Playing with Prolog

Abstract

The logic programming language Prolog has been around for close to forty-five years with first interpreters performing queries of stated facts using rules based on first-order logic. This declarative language is very popular in computer science degrees especially those involving artificial intelligence and computational linguistics where first-year students are introduced to the simple yet excitingly powerful concepts. Students attempt to figure out to prove theorems, build simple expert systems and process natural language by employing the least amount of resources. However Prolog is never mentioned at secondary or even primary school with the consequence that only computer science students are exposed to it. In this paper we investigate the possibility of employing Prolog within a game environment in an attempt to introduce it to younger students. Two prototype games were developed and tested in a secondary school with young children whereby Prolog concepts and techniques were introduced and integrated within the games themselves and that the students had to understand and apply in order to solve the problem at hand. We present the result obtained and the conclusions drawn in what promises to be an interesting breakthrough of merging highly conceptualised first-order logic with game theory.