A survey of languages for specifying dynamics: A knowledge engineering perspective

During the last years, a number of formal specification languages for knowl edge-based systems has been developed. Characteristics for knowledge-based systems are a complex knowledge base and an inference engine which uses thi s knowledge to solve a given problem. Specification languages for knowledge -based systems have to cover both aspects. They have to provide the means t o specify a complex and large amount of knowledge and they have to provide the means to specify the dynamic reasoning behavior of a knowledge-based sy stem. This paper focuses on the second aspect. For this purpose, we survey existing approaches for specifying dynamic behavior in related areas of res earch. In fact, we have taken approaches for the specification of informati on systems (Language for Conceptual Modeling and TROLL), approaches for the specification of database updates and logic programming (Transaction Logic and Dynamic Database Logic) and the generic specification framework of Abs tract State Machines.