Operational and Goal-Independent Denotational Semantics for Prolog with Cut

In this paper we propose an operational and a denotational semantics for Prolog. We deal with the control rules of Prolog and the cut operator. Our denotational semantics provides a goal--independent semantics. This means that the behaviour of a goal in a program is defined as the evaluation of the goal in the denotation (semantics) of the program. We show how our denotational semantics can be specialised into a computed answer semantics and into a call pattern semantics. Our work provides a basis for a precise abstract interpretation of Prolog programs.