miniKanren as a Tool for Symbolic Computation in Python

Abstract: In this article, we give a brief overview of the current state and future potential of symbolic computation within the Python statistical modeling and machine learning community. We detail the use of miniKanren as an underlying framework for term rewriting and symbolic mathematics, as well as its ability to orchestrate the use of existing Python libraries. We also discuss the relevance and potential of relational programming for implementing more robust, portable, domain-specific "math-level" optimizations--with a slight focus on Bayesian modeling. Finally, we describe the work going forward and raise some questions regarding potential cross-overs between statistical modeling and programming language theory.