---
title: "A Formal Representation for Plans in the Programmers Apprentice"
authors:
  - "Charles Rich"
doi: ""
url: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1981/199"
pdf: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1981/0199.pdf"
venue: "Proceedings of the Seventh International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence"
year: 1981
pages: "1044-1051"
track: "Program Synthesis"
keywords:
---

# A Formal Representation for Plans in the Programmers Apprentice

Charles Rich

*Proceedings of the Seventh International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence*, pages 1044-1051.

## Abstract

A pl1n c1lculus is presented which is being used to represent programs 1nd a library of standard data and ccmlrol abstractions in the progr~mmer's apprentice. Important features of this formalism include : programming lan~uage independence, additivity, verifiability and multiple points of view . The logical foundations of the represent alion are specified formally using a situational calculus in which side effects and overlapping mutable data structures are accounlet;l lor . The plan calculus is compared·with other formalisms,. such as program schemas, and its advantages pointed out.