On inductive inference of cyclic structures

We examine the problem of inductive inference in the domain of pointer-based data structures. We show how these data structures can be formalized as rational trees. Our main technical results concern the expressiveness of a language of rational term expressions. These results place limitations on techniques of inductive inference for this description language. The results are also relevant to implementation of negation in logic programming languages. © 1995 J.C. Baltzer AG, Science Publishers.