Massively parallel implementation of two operations: unification and inheritance

Abstract

The author develops two algorithms for a massively parallel system, and SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) computer with a general and fast communication network. Each of the two operations (unification and inheritance) is basic for one knowledge representation scheme. Both take data represented by directed graphs. For ease of integration in real systems and naturalness of specification, the operations are implemented incrementally, in the spirit of M.R. Quillian's 'spreading activation', and not as atomic operations. The running time of both algorithms is almost linear in the number of vertices on the longest path in the graph representation. The association of the two operations is not accidental; the author intends to integrate them in a hybrid reasoning system.<>