Automated Reasoning: Introduction and Applications

This book explains what automated reasoning is and what it can do and then demonstrates how to use it to solve complex problems with applications in logic circuit design, circuit validation, real-time system design and expert systems. A diskette containing the automated reasoning program "Otter" is included. It is available for the first time to PCs and workstations. The book has input files, commentary, examples in "Otter" notation and a user's manual that enables readers to experiment with the material presented as well as with ideas of their own. Other features include: various challenge problems that allow readers to test, compare and evaluate new ideas and techniques; techniques for answering open questions and finding shorter proofs; methods for finding such proofs; examples and puzzles to aid in the understanding of parallel versions of an automated reasoning program; and problems.