How to define (and name) the corresponding safe term comparison predicates in ISO Prolog?

Question

Standard term order (ISO/IEC 13211-1 7.2 Term order) is defined over all terms — including variables. While there are good uses for this — think of the implement

Answer 1

Next! This should do better than my previous attempt:

lt(X,Y) :-
   X \== Y,
   (  X \= Y
   -> term_variables(X,Xvars),
      term_variables(Y,Yvars),

      T_alpha is -(10.0^1000),  % HACK!
      functor(T_omega,z,255),   % HACK!

      copy_term(t(X,Y,Xvars,Yvars),t(X1,Y1,X1vars,Y1vars)),
      copy_term(t(X,Y,Xvars,Yvars),t(X2,Y2,X2vars,Y2vars)),
      copy_term(t(X,Y,Xvars,Yvars),t(X3,Y3,X3vars,Y3vars)),
      copy_term(t(X,Y,Xvars,Yvars),t(X4,Y4,X4vars,Y4vars)),

      maplist(=(T_alpha),X1vars), maplist(maybe_unify(T_omega),Y1vars),
      maplist(=(T_omega),X2vars), maplist(maybe_unify(T_alpha),Y2vars),
      maplist(=(T_omega),Y3vars), maplist(maybe_unify(T_alpha),X3vars), 
      maplist(=(T_alpha),Y4vars), maplist(maybe_unify(T_omega),X4vars),

      % do T_alpha and T_omega have an impact on the order?
      (  compare(Cmp,X1,Y1),     
         compare(Cmp,X2,Y2),
         compare(Cmp,X3,Y3),
         compare(Cmp,X4,Y4),
      -> Cmp = (<)                % no: demand that X @< Y holds
      ;  throw(error(instantiation_error,lt/2))
      )

   ;  throw(error(instantiation_error,lt/2))
   ).

The auxiliary maybe_unify/2 deals with variables occurring in both X and Y:

maybe_unify(K,X) :-
   (  var(X)
   -> X = K
   ;  true
   ).

Checking with GNU-Prolog 1.4.4:

?- lt(a(X,Y,c(c),Z1), a(X,Y,b(b,b),Z2)).
yes
?- lt(a(X,Y,b(b,b),Z1), a(X,Y,c(c),Z2)).
no
?- lt(a(X,Y1,c(c),Z1), a(X,Y2,b(b,b),Z2)).
uncaught exception: error(instantiation_error,lt/2)
?- lt(a(X,Y1,b(b,b),Z1), a(X,Y2,c(c),Z2)).
uncaught exception: error(instantiation_error,lt/2)
?- lt(b(b), a(a,a)).
yes
?- lt(a(X), a(Y)).
uncaught exception: error(instantiation_error,lt/2)
?- lt(X, 3).
uncaught exception: error(instantiation_error,lt/2)
?- lt(X+a, X+b).
yes
?- lt(X+a, Y+b).
uncaught exception: error(instantiation_error,lt/2)
?- lt(a(X), b(Y)).
yes
?- lt(a(X), a(Y)).
uncaught exception: error(instantiation_error,lt/2)
?- lt(a(X), a(X)).
no
?- lt(X+1,1+2).
uncaught exception: error(instantiation_error,lt/2)

?- lt(X+X+2,X+1+3).                                       % NEW
uncaught exception: error(instantiation_error,lt/2)