Prolog – Introduction and Comparison
■ What is Prolog?
Prolog (short for Programming in Logic) is a logic programming language mainly used for
problems involving Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), expert
systems, and knowledge representation. It was developed in the early 1970s by Alain
Colmerauer and Philippe Roussel.
■ Key Features of Prolog:
• Based on facts and rules instead of step-by-step instructions.
• Declarative language – describe what the problem is, not how to solve it.
• Pattern matching and automatic backtracking.
• Ideal for representing knowledge and relationships.
• Useful in AI, problem solving, and reasoning tasks.
■ Example (Family Relationship):
% Facts parent(john, mary). parent(mary, alice). % Rule grandparent(X, Y) :- parent(X, Z),
parent(Z, Y). % Query ?- grandparent(john, alice).
■ Advantages of Prolog:
• Declarative – specify what, not how.
• Built-in backtracking for automatic search.
• Excellent for AI and knowledge representation.
• Handles relationships (trees, graphs, rules) easily.
• Rapid prototyping of reasoning systems.
■ Disadvantages of Prolog:
• Not general-purpose – inefficient for everyday tasks.
• Slower than C++ or Python for heavy computation.
• Steep learning curve for imperative programmers.
• Limited library support.
• Debugging complexity due to backtracking.
■■ Prolog vs C++ vs Python:
Feature Prolog ■ C++ ■ Python ■
Programming Style Declarative (logic) Imperative (procedural + OOP) Multiparadigm
Best For AI, expert systems,
SystemNLP
programming, performance-heavy
AI/ML, data
apps
science, web apps
Speed Slow Very Fast Moderate
Ease of Learning Difficult Moderate–Hard Easy
Library Support Limited Extensive (low-level) Huge (AI, ML, web, etc.)
■ Summary:
• Prolog is best when logical inference and reasoning are required. • C++ is best for
performance-intensive applications like games and system software. • Python is best for
AI/ML, data science, web apps, and general-purpose programming.
