Course handouts INF555 - Constraint-based Modeling and Algorithms for Decision Making (36h)

Modèles et Algorithmes à base de Contraintes pour l'Aide à la Décision

François Fages, Mathieu Hemery, Inria Saclay Ile de France

Ecole Polytechnique

Master Artificial Intelligence & Advanced Visual Computing

Master of Science and Technology

2023-2024

The purpose of this course is to present constraint-based methods for mathematical modeling and computational solving of combinatorial search problems, with applications especially in industry and life sciences.

Each lecture of approximatively 2h will be followed by 2h of practical work for illustrating the taught concepts and manipulating the associated tools.

The logic programming language SWI-Prolog with its constraint solving libraries (clpfd.pl, clpr.pl) and a constraint-based modeling library (microzinc.pl inspired by the MiniZinc modeling language) will be used as a unifying framework for both the mathematical modeling of decision making problems and the programming of constraint solvers, and for showing the practical complexity of different models and different solvers on some NP hard problems.

Schedule 2023-2024 (see also Moodle 2023-2024)

Previous written examinations

In previous years the modeling language MiniZinc and programming language Python were used in place of the single declarative programming/modeling language Prolog for this course: