Search code examples
prologinstantiation-error

Prolog Arguments are not sufficiently instantiated


I'm trying to match a subset of the facts I'm creating, and my testcase was working great!

x([1,2,3,4],'bleah').
x([1,2,4],'bleah2').
x([1,2],'bleah8').
x([1,3,4],'bleah3').
x([5,6,7,8],'bleah5').
x([6,7,8,9],'bleah6').

fuzzy(X,R) :- x(Z, R),  subset(X,Z) .
remaining(X,Y,D,M) :- x(Z,D) , select(X,Z,N), select(Y,N,M).
pair(X,Y,R) :- x([X,Y],R) ; x([Y,X],R).

Output:
?- x([1,2|REST],D).
REST = [3, 4],
D = bleah ;
REST = [4],
D = bleah2 ;
REST = [],
D = bleah8 ;
false.

?- pair(2,1,D).
D = bleah8 ;
false.

?- fuzzy([2,1],R).
R = bleah ;
R = bleah2 ;
R = bleah8 ;
false.

?- remaining(2,1,D,M).
D = bleah,
M = [3, 4] ;
D = bleah2,
M = [4] ;
D = bleah8,
M = [] ;
false.

Then I added a fact to represent my next potential case, and now it's quite broken. I'm new to Prolog, I'm not sure why this is or how to fix it.

x([6,X,8,9],'woot') :- (X+0) > 7.

Output:
?- x([1,2|REST],D).
REST = [3, 4],
D = bleah ;
REST = [4],
D = bleah2 ;
REST = [],
D = bleah8 ;
false.

?- pair(2,1,D).
D = bleah8 ;
false.

?- fuzzy([2,1],R).
R = bleah ;
R = bleah2 ;
R = bleah8 ;
ERROR: >/2: Arguments are not sufficiently instantiated
^  Exception: (9) _G260+0>7 ? abort
% Execution Aborted

?- remaining(2,1,D,M).
D = bleah,
M = [3, 4] ;
D = bleah2,
M = [4] ;
D = bleah8,
M = [] ;
ERROR: >/2: Arguments are not sufficiently instantiated
^  Exception: (10) _G270+0>7 ? abort
% Execution Aborted

?- x([_,15,_,_],D).
D = woot.

Suggestions welcome.


Solution

  • Ok, changing to a finite datatype helped!

    
    % Basic comparisons
    same(X,Y) :- X == Y.
    greaterThan(X,Y) :- lessThan(Y,X).
    
    lessThan(X,Y) :- is_lessThan(X,Y).
    lessThan(X,Y) :- is_lessThan(X,Z) , lessThan(Z,Y).
    
    % Enumerate a list
    is_lessThan( 'a', 'b' ).
    is_lessThan( 'b', 'c' ).
    is_lessThan( 'c', 'd' ).
    is_lessThan( 'd', 'e' ).
    is_lessThan( 'e', 'f' ).
    is_lessThan( 'f', 'g' ).
    is_lessThan( 'g', 'h' ).
    is_lessThan( 'h', 'i' ).
    
    % "Static" facts of variable length
    x(['a','b','c','d'],'abcd').
    x(['a','b','d'],'abd').
    x(['a','b'],'ab').
    x(['a','c','d'],'acd').
    x(['e','f','g','h'],'efgh').
    x(['f','g','h','i'],'fghi').
    
    % "Dynamic" facts of variable length and constraint
    x(['f',X,'h','i'],'fXhi') :- greaterThan('g',X).
    x(['f',X,Y],'fXY') :- greaterThan('g',X), lessThan(Y,'i').
    
    % specify the two list items separately in X & Y
    fuzzyMatch(X,Y,R) :- x([X,Y],R) ; x([Y,X],R) .
    
    % specify the list X
    fuzzyMatch(X,R) :- x(Z, R),  subset(X,Z) .
    
    % specify two list items separately, returning the remaining terms that didn't match
    fuzzyMatch(X,Y,D,M) :- x(Z,D) , select(X,Z,N), select(Y,N,M).
    
    Output:
    
    ?- fuzzyMatch('b','a',D).
    D = ab ;
    false.
    
    ?- fuzzyMatch(['b','a'],D).
    D = abcd ;
    D = abd ;
    D = ab ;
    D = fXY ;
    D = fXY ;
    false.
    
    ?- fuzzyMatch('b','a',R,D).
    R = abcd,
    D = [c, d] ;
    R = abd,
    D = [d] ;
    R = ab,
    D = [] ;
    R = fXY,
    D = [f] ;
    R = fXY,
    D = [f] ;
    false.