Learning Recursion with Iterative Bootstrap Induction

In this paper we are concerned with the problem of inducing recursive Horn clauses from small sets of training examples. The method of iterative bootstrap induction is presented. In the first step, the system generates simple clauses, which can be regarded as properties of the required definition. Properties represent generalizations of the positive examples, simulating the effect of having larger number of examples. Properties are used subsequently to induce the required recursive definitions. This paper describes the method together with a series of experiments. The results support the thesis that iterative bootstrap induction is indeed an effective technique that could be of general use in ILP.