Extending forward checking

Abstract

Among backtracking based algorithms for constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs), algorithms employing constraint propagation, like forward checking (FC) and MAC, have had the most practical impact. These algorithms use constraint propagation during search to prune inconsistent values from the domains of the uninstantiated variables. In this paper we present a general approach to extending constraint propagating algorithms, especially forward checking. In particular, we provide a simple yet flexible mechanism for pruning domain values, and show that with this in place it becomes easy to utilize new mechanisms for detecting inconsistent values during search. This leads to a powerful and uniform technique for designing new CSP algorithms: one simply need design new methods for detecting inconsistent values and then interface them with the domain pruning mechanism. Furthermore, we also show that algorithms following this design can proved to be correct in a simple and uniform way. To demonstrate the utility of these ideas five “new” CSP algorithms are presented.