I am reading "Seven Languages in Seven Weeks" and I am at a standstill over some Prolog request that I do not understand the answer is "no."
The file is friends.plas follows:
likes(wallace, cheese).
likes(grommit, cheese).
likes(wendolene, sheep).
friend(X, Y) :- \+(X = Y), likes(X, Z), likes(Y, Z).
I can fulfill some trivial queries, for example:
| ?- ['friends'].
compiling /home/marc/btlang-code/code/prolog/friends.pl for byte code...
/home/marc/btlang-code/code/prolog/friends.pl compiled, 12 lines read - 994 bytes written, 8 ms
yes
| ?- friend(wallace,grommit).
yes
| ?- friend(wallace,wendolene).
no
This is all as expected. Now I want to enter a variable in the query. My intention is that Prolog will give me a list of all Wallace's friends. I expect X = grommit, but I get no:
| ?- trace.
The debugger will first creep -- showing everything (trace)
yes
{trace}
| ?- friend(wallace,X).
1 1 Call: friend(wallace,_16) ?
2 2 Call: \+wallace=_16 ?
3 3 Call: wallace=_16 ?
3 3 Exit: wallace=wallace ?
2 2 Fail: \+wallace=_16 ?
1 1 Fail: friend(wallace,_16) ?
no
{trace}
He doesn't even try to combine X( _16) with grommit. What for?
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