Effects of Cut Mechanisms on Backtracking in Visual Prolog

The backtracking is a good approach for obtaining all the possible solutions.However,the backtracking improperly used might lead to the reduced efficiency of a system and the augmented overheads in running time and memory required.Hence,it is necessary to setup a related mechanism to carefully control backtracking courses.The full control mechanism of goal-searching and problem-solving is composed of both the control predicates in Visual Prolog,or predicates fail and not,and the cut mechanisms,including those of the static and dynamic cut,and can be utilized for controlling exactly the goal-searching courses and for reducing unnecessary backtracking.On the basis of exposing the backtracking mechanism and the cut mechanism in Visual Prolog illustrated with a group of instances,both the static and dynamic cut mechanisms are investigated in detail.Thus the essential characteristics and fundamentals of applications of the backtracking mechanism and that of the cut mechanisms are demonstrated.