Aunts and Uncles

Prolog - Aunts and Uncles.

A sister of a parent is an aunt of the child. A brother of a parent is an uncle. A wife of an uncle is an aunt and a husband of an aunt is an uncle:


parents(william, diana,     charles).
parents(henry,   diana,     charles).
parents(charles, elizabeth, philip).
parents(diana,   frances,   edward).

parents(anne,    elizabeth, philip).
parents(andrew,  elizabeth, philip).
parents(edwardW, elizabeth, philip).

married(diana,   charles).
married(elizabeth, philip).
married(frances, edward).
married(anne,    mark).

parent(C,M) <= parents(C,M,D).
parent(C,D) <= parents(C,M,D).

sibling(X,Y) <= parents(X,M,D)
            and parents(Y,M,D). {NB. sibling(X, X)}

aORuDirect(C, A) <= parent(C,P) and sibling(P,A).
aORuMarr(C, A)   <= aORuDirect(C,X) and married(X,A).
aORuMarr(C, A)   <= aORuDirect(C,X) and married(A,X).
aORu(C,A)        <= aORuDirect(C,A).
aORu(C,A)        <= aORuMarr(C,A).

? aORu(william, A).

{ The Aunt/Uncle Relation. }

Unfortunately these rules, while finding correct aunts and uncles, return parents as aunts or uncles, and also give repeated solutions.

The cure is to insist that siblings, while sharing the same parents, must be different individuals:


parents(william, diana,     charles).
parents(henry,   diana,     charles).
parents(charles, elizabeth, philip).
parents(diana,   frances,   edward).

parents(anne,    elizabeth, philip).
parents(andrew,  elizabeth, philip).
parents(edwardW, elizabeth, philip).

married(diana,   charles).
married(elizabeth, philip).
married(frances, edward).
married(anne,    mark).

parent(C,M) <= parents(C,M,D).
parent(C,D) <= parents(C,M,D).

equal(X, X).
sibling(X,Y) <= parents(X,M,D)
            and parents(Y,M,D) and not equal(X,Y).

aORuDirect(C, A) <= parent(C,P) and sibling(P,A).
aORuMarr(C, A)   <= aORuDirect(C,X) and married(X,A).
aORuMarr(C, A)   <= aORuDirect(C,X) and married(A,X).
aORu(C,A)        <= aORuDirect(C,A).
aORu(C,A)        <= aORuMarr(C,A).

? aORu(william, A).

{ The Aunt/Uncle Relation. }

Note equal(X, X) above.