Floating point constraint solving with holes
AssigneeSap SE
InventorsConrad Drescher, Claudia Moeller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure generally describes methods, software, and systems for defining a constraint satisfaction problem including floating point variables. Floating-point domains are described using a notation that allows arbitrarily many ranges denoted by at least one of intervals with boundary information or singleton values comprising fully discrete domains. Mathematically correct results are computed using closures combined with interval arithmetic. A new consistency level for constraint propagation is provided, including multi-bounds consistency, over floating point variables, where the multi-bounds consistency achieves domain consistency over monotonic functions.
Claims15
A computer-implemented method for defining a constraint satisfaction problem including floating point variables, comprising:
- providing, by a constraint problem solver, a notation library that includes notations that are part of a constraint definition language, the notation library including symbols for representing variable domains consisting of multiple intervals with open and closed bounds;
- describing, by a representation manager of the constraint problem solver, floating-point domains using notations of the notation library, the notations allowing arbitrarily many ranges denoted by at least one of intervals with boundary information or at least one set of discrete values;
- computing, by a propagation manager of the constraint problem solver, mathematically correct results using closures combined with interval arithmetic;
- providing, by the propagation manager, a new consistency level for constraint propagation, including multi-bounds consistency over floating point variables, wherein the multi-bounds consistency achieves domain consistency over monotonic functions;
- and
- presenting, by the constraint problem solver and to a user, new types of restricted variable domains associated with the mathematically correct results in a graphical user interface.
A system comprising:
- memory storing tables storing cases associating problems and solutions, and metadata identifying the use of the cases over time;
- and
- a server performing operations comprising:
- providing, by a constraint problem solver, a notation library that includes notations that are part of a constraint definition language, the notation library including symbols for representing variable domains consisting of multiple intervals with open and closed bounds;
- describing, by a representation manager of the constraint problem solver, floating-point domains using notations of the notation library, the notations allowing arbitrarily many ranges denoted by at least one of intervals with boundary information or at least one set of discrete values;
- computing, by a propagation manager of the constraint problem solver, mathematically correct results using closures combined with interval arithmetic;
- providing, by the propagation manager, a new consistency level for constraint propagation, including multi-bounds consistency over floating point variables, wherein the multi-bounds consistency achieves domain consistency over monotonic functions;
- and
- presenting, by the constraint problem solver and to a user, new types of restricted variable domains associated with the mathematically correct results in a graphical user interface.
A non-transitory computer-readable media encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
- providing, by a constraint problem solver, a notation library that includes notations that are part of a constraint definition language, the notation library including symbols for representing variable domains consisting of multiple intervals with open and closed bounds;
- describing, by a representation manager of the constraint problem solver, floating-point domains using notations of the notation library, the notations allowing arbitrarily many ranges denoted by at least one of intervals with boundary information or at least one set of discrete values;
- computing, by a propagation manager of the constraint problem solver, mathematically correct results using closures combined with interval arithmetic;
- providing, by the propagation manager, a new consistency level for constraint propagation, including multi-bounds consistency over floating point variables, wherein the multi-bounds consistency achieves domain consistency over monotonic functions;
- and
- presenting, by the constraint problem solver and to a user, new types of restricted variable domains associated with the mathematically correct results in a graphical user interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.