Uncertainty reasoning in Prolog with layered meta-interpreters

The authors propose an architecture for uncertainty reasoning for rule-based systems in Prolog. Previous work has assumed predefined calculus for the propagation of uncertainty restricted to a single line of reasoning or where no negation is allowed. The authors identify the issues that need to be considered for both handling negation and taking a more global view. The authors adopt a pragmatic approach and argue that reasoning with uncertainty can be achieved by a flexible meta-architecture that is suitable for describing and reasoning with different representations of uncertainties, combining multiple lines of reasoning and reasoning with unknowns and negation. The authors show that a layered meta-interpreter is a good flexible architecture that can accommodate different sets of assumptions for incorporating uncertainty in rule-based systems in Prolog.