An Overview of Finite Domain Constraint Programming

Abstract

In recent years, the repertoire of available techniques for solving combinatorial problems has seen a significant ant addition: finite domain constraint programming. This technique is best seen as a framework for combining software components to a achieve problem-specific tree search. Its strength depends on the synergy that an be a achieved between these components. In this paper, we give an overview of constraint programming for solving combinatorial problems. We focus on practical aspects and highlight connections to Operations Research techniques and their applications.