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What is a constraint modeling language exactly? I briefly looked at the first example in the documentation, and it looks like you specify a problem and some typ

What is a constraint modeling language exactly? I briefly looked at the first example in the documentation, and it looks like you specify a problem and some type of solver solves the problem automatically? What algorithm is it running exactly?

callmekit 9y ago
MiniZinc is a modeling language - for problem specification. Then there are solvers that understand MiniZinc (Gecode, ECLiPSe, Google OR-Tools, ...), and they use variety of algorithms (mixed linear programming, constraint-specific algorithms, local search, SAT-solving techniques, ...). You can use the same specification of the problem in MiniZinc with different solvers.
kaeluka 9y ago
It can run using a number of solvers, you can find a list here: http://www.minizinc.org/software.html http://www.minizinc.org/software.html
chillydawg 9y ago
Possibly a simplex solve for a large linear problem.
- hakank 9y ago
  There is a lot off different type of solvers that can be used to solve a MiniZinc model: MIP, Constraint Programming, SAT, Hybrid SAT+CP, Local search etc.
bjourne 9y ago
It's a language for specifying problems that can be solved through constraint satisfaction. I'm unsure if such languages are even Turing complete. Their main advantage are insanely succinct problem specifications. F.e the n-queens problems: https://github.com/MiniZinc/minizinc-benchmarks/blob/master/queens/queens.mzn https://github.com/MiniZinc/minizinc-benchmarks/blob/master/... MiniZinc solves it for boards up to 100x100 in under a second.
jahewson 9y ago
“Constraint Programming” refers, for the most part, to the solving of finite-domain problems via backtracking and constraint propagation and is typically concerned with performing a complete, global search of the solution space. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constraint_satisfaction https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constraint_satisfaction
- crimsonalucard 9y ago
  I like this answer. However, by solution space do you mean domain space?
  - jahewson 9y ago
    Yes, sorry, the search space.

callmekit 9y ago

MiniZinc is a modeling language - for problem specification. Then there are solvers that understand MiniZinc (Gecode, ECLiPSe, Google OR-Tools, ...), and they use variety of algorithms (mixed linear programming, constraint-specific algorithms, local search, SAT-solving techniques, ...). You can use the same specification of the problem in MiniZinc with different solvers.

kaeluka 9y ago

It can run using a number of solvers, you can find a list here: http://www.minizinc.org/software.html http://www.minizinc.org/software.html

chillydawg 9y ago

Possibly a simplex solve for a large linear problem.

hakank 9y ago
There is a lot off different type of solvers that can be used to solve a MiniZinc model: MIP, Constraint Programming, SAT, Hybrid SAT+CP, Local search etc.

bjourne 9y ago

It's a language for specifying problems that can be solved through constraint satisfaction. I'm unsure if such languages are even Turing complete. Their main advantage are insanely succinct problem specifications. F.e the n-queens problems: https://github.com/MiniZinc/minizinc-benchmarks/blob/master/queens/queens.mzn https://github.com/MiniZinc/minizinc-benchmarks/blob/master/... MiniZinc solves it for boards up to 100x100 in under a second.

jahewson 9y ago

“Constraint Programming” refers, for the most part, to the solving of finite-domain problems via backtracking and constraint propagation and is typically concerned with performing a complete, global search of the solution space. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constraint_satisfaction https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constraint_satisfaction

crimsonalucard 9y ago
I like this answer. However, by solution space do you mean domain space?
- jahewson 9y ago
  Yes, sorry, the search space.