ForwardChainingReasoner.java

package org.ggp.base.util.reasoner;

import org.ggp.base.util.gdl.model.SentenceDomainModel;
import org.ggp.base.util.gdl.transforms.VariableConstrainer;
import org.ggp.base.util.reasoner.gdl.GdlChainingReasoner;

/**
 * An interface for a forward-chaining reasoner. The interface is
 * parameterized in such a way that if a state machine (or other
 * code) is based on it, the underlying reasoner (and associated
 * representations of rules and sentences) can easily be swapped
 * out for another.
 *
 * See {@link GdlChainingReasoner} for one such implementation.
 */
public interface ForwardChainingReasoner<Rule, Sentences> {
    /**
     * Returns a set of sentences that are always true, which can be
     * used as a basis and added to via getUnion. This includes all
     * constant values defined explicitly in the game description. It
     * may include other sentences that are always true based on game
     * rules, depending on the implementation and how it is
     * instantiated.
     */
    Sentences getConstantSentences();

    /**
     * Given a rule and all sentences known to be true so far, returns
     * all new results of applying the rule.
     *
     * For the outputs of this method to be valid, the GDL that the rule
     * is derived from should have had the {@link VariableConstrainer}
     * transformation applied to it.
     */
    Sentences getRuleResults(Rule rule, SentenceDomainModel domainModel,
            Sentences sentencesSoFar) throws InterruptedException;

    /**
     * Returns the union of the two sets of sentences. Calling this
     * method invalidates oldSentences.
     */
    Sentences getUnion(Sentences oldSentences, Sentences newSentences);

    /**
     * Returns true iff newSentences is a subset of oldSentences.
     */
    boolean isSubsetOf(Sentences oldSentences, Sentences newSentences);
}