Chapter 3 - Part II: Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

Shumet Tadesse
Department of Computer Science

July 2022
 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Outline

1 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

2 Backtracking Search

3 Forward Checking

4 Local search for CSPs

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Outline

1 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

2 Backtracking Search

3 Forward Checking

4 Local search for CSPs

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Outline

1 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

2 Backtracking Search

3 Forward Checking

4 Local search for CSPs

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Outline

1 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

2 Backtracking Search

3 Forward Checking

4 Local search for CSPs

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Outline

1 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

2 Backtracking Search

3 Forward Checking

4 Local search for CSPs

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

What are CSPs?

Definition
• CSPs are mathematical problems defined as a set of objects whose
state must satisfy a number of constraints
− A constraint is a limitation on what type of solution we will
allow
• Standard search problem:
− So far we have formulated problems by stating: initial state,
actions(successor function), goal test, path cost and heuristic
function
− We have not so far made any restrictions on allowable solutions, apart
from an explicit goal test
• In CSP a problem is formulated by stating:
− variables Xi with values from domain Di
− goal test is a set of constraints specifying allowable combinations of
values for subsets of variables, Xi
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Map-Coloring
• This is a famous example in AI and is often used to illustrate
CSPs.
• Suppose we have a map of a country, like the map of Australia
as shown below.
− The country is divided into a number of regions.
• The problem is how we can colour each region of the country
using a limited number of colours (in this case 3, RGB) so that
no two adjacent regions have the same colour.

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Example: Map-Coloring
• Variables: WA, NT, Q, NSW, V, SA, T
• Domains Di = red, green, blue
• Constraints: adjacent regions must have different colors, e.g.
WA NT, or (WA,NT) in
{(red, green), (red, blue), (green, red), (green, blue), (blue, red),
(blue,green)}

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Example: Map-Coloring

• Solutions are complete and consistent assignments.

− Complete: one in which all variables have been assigned a value
− Consistent: one that does not violate any of the specified
constraints
• E.g., WA=red, NT=green, Q=red, NSW=green, V=red,
SA=blue, T=green

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Constraint Graph

• Constraint graph: used to visualize CSPs. nodes are variables,

edges (arcs) are constraints
• Graph can be used to simplify search.

• Binary CSP: each constraint relates two variables

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Varieties of CSPs

• It is possible to categorize CSPs based on the type of variable

they use and on the size of their domains:
• Discrete CPSs: variables take on discrete values
− finite domains: the red, green,blue domain in the map-colouring
problem
− infinite domains: integers, strings, etc.
• Continuous CPSs: variables can take one from a continuous
range of values E.g. real numbers are continuous
• Finite domain discrete variables are the easiest type

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Varieties of CSPs

• We can also categorize CSPs based on the type of their

constraints
− Unary constraints involve a single variable. E.g., SA 6= green
− Binary constraints involve pairs of variables. E.g., SA 6= WA
− Higher-order constraints involve 3 or more variables
• The more variables that are involved in a constraint, the harder
the problem is to solve.
• Problems with higher-order constraints are the hardest class of
problems

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Real-world CSPs

• Timetable scheduling
− E.g., Which class is offered when and where? Who teaches
what class?
• Transportation scheduling
− Assignment of vehicle to drivers/jobs
• Factory scheduling
− Assignment of staff to jobs/machines, deadlines, etc.

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Search Techniques for CSPs

• There are two ways of formulating any search problem: complete state
and incremental
• Incremental formulation - states are defined by values assigned so far:
− Initial state: the empty assignment {}
− Successor function: assign a value to an unassigned variable that
does not conflict with current assignment
• fail if no legal assignments
− Goal test: the current assignment is complete
• Complete-state formulation (every state is a complete assignment, but
may not meet constraints)
− Initial state is a (random) complete assignment
− Successor function modifies 1 variable to try to meet more constraints
− Goal test: the current assignment is consistent
• The search technique that we use for CSPs depends on what formulation
we use:
− Incremental formulation → Backtracking search
− Complete-state formulation → Local search
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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Outline

1 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

2 Backtracking Search

3 Forward Checking

4 Local search for CSPs

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Backtracking Search
• The term backtracking search is used for a depth-first search
that:
− chooses values for one variable at a time and
− backtracks when a variable has no legal values left to assign.
• Variable assignments are commutative, i.e.,
[ WA = red followed by NT = green ] is the same as
[ NT = green followed by WA = red ]
Backtracking Example

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Improving Backtracking Efficiency

• General-purpose methods can give huge gains in speed:

− Which variable should be assigned next?
− In what order should its values be tried?
− Can we detect inevitable failure early?
• These factors all have a big influence on the efficiency of
backtracking search
− by making the right choices of variable/value we can make
dramatic improvements in efficiency.

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Minimum Remaining Values (MRV)

• Also known as most constrained variable heuristic

• Rule: choose the variable with the fewest legal values
• Which variable shall we try first?

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Most Constraining Variable

• Also known as degree heuristic

• Rule: select variable that is involved in the largest number of
constraints on other unassigned variables.
• Degree heuristic is very useful as a tie-breaker among most
constrained variables
− In what order should its values be tried?

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Least Constraining Value

• Given a variable, choose the least constraining value:
− the one that rules out the fewest values in the remaining
variables

• For example, in the above Figure we have generated the partial

assignment with WA=red and NT=green, and that our next
choice is for Q. Blue would be a bad choice, because it
eliminates the last legal value left for Q’s neighbor, SA The
least-constraining-value heuristic therefore prefers red to blue.
• Combining these heuristics makes Backtracking efficient
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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Outline

1 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

2 Backtracking Search

3 Forward Checking

4 Local search for CSPs

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Forward Checking
• Idea: keep track of remaining legal values for unassigned
variables.
• Terminate search when any variable has no legal values.

• Assign {WA = red}

• Effects on other variables connected by constraints with WA
− NT can no longer be red
− SA can no longer be red

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Forward Checking

• Assign {Q = green}
• Effects on other variables connected by constraints with WA
− NT can no longer be green
− NSW can no longer be green
− SA can no longer be green

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Forward Checking
• If V is assigned blue
• Effects on other variables connected by constraints with WA
− SA is empty NSW can no longer be blue
• FC has detected that partial assignment is inconsistent with the
constraints and backtracking can occur.

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Outline

1 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)

2 Backtracking Search

3 Forward Checking

4 Local search for CSPs

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Local search for CSPs

• For complete-state formulation we start with complete states ,

i.e. all variables assigned
− Local search techniques typically work with complete states
• To apply to CSPs:
− allow states with unsatisfied constraints – start with random
state
− operators reassign variable values
• Variable selection: randomly select any conflicted variable
• Value selection by min-conflicts heuristic:
− Select new value that results in a minimum number of conflicts
with the other variables (choose value that violates the fewest
constraints)

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 Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) Backtracking Search Forward Checking Local search for CSPs

Exercises
Consider the map of Ethiopia for the problem of map coloring.

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