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DEPICT: A high-level formal language for modeling constraint satisfaction problems

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Abstract

The past decade witnessed rapid development of constraint satisfaction technologies, where algorithms are now able to cope with larger and harder problems. However, owing to the fact that constraints are inherently declarative, attention is quickly turning toward developing high-level programming languages within which such problems can be modeled and also solved. Along these lines, this paper presents DEPICT, the language. Its use is illustrated through modeling a number of benchmark examples. The paper continues with a description of a prototype system within which such models may be interpreted. The paper concludes with a description of a sample run of this interpreter showing how a problem modeled as such is typically solved.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, The University of Balamand, P. O. Box 100, Tripoli, Lebanon

    Abdulwahed M. Abbas

  2. Department of Computing and Electronic Systems, The University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK

    Edward P. K. Tsang

  3. Department of Computer Science, The American University of Beirut, P. O. Box: 11-0236, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, Lebanon

    Ahmad H. Nasri

Authors
  1. Abdulwahed M. Abbas
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  2. Edward P. K. Tsang
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  3. Ahmad H. Nasri
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abdulwahed M. Abbas.

Additional information

This work was supported by Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research.

Abdulwahed M. Abbas received his B. Sc. degree in pure mathematics from the Lebanese University in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1979, the M. Sc. degree in computer studies from the University of Essex, UK, in 1982, and the Ph.D. degree in computer science from Queen Mary College, London, UK, in 1987. He spent six years teaching computer science at the University of Queensland, Australia. He helped found the Department of Computer Science at the University of Balamand, Lebanon, where he currently is an associate professor.

His research interests include computer aided geometric design (CAGD), constraint satisfaction problems (CSP), and scheduling and programming languages.

Edward P. K. Tsang is a professor in computer science at University of Essex, UK. He is also the deputy director of the Center for Computational Finance and Economic Agents (CCFEA), and a founding member of the Center for Computational Intelligence at the University of Essex, UK.

He has broad interest in business application of artificial intelligence including computational finance, computational economics and constraint satisfaction. His main techniques used including heuristic search, optimization, and evolutionary computation.

Ahmad H. Nasri is a professor in computer graphics and chair of the Computer Science Department, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He received his B. Sc. degree in mathematics from the Lebanese University, Lebanon, in 1978, a qualifying degree in computer science from the University of Essex, UK, in 1982, and the Ph.D. degree in computer graphics from the University of East Anglia, UK, in 1985. He was a research visitor at MIT, Arizona State University, USA, Purdue University, USA, Brigham Young University, USA, Seoul National University, Korea, Cambridge University, UK, City Hong Kong University, PRC, and Bremen University, Germany. He is a member of the board of directors of the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research. He is also on the editorial board of the International Journal of CAD/CAM, Journal of Shape Modeling, Computer-Aided Design and Applications Journal, and Lebanese Scientific Journal. He has served on the PC committee of several international conferences. With Malcolm Sabin, he co-edited a special issue of the Journal of Visual Computer on subdivision surfaces, in 2002. Since 1982, he has been involved in promoting subdivision surfaces and its use in computer graphics, geometric modeling, and animation.

His research interests include recursive subdivision in animation, computer graphics, geometric modeling, data visualization, and the use of computer graphics in education and digital arts.

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Abbas, A.M., Tsang, E.P.K. & Nasri, A.H. DEPICT: A high-level formal language for modeling constraint satisfaction problems. Int. J. Autom. Comput. 5, 208–216 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11633-008-0208-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11633-008-0208-7

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