Using constraints in discovering dynamics

Abstract

We present a constraint-based approach to discovering differential equations. The approach is based on heuristic search through the space of polynomial equations and can use subsumption and evaluation constraints on polynomial equations. Constraints can be used to effectively guide the discovery of equations: using such guidance can make the difference between success and failure in the discovery of laws describing more complex systems. We illustrate this on the problem of reconstructing the differential equations describing a network of chemical reactions. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003.