Constraint Based System(CBS)


Definition : A system which represents constraints explicitly and operates on constraints to solve the problem or to maintain consistency


In CBSs, the explicit representations are symbolic constraint expressions with formalized semantics in relation to the operations : standard problem solving techniques such as constraint propagation and backtracking.

Given constraints and preferences, the system will try to solve the problem using constraint satisfaction problem solving techniques(eg. backtracking and constraint propagation). But the problem is that the inputs are static. Therefore the problem solving should be redone from the scratch when inputs are changed. Furthermore, the system tightly integrates problem solving methods(constraint propagation, backtracking, consistency check) with decision making, by which the user lose the control of solutions. For these reasons, the system is not so much useful for incremental revision support under dynamic constraints and preferences


Heecheol Jeon : jhc@cdr.stanford.edu