Analysis of Cognitive Models in Constraint Handling Rules

Computational cognitive modeling explores cognition by building computational models for cognitive processes, mechanisms and representations. Currently, implementations of cognitive models lack a formal foundation. This inhibits analysis. In this thesis, the cognitive architecture Adaptive Control of Thought - Rational (ACT-R) is formalized and embedded into the rule-based programming language Constraint Handling Rules (CHR). The powerful analytical methods of CHR, particularly confluence analysis, are extended by reasoning modulo equivalence relations. The results are applied to the domain of cognitive modeling.

Daniel Gall studied computer science at the University of Ulm where he soon developed an interest in programming paradigms, logic programming and theoretical foundations of computer science. He pursued his PhD at the Institute of Software Engineering and Programming Languages in Ulm, where he focused on the interdisciplinary field of computational cognitive modeling and program analysis of rule-based languages. Currently, he works as a software engineer and team leader of a cloud backend development team.

The editor Thom Frühwirth is a professor of Computer Science at the University of Ulm, Germany. He is the designer of the programming language Constraint Handling Rules (CHR) and author of the book by the same name. He has also co-authored two leading textbooks on constraint programming and reasoning.

The editor Uwe Schöning is a professor of Theoretical Computer Science at the University of Ulm, Germany. He introduced the low and high hierarchies to structural complexity theory to describe the internal structure of the complexity class NP. Later, he invented a much-cited SAT-Algorithm. He has also authored several popular textbooks on Logic in Computer Science.