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Term graph narrowing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2018

Annegret Habel  and
Detlef Plump
Annegret Habel
Affiliation:
Universität Hildesheim, Institut für Informatik, Marienburger Platz 22, 31141 Hildesheim, Germany
Detlef Plump
Affiliation:
Universität Bremen, Fachbereich Mathematik und Informatik, Postfach 33 04 40, 28334 Bremen, Germany
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Abstract

We introduce term graph narrowing as an approach for solving equations by transformations on term graphs. Term graph narrowing combines term graph rewriting with first-order term unification. Our main result is that this mechanism is complete for all term rewriting systems over which term graph rewriting is normalizing and confluent. This includes, in particular, all convergent term rewriting systems. Completeness means that for every solution of a given equation, term graph narrowing can find a more general solution. The general motivation for using term graphs instead of terms is to improve efficiency: sharing common subterms saves space and avoids the repetition of computations.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Mathematical Structures in Computer Science , Volume 6 , Issue 6 , December 1996 , pp. 649 - 676
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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