prolog unification resolution

Question

Why does this work:

   power(_,0,1) :- !.
   power(X,Y,Z) :-
      Y1 is Y - 1,
      power(X,Y1,Z1),
      Z is X * Z1.

And this gives a stack overflow exception?

power(_,0,1) :- !.
power(X,Y,Z) :-
  power(X,Y - 1,Z1),
  Z is X * Z1.

Answer 1

Because arithmetic operations are only performed on clauses through the is operator. In your first example, Y1 is bound to the result of calculating Y - 1. In the later, the system attempts to prove the clause power(X, Y - 1, Z1), which unifies with power(X', Y', Z') binding X' = X, Y' = Y - 1, Z' = Z. This then recurses again, so Y'' = Y - 1 - 1, etc for infinity, never actually performing the calculation.

Prolog is primarily just unification of terms - calculation, in the "common" sense, has to be asked for explicitly.

Answer 2

Both definitions do not work properly.

Consider

?- pow(1, 1, 2).

which loops for both definitions because the second clause can be applied regardless of the second argument. The cut in the first clause cannot undo this. The second clause needs a goal Y > 0 before the recursive goal. Using (is)/2 is still a good idea to get actual solutions.

The best (for beginners) is to start with successor-arithmetics or clpfd and to avoid prolog-cut altogether.

See e.g.: Prolog predicate - infinite loop