Collaborative Constraint Functional Logic Programming System in an Open Environment

In this paper we describe collaborative constraint functional logic programming and the system called Open CFLP that supports this programming paradigm. The system solves equations by collaboration of various equational constraint solvers. The solvers include higher-order lazy narrowing calculi that serve as the interpreter of higher-order functional logic programming, and specialized solvers for solving equations over specific domains, such as a polynomial solver and a differential equation solver. The constraint solvers are distributed in an open environment such as the Internet. They act as providers of constraint solving services. The collaboration between solvers is programmed in a coordination language embedded in a host language. In Open CFLP the user can solve equations in a higherorder functional logic programming style and yet exploit solving resources in the Internet without giving low-level programs of distributions of resources or specifying details of solvers deployed in the Internet. key words: equational solving, functional logic programming, solver collaboration, constraint solving, CORBA