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International Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming

CP 1996: Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming — CP96 pp 531–532Cite as

Towards an open finite domain constraint solver

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1118))

Abstract

We describe the design and implementation of a finite domain constraint solver embedded in SICStus Prolog system using an extended unification mechanism via attributed variables as a generic constraint interface. The solver is based on indexicals, i.e. reactive functional rules performing incremental constraint solving or entailment checking. Propagation is done using the arc-consistency algorithm AC-3, adapted for non-binary constraints. At the heart of the algorithm is an evaluator for indexicals.

The solver provides the usual predefined search strategies (fixed order, failfirst principle, branch and bound for minimization or maximization). Access predicates for the relevant variable attributes (domain value, bounds and size etc.) are also provided, making customized search strategies easily programmable.

A design goal has been to keep the solver open-ended and extendible as well as to keep a substantial part written in Prolog, partly contradicting conventional wisdom in implementing constraint solvers.

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References

  1. B. Carlson, M. Carlsson, and D. Diaz. Entailment of finite domain constraints. In Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on Logic Programming. MIT Press, 1994.

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  2. D. Diaz and P. Codognet. A Minimal Extension of the WAM for CLP(FD). In Proceedings of the International Conference on Logic Programming, pages 774–790, Budapest, Hungary, 1993. MIT Press.

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  3. C. Holzbaur. Specification of Constraint Based Inference Mechanism through Extended Unification. PhD thesis, Dept. of Medical Cybernetics and AI, University of Vienna, 1990.

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  4. Pascal Van Hentenryck, Vijay Saraswat, and Yves Deville. Design, implementation and evaluation of the constraint language cc(FD). In A. Podelski, editor, Constraints: Basics and Trends, volume 910 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Springer-Verlag, 1995.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computing Science Dept., Uppsala University, PO Box 311, S-751 05, Uppsala, Sweden

    Mats Carlsson & Greger Ottosson

  2. SICS, PO Box 1263, S-164 28, Kista, Sweden

    Mats Carlsson

  3. Xerox PARC, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, 94304-9960, Palo Alto, CA

    Björn Carlson

Authors
  1. Mats Carlsson
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  2. Björn Carlson
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  3. Greger Ottosson
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Editor information

Eugene C. Freuder

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Carlsson, M., Carlson, B., Ottosson, G. (1996). Towards an open finite domain constraint solver. In: Freuder, E.C. (eds) Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming — CP96. CP 1996. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1118. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-61551-2_101

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-61551-2_101

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-61551-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-70620-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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