This article introduces a technique for improving the efficiency of diagnosis through approximate compilation. We extend the approach of compiling a diagnostic model, as is done by, for example, an ATMS, to compiling an approximate model. Approximate compilation overcomes the problem of space required for the compilation being worst-case exponential in particular model parameters, such as the p...

The Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) framework offers a simple and sound basis for representing and solving simple decision problems, without uncertainty. This paper is devoted to an extension of the CSP framework enabling us to deal with some decisions problems under uncertainty. This extension relies on a differentiation between the agent-controllable decision variables and the uncontrol...

introduction: pharmacists and pharmaceutical services are among the most important resources and programs in providing health for a society. pharmacists as the key players in presenting health services, greatly impact on the health of a society and if they suffer low job satisfaction, their dissatisfaction may relatively threaten health in a society. this study was conducted to determine irania...

conclusions the results of the present study revealed that patients are not highly satisfied with the communication skills of physicians and they were least satisfied only with the quality of examination processes by the physicians. in addition, patients with lower education showed lower satisfaction as well. thus, a higher quality and elaboration of examination, more patience and better commun...

Consistency Techniques have been studied extensively in the past as a way of tackling Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSP). In particular various arc consistency algorithms have been proposed, originating from Waltz's filtering algorithm [20] and culminating in the opt imal algorithm AC-4 of Mohr and Henderson [13]. AC-4 runs in 0(ed) in the worst case where e is the number of arcs (or constr...

In this paper we present a general representation for constraint satisfaction problems (CSP) and a framework for reasoning about their solution that unlike most constraint-based relaxation algorithms. stresses the need for a "natural" encoding of constraint knowledge and can facilitate making inferences for propagation, backtracking, and explanation. The representation consists o i two componen...

A constraint satisfaction problem involves finding values for variables subject to constraints on which combinations of values are allowed. In some cases it may be impossible or impractical to solve these problems completely. We may seek to partially solve the problem in an "optimal" or "sufficient" sense. A formal model is presented for defining and studying such partial constraint satisfactio...

In maintaining consistencies, such as GAC*, FDGAC* and weak EDGAC*, for global cost functions, Weighted CSP (WCSP) solvers rely on the projection and extension operations, which entail the computation of the cost functions’ minima. Tractability of this minimum computation is essential for efficient execution. Since projections/extensions modify the cost functions, an important issue is tractabl...

Symmetries in discrete constraint satisfaction problems have been explored and exploited in the last years, but symmetries in continuous constraint problems have not received the same attention. Here we focus on permutations of the variables consisting of one single cycle. We propose a procedure that takes advantage of these symmetries by interacting with a continuous constraint solver without ...

A constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) model can be preprocessed to ensure that any choices made will lead to solutions, without the need to backtrack. This can be especially useful in an interactive context in which different users access the model to make choices on-line, e.g. in e-commerce configuration. The conventional machinery for ensuring backtrack-free search, however, adds additional...