Constraints in Non-Boolean Contexts

In high-level constraint modelling languages, constraints can occur in non-Boolean contexts: implicitly, in the form of partial functions, or more explicitly, in the form of constraints on local variables in non-Boolean expressions. Specifications using these facilities are often more succinct. However, these specifications are typically executed on solvers that only support questions of the form of existentially quantified conjunctions of constraints. We show how we can translate expressions with constraints appearing in non-Boolean contexts into conjunctions of ordinary constraints. The translation is clearly structured into constrained type elimination, local variable lifting and partial function elimination. We explain our approach in the context of the modelling language Zinc. An implementation of it is an integral part of our Zinc compiler. 1998 ACM Subject Classification F.4.1 Mathematical Logic: Logic and constraint programming; F.3.3 Semantics of Programming Languages; I....

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2011
• Where: ICLP
• Authors: Leslie De Koninck, Sebastian Brand, Peter J. Stuckey
• Keywords: Automated Reasoning, Boolean Expressions, Constraint Programming, ICLP 2011, Logic Logic