10.11.5.1 Variable Ordering

In general, there are many ways to express the same linear relationship between variables. clp(Q,R) does not care to distinguish between them, but the user might. The predicate ordering(+Spec) gives you some control over the variable ordering. Suppose that instead of B, you want Mp to be the defined variable:

clp(r) ?- mg(P,12,0.01,B,Mp).

{B=1.1268250301319698*P-12.682503013196973*Mp}

This is achieved with:

clp(r) ?- mg(P,12,0.01,B,Mp), ordering([Mp]).

{Mp= -0.0788487886783417*B+0.08884878867834171*P}

One could go one step further and require P to appear before (to the left of) B in an addition:

clp(r) ?- mg(P,12,0.01,B,Mp), ordering([Mp,P]).

{Mp=0.08884878867834171*P-0.0788487886783417*B}

Spec in ordering(+Spec) is either a list of variables with the intended ordering, or of the form A<B. The latter form means that A goes to the left of B. In fact, ordering([A,B,C,D]) is shorthand for:

ordering(A < B), ordering(A < C), ordering(A < D),
ordering(B < C), ordering(B < D), 
ordering(C < D)

The ordering specification only affects the final presentation of the constraints. For all other operations of clp(Q,R), the ordering is immaterial. Note that ordering/1 acts like a constraint: you can put it anywhere in the computation, and you can submit multiple specifications.

clp(r) ?- ordering(B < Mp), mg(P,12,0.01,B,Mp).

{B= -12.682503013196973*Mp+1.1268250301319698*P}

clp(r) ?- ordering(B < Mp), mg(P,12,0.01,B,Mp), ordering(P < Mp).

{P=0.8874492252651537*B+11.255077473484631*Mp}