Jump to content

Logic Programming Associates

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2001:bb6:9c34:b100:c6a:3122:8295:72b3 (talk) at 00:35, 10 November 2023 (→Business Integrity Ltd and Contract Express). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Logic Programming Associates Ltd
Company typePrivate
IndustryComputer software
Founded1980
HeadquartersLondon
Area served
UK, United States, EMEA
Key people
Clive Spenser
Brian Steel
ProductsVisiRule, Flex expert system toolkit, Flint toolkit, LPA Prolog for Windows
Websitewww.lpa.co.uk, www.visirule.co.uk

Logic Programming Associates (LPA) is a company specializing in logic programming and artificial intelligence software. LPA was founded in 1980[1] and is widely known for its range of Prolog compilers, the Flex expert system toolkit and most recently, VisiRule.

LPA was established to exploit research at the Department of Computing and Control at Imperial College London into logic programming carried out under the supervision of Prof Robert Kowalski.

LPA Prolog

One of the first Prolog implementations made available by LPA was micro-PROLOG[2] which ran on popular 8-bit home computers such as the Sinclair ZX Spectrum[3] and Apple II. This was followed by micro-PROLOG Professional one of the first Prolog implementations for 16-bit IBM Pcs running MS-DOS and access all of 640K memory.

In 1985, LPA released LPA MacProlog which ran on the MacPlus and Mac II computers which could access up to 4 Mb memory. MacProlog was later licensed to Quintus for re-distribution in the USA.

In 1989, LPA started work on a new 32-bit Prolog compiler which could use DOS-extender technology to access up to 4GB memory.

This became the basis for LPA Prolog for Windows, aka WIN-PROLOG, which was then released for Windows 3.0 in 1990.

LPA's core Prolog product is LPA Prolog for Windows,[4] a compiler and development system for the Microsoft Windows platform. The current LPA software range comprises an integrated AI toolset which covers various aspects of Artificial Intelligence including Logic Programming, Expert Systems, Knowledge-based Systems, Data Mining, Agents and Case-based reasoning etc.

As well as continuing with Prolog compiler technology development, LPA has a track record of creating innovative associated tools and products to address specific challenges and opportunities.

Flex

In 1989, in response to the rise of interest in Expert Ssytems and the emergence of products such as Crystal, GoldWorks, NExpert, LPA developed the Flex expert system toolkit, which incorporated frame-based reasoning with inheritance, rule-based programming and data-driven procedures. Flex has its own English-like Knowledge Specification Language (KSL) which means that knowledge and rules are defined in an easy-to-read and understand way.[5]

LPA supported Flex on Windows, DOS and Macintosh PCs, as an add-on toolkit to its various LPA Prolog systems and eanbled LPA to enter the then quick vibrant Expert Systems rules-market.

Flex was quickly establshed as the leading Prolog-based expert system toolkit and was licenced to other Prolog providors on other hardware platforms including Telecomputing Plc to supplement Top One on IBM and ICL mainframes. [6]

Other implementations included Quintec-Flex, Quintus Flex, POPLOG Flex and BIM Flex which were all running on Unix and/or Vax/VMS platforms.

Quintec-Flex was used to build a hybrid system for the non-linear dynamic analysis/design of coupled shear walls [7]

Flex was adopted by the Open University as part of its course T396, "Artificial intelligence for technology"[8] which was designed by Prof Adrian Hopgood. Some of the teaching material is now available on his AI tookit website.

Flex was also used by David A Ferrucci and Selmer Bringsjord in their storytelling machine, BRUTUS.[9]

PVG

In 1992, LPA helped set up the Prolog Vendors Group,[10] a not-for-profit organization whose aim was to help promote Prolog by making people aware of its usage in industry.

Business Integrity Ltd and Contract Express

Between 1996 and 1998, based on work co-funded through a DTI Smart award, LPA developed ScaffoldIT[11], a tool for building dynamic documents and intelligent web sites. This technology, built using the LPA Prolog engine and associated ProWeb Server, was able to generate complex, personalised documents such as insurance policy schedules, legal contracts, and complex sales proposals, on the Web.

In 1999/2000, LPA helped set up Business Integrity Ltd, as a Joint Venture with Tarlo-Lyons, to bring to the above document assembly technology that LPA had developed. This lead to the creation of Contract Express which became sold to most major law firms. In 2015, Thomson Reuters acquired Business Integrity Ltd. The genesis of BIL are described here.[12]

VisiRule

In 2004, LPA launched VisiRule [13] a graphical tool for developing knowledge-based and decision support systems.

VisiRule has been used in various sectors, to build legal expert systems, machine diagnostic programs, medical and financial advice systems, etc.[citation needed]

Customers

For many years, LPA has worked closely with Valdis Krebs, an American-Latvian researcher, author, and consultant in the field of social and organizational network analysis. Valdis is the founder and chief scientist of Orgnet, and the creator of the popular Inflow [14] software package.

References

  1. ^ "LPA Company Background".
  2. ^ Microcomputer PROLOG implementations (PDF), retrieved 29 April 2013
  3. ^ micro-PROLOG for Sinclair Spectrum, retrieved 29 April 2013
  4. ^ LPA Prolog for Windows
  5. ^ Flex toolkit details, retrieved 2 November 2023
  6. ^ TELECOMPUTING LOOKS TO TOP-ONE FOR UNIX, VMS TO EASE THE UPHILL CLIMB, retrieved 31 October 2023
  7. ^ A HYBRID SYSTEM FOR DYNAMIC ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF COUPLED SHEAR WALLS, retrieved 5 November 2023
  8. ^ T396 Artificial intelligence for technology, retrieved 2 November 2023
  9. ^ Inside the Mind of BRUTUS, a Storytelling Machine, retrieved 31 October 2023
  10. ^ Prolog Vendors Group Launched (PDF), retrieved 29 April 2013
  11. ^ Law Firm plans IT revolution, retrieved 10 November 2023
  12. ^ The very early days of Contract Express, retrieved 31 October 2023
  13. ^ VisiRule, retrieved 4 January 2020
  14. ^ InFlow
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Logic_Programming_Associates&oldid=1184369869"