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CSPs

Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) are defined by variables with specific domains and constraints that dictate allowable combinations of values. Techniques such as backtracking search, forward checking, and constraint propagation enhance the efficiency of solving CSPs, while heuristics like most constrained variable and least constraining value improve variable and value selection. Local search methods, such as hill-climbing and simulated annealing, can also be applied to CSPs to find solutions efficiently.

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CSPs

Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs) are defined by variables with specific domains and constraints that dictate allowable combinations of values. Techniques such as backtracking search, forward checking, and constraint propagation enhance the efficiency of solving CSPs, while heuristics like most constrained variable and least constraining value improve variable and value selection. Local search methods, such as hill-climbing and simulated annealing, can also be applied to CSPs to find solutions efficiently.

Uploaded by

kamranhassan1366
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Constraint Satisfaction Problems

(CSPs)
Constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs)
• Standard search problem: state is a "black box“ – any
data structure that supports successor function and goal test
– state is defined by variables Xi with values from domain
Di
– goal test is a set of constraints specifying allowable
combinations of values for subsets of variables

• Simple example of a formal representation language


• Allows useful general-purpose algorithms with more power
than standard search algorithms
• CSP:
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)}
Example: Map-Coloring

• Solutions are complete and consistent assignments


• e.g., WA = red, NT = green, Q = red, NSW = green,
V = red, SA = blue, T = green
Constraint graph
• Binary CSP: each constraint relates two variables
• Constraint graph: nodes are variables, arcs are constraints
Varieties of CSPs
• Discrete variables
– finite domains:
• n variables, domain size d  O(dn) complete assignments
• e.g., Boolean CSPs, incl. Boolean satisfiability (NP-
complete)
– infinite domains:
• integers, strings, etc.
• e.g., job scheduling, variables are start/end days for each
job
• need a constraint language, e.g., StartJob1 + 5 ≤ StartJob3

• Continuous variables
– e.g., start/end times for Hubble Space Telescope observations
– linear constraints solvable in polynomial time by LP
Varieties of constraints
• Unary constraints involve a single variable,
– e.g., SA ≠ green

• Binary constraints involve pairs of variables,


– e.g., SA ≠ WA

• Higher-order constraints involve 3 or more


variables,
– e.g., cryptarithmetic column constraints
Example: Cryptarithmetic

• Variables: F T U W R O X1 X2 X3
• Domains: {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
• Constraints: Alldiff (F,T,U,W,R,O)
O + O = R + 10 · X1
X1 + W + W = U + 10 · X2
X2 + T + T = O + 10 · X3
X =F
Real-world CSPs
• Assignment problems
– e.g., who teaches what class

• Timetabling problems
– e.g., which class is offered when and
where?

• Transportation scheduling
• Factory scheduling
• Notice that many real-world problems
involve real-valued variables
Standard search formulation (incremental)
Let's start with the straightforward approach, then fix it
States are defined by the 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

1. This is the same for all CSPs


2. Every solution appears at depth n with n variables
 use depth-first search
3. Path is irrelevant, so can also use complete-state formulation
4. b = (n - l )d at depth l, hence n! · dn leaves
–

•
Backtracking search
• Variable assignments are commutative, i.e.,
[ WA = red then NT = green ] same as [ NT = green
then WA = red ]
• => Only need to consider assignments to a single
variable at each node

• Depth-first search for CSPs with single-variable


assignments is called backtracking search

• Can solve n-queens for n ≈ 25


•
Backtracking example
Backtracking example
Backtracking example
Backtracking example
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?
Most constrained variable
• Most constrained variable:
choose the variable with the fewest legal
values

• a.k.a. minimum remaining values (MRV)


heuristic
–
Most constraining variable
• A good idea is to use it as a tie-breaker
among most constrained variables
• Most constraining variable:
– choose the variable with the most
constraints on remaining variables
Least constraining value
• Given a variable to assign, choose the least
constraining value:
– the one that rules out the fewest values in
the remaining variables

• Combining these heuristics makes 1000


queens feasible
Forward checking
• Idea:
– Keep track of remaining legal values for
unassigned variables
– Terminate search when any variable has no
legal values
Forward checking
• Idea:
– Keep track of remaining legal values for
unassigned variables
– Terminate search when any variable has no
legal values
Forward checking
• Idea:
– Keep track of remaining legal values for unassigned variables
– Terminate search when any variable has no legal values
–
Forward checking
• Idea:
– Keep track of remaining legal values for unassigned variables
– Terminate search when any variable has no legal values
–
Constraint propagation
• Forward checking propagates information from assigned to
unassigned variables, but doesn't provide early detection for
all failures:

• NT and SA cannot both be blue!


• Constraint propagation algorithms repeatedly enforce
constraints locally…
Arc consistency
• Simplest form of propagation makes each arc consistent
• X Y is consistent iff
for every value x of X there is some allowed y

–
Arc consistency
• Simplest form of propagation makes each arc consistent
• X Y is consistent iff
for every value x of X there is some allowed y

–
•
Arc consistency
• Simplest form of propagation makes each arc consistent
• X Y is consistent iff
for every value x of X there is some allowed y

• If X loses a value, neighbors of X need to be rechecked


–
•
Arc consistency
• Simplest form of propagation makes each arc consistent
• X Y is consistent iff
for every value x of X there is some allowed y

• If X loses a value, neighbors of X need to be rechecked


• Arc consistency detects failure earlier than forward checking
• Can be run as a preprocessor or after each assignment
Local search for CSPs
• Hill-climbing, simulated annealing typically work with
"complete" states, i.e., all variables assigned

• To apply to CSPs:
– allow states with unsatisfied constraints
– operators reassign variable values

• Variable selection: randomly select any conflicted variable

• Value selection by min-conflicts heuristic:


– choose value that violates the fewest constraints
– i.e., hill-climb with h(n) = total number of violated
constraints
Example: 4-Queens
• States: 4 queens in 4 columns (44 = 256 states)
• Actions: move queen in column
• Goal test: no attacks
• Evaluation: h(n) = number of attacks

• Given random initial state, can solve n-queens in almost constant time
for arbitrary n with high probability (e.g., n = 10,000,000)
•
•
•
Summary
• CSPs are a special kind of problem:
– states defined by values of a fixed set of variables
– goal test defined by constraints on variable values

• Backtracking = depth-first search with one variable assigned per node

• Variable ordering and value selection heuristics help significantly

• Forward checking prevents assignments that guarantee later failure

• Constraint propagation (e.g., arc consistency) does additional work to


constrain values and detect inconsistencies

• Iterative min-conflicts is usually effective in practice

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