cs.AI · 2601.20735 Copy arXiv ID · Jan 28, 2026 Save Implementing Metric Temporal Answer Set Programming Authors: Arvid Becker , Pedro Cabalar , Martin Diéguez , Susana Hahn , Javier Romero , Torsten Schaub
Organizations: University of Potsdam, Germany · University of Corunna, Spain · University of Angers, France · Potassco Solutions, Germany
Abstract We develop a computational approach to Metric Answer Set Programming (ASP) to allow for expressing quantitative temporal constraints, like durations and deadlines. A central challenge is to maintain scalability when dealing with fine-grained timing constraints, which can significantly exacerbate ASP's grounding bottleneck. To address this issue, we leverage extensions of ASP with difference constraints, a simplified form of linear constraints, to handle time-related aspects externally. Our approach effectively decouples metric ASP from the granularity of time, resulting in a solution that is unaffected by time precision.
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May 28, 2026 · cs.AI J/K move · Enter open · S save
Susana Hahn, Amadé Nemes, Javier Romero, Torsten Schaub
University of Potsdam, Germany · Potassco Solutions, Germany
The development of temporal extensions of Answer Set Programming (ASP) has led to the emergence of non-monotonic linear-time (TEL), dynamic (DEL), and metric (MEL) temporal equilibrium logics. However, the inherent rigidity of highly optimized ASP systems often hinders the rapid exploration and implementation of alternative logical designs. In this work, we propose a flexible meta-programming framework that operationalizes the semantics of varied temporal logics through a unified, declarative framework. Our approach extends standard ASP meta-programming by augmenting clingo's theory grammar with formal type specifications and nesting capabilities. To ensure semantic correctness, we introduce a transformation pipeline that protects nested modalities from stable-model-based simplifications during grounding. We demonstrate the extensibility of our framework by implementing meta-encodings for TEL, MEL, and DEL. We provide a comprehensive account of TEL and highlight the key features for managing the interval constraints of MEL and the Fischer-Ladner closure in DEL. Finally, we introduce the metasp system, a versatile tool that encapsulates this workflow.