Suresh Velagapudi tells how Scala has charmed even this Prolog devotee with sufficient language features such as Tail Recursion Optimization, Pattern Matching, and Generic Types to tackle problems where Prolog has traditionally excelled. By bringing these tools to the near-ubiquitous JVM execution environment, Scala is positioned to launch a more widespread computing exploration into Intelligent Databases, the Semantic Web, and Machine Learning.
Suresh will render into Scala two examples from The Art of Prolog: the AI classic ELIZA and a Credit Evaluation Expert System, preserving their declarative structure through the transformation. No knowledge of Prolog will be required but advanced features of Scala will be used without mercy. Or as Suresh puts it, "It is sufficient to be familiar with first ten chapters of Scala by Example to appreciate the fine points of Scala features used in the AI examples to be discussed." There won't be a test. Probably.
Suresh Velagapudi, Ph.D, is CTO of Mayera Software Solutions LLC, a company specializing in developing software using Prolog, Java, and Scala.
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