links over 100 nodes and several hundred
members from more than 20 countries. Each node represents an institute,
research laboratory or company active in the area of computational logic.
Aims and Objectives
The scientific objective of COMPULOG NET is to lay the foundations for an
integrated software development environment for logic programming
technology. By extending the logic programming paradigm with enhancements
from areas such as databases, artificial intelligence and logic, the
network aims to provide a framework for building knowledge-rich
applications.
The network endorses logic programming as the focus of its R & D drive due
to its sound logical foundations and proven effectiveness for applications
in many areas including programming, program specification, databases,
knowledge representation and problem-solving. Europe pioneered the
techniques of logic programming and is still a world leader in the field.
COMPULOG NET builds upon this strength to create a European community of
researchers, developers and users with shared long-term goals.
Functions
Among the network's primary functions are to
- coordinate research activities
- develop infrastructure facilities and electronic communication
- allocate and coordinate research training fellowships
- promote the exploitation of results by the European industry
- advance worldwide cooperation
Technology Transfer
As part of its goal to further the dissemination of know-how in the use of
logic programming systems, the network includes an industrial subnet which
acts as a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas between vendors, users
and application developers. It promotes the fast and efficient transfer of
information using its pan-European networking infrastructure.
Activities and Facilities
COMPULOG NET enhances communication and technology transfer via:
- regular workshops and technical meetings
- research training by means of exchanges and scholarships
- student training through summer schools
- support for joint ventures with industrial partners
- special seminars for business and IT managers focusing on the commercial
and industrial benefits of logical programming technology
- joint activities with other European Networks of Excellence
- sponsorship of related events and conferences
Information exchange is secured through:
- e-mail support, remote file transfer and hypertext links
- central databases containing node descriptions and publications
- a regular newsletter reporting on network activities, meetings,
forthcoming events and current topics in the field
Structure
Different subfields of computational logic are represented as designated
Research Areas of COMPULOG NET. Responsibility for each research area
resides with a selected, Coordinating Node of the network, which takes
charge of organising workshops, scientific meetings and other activities.
The network as a whole is steered by an Executive Council, comprising
Research Area coordinators, representatives of the industrial subnet, and
other members with specific technical and managerial responsibilities.
DFKI
The central coordination and administration of COMPULOG NET is entrusted to
the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, the DFKI, in
Saarbrucken, Germany. DFKI oversees all the network's activities including
strategic planning, technical liason and information collection and
distribution.
The industrial benefits of logic programming technology
Logic programming technology is making increasingly significant inroads in
business, commerce and industry and is now widely employed by major
corporations in such diverse fields as finance, banking and insurance,
engineering and manufacturing, transport and distribution, networking and
telecommunications, medicine and life sciences. It offers a powerful
programming environment providing numerous advantages for software
development. Logic programming languages contrast with conventional
`imperative' languages by providing a number of advanced features which
include high-level declarative programming, automatic and dynamic memory
allocation and de-allocation, incremental compilation, and
meta-programming.
These characteristics offer clear busines benefits which can lead to a
significant competitive advantage and return on investment. Logic
progamming supports fast development cycles and results in fluid, modular
programs that are more maintainable and enhanceable downstream. In the
fast-moving world of business, these features are becoming increasingly
attractive to IT managers, which explains the widespread use of logic
programming in industry and commerce.
Banking, Finance, Insurance
Logic programming systems are rapidly proving their worth in the finance,
banking and insurance markets and are currently used by leading
international financial institutions.
Equity portfolio management, investment advice, pension scheme management,
overdraft control, forecasting, life insurance and the administration of
private insurance policies are all areas of successful logic programming
applications.
Manufacturing and Engineering
Technology based on logic programming is bridging the `islands of
automation' that exist in manufacturing today. Limitations of conventional
technology mean that, increasingly, finite capacity and constraint-based
scheduling tools are providing the key to production planning problems by
offering the manufacturing industry cost-effective means to manage
resources and generate efficient production schedules.
Benefits experienced by major users include interactive what-if facilities,
which permit the generation of more efficient production schedules, and
user-defined constraints, which help companies capture the vital knowledge
and experience of expert human planners. These benefits lead to improved
productivity and greater return on investment.
Transportation and Distribution
Logic progamming software is successfully employed throughout the
transportation and distribution markets, including air, sea, rail and road
transportation. Critical application areas include the management of
resources and of operations, particularly within the air transportation
industries. The technology is used by air transportation companies for gate
allocation, flight scheduling, route planning, crew rostering, maintenance
and yield and capacity management. It is also applied in road haulage and
is widely used in the shipping industry for everything from crew rostering
to freight loading.
In Short
Logic programming means
- Increased productivity through fast incremental development
- Lower and easier maintenance
- High-level, flexible solutions which help to reduce "Semantic Gap"
- Lower project costs and sooner to the market
- Expressiveness and flexibility
- Superior compiler technology and automatic memory management.
- A well-founded theoretical basis
The benefits of membership
Membership in COMPULOG NET is not confined to universities and large
research centres. Firms involved in producing, developing and using logic
programming systems are increasingly becoming aware of the benefits of
participating in this pan-European network.
Through the network's advanced file transfer and hypertext links members
can quickly access important information and keep abreast of the latest
developments in the field. The network's central databases allow each node
to deposit an up-to-date description of its current projects and products
and to access similar information concerning other nodes. This promotes a
wider awareness of on-going activities in the field and facilitates the
contact with potential clients and cooperation partners for future
projects. Members can also draw readily on the wealth of expertise offered
by the network's nodes to give advice and help in trouble-shooting.
Publications within the network as well as the newsletter are also readily
available in electronic form.
The vision
With the help of information superhighways, COMPULOG NET is firmly
committed to achieving advanced information exchange between all its
members through voice and picture mail and distributed, computer-supported
cooperative work (CSCW). The network supports the vision of a distributed
European Research Institution in Computational Logic, linked by CSCW
workstations.
To find out more:
COMPULOG NET is coordinated and administered by the German Research Centre
for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). For further information contact:
COMPULOG NET
DFKI
Stuhlsatzenhausweg 3
66123 Saarbruecken
Germany
Phone: +49 681 302 5322
Fax: +49 681 302 5341
email: compulog-net@dfki.uni-sb.de
webmaster@clip.dia.fi.upm.es