CONSTRAINT SATISFACTION

PROBLEM
• Name: R.Viswaesvaran
• Class: 11a
• SNS ACADEMY

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 Formal Definition of CSP
• A constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) is
a triple (V, D, C) where
– V is a set of variables X1, ... , Xn.
– D is the union of a set of domain sets D1,...,Dn,
where Di is the domain of possible values for
variable Xi.
– C is a set of constraints on the values of the
variables, which can be pairwise (simplest and
most common) or k at a time.
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 CSPs vs. Standard Search Problems

• Standard search problem:

– state is a "black box“ – any data structure that supports
successor function, heuristic function, and goal test
• CSP:
– 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

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 Constraint graph
• Binary CSP: each constraint relates two variables
• Constraint graph: nodes are variables, arcs are
constraints
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 Varieties of constraints
• Unary constraints involve a single variable,
– e.g., SA ≠ green

• Binary constraints involve pairs of variables,

– e.g., value(SA) ≠ value(WA)

• Higher-order constraints involve 3 or more

variables,
– e.g., cryptarithmetic column constraints

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 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

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 The Consistent Labeling Problem

• Let P = (V,D,C) be a constraint satisfaction problem.

• An assignment is a partial function f : V -> D that assigns

a value (from the appropriate domain) to each variable

• A consistent assignment or consistent labeling is an

assignment f that satisfies all the constraints.

• A complete consistent labeling is a consistent labeling

in which every variable has a value.

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 Standard Search Formulation

• state: (partial) assignment

• 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
(and is a consistent labeling)

1. This is the same for all CSPs regardless of application.

2. Every solution appears at depth n with n variables

 we can use depth-first search.

3. Path is irrelevant, so we can also use complete-state formulation.

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What Kinds of Algorithms are used for CSP?

• Backtracking Tree Search

• Tree Search with Forward Checking

• Tree Search with Discrete Relaxation (arc consistency,

k-consistency)

• Many other variants

• Local Search using Complete State Formulation

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 Backtracking Tree 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.

• Backtracking search is the basic uninformed algorithm for CSPs.

• Can solve n-queens for n ≈ 25.

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 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?
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 Most Constrained Variable
• Most constrained variable:
choose the variable with the fewest legal values

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

heuristic
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 Most Constraining Variable
• Tie-breaker among most constrained
variables
• Most constraining variable:
– choose the variable with the most constraints
on remaining variables
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 Least Constraining Value
• Given a variable, choose the least
constraining value:
– the one that rules out the fewest values in the
remaining variables
• Combining these heuristics makes 1000
queens feasible

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 Forward Checking
Forward checking is based on the idea that
once variable ui is assigned a value v,
then certain future variable-value pairs (uj,v’)
become impossible.

ui,v)

uj,v’ uj,v’

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 Book’s Forward Checking Example
• Idea:
– Keep track of remaining legal values for unassigned variables
– Terminate search when any variable has no legal values
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 Forward Checking
• Idea:
– Keep track of remaining legal values for unassigned variables
– Terminate search when any variable has no legal values
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 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!

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 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 value y of Y

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 Comparison of Methods

• Backtracking tree search is a blind search.

• Forward checking checks constraints between the

current variable and all future ones.

• Arc consistency then checks constraints between

all pairs of future (unassigned) variables.

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 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

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 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 often effective in practice

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