# Constraint Programming Solver
## The approach
The implementation follows the ideas described in Chapter 12, "Concepts, Techniques, and Models
of Computer Programming" by Peter Van Roy and Seif Haridi.
[An overview of CP implementation in Mozart/Oz.](http://mozart2.org/mozart-v1/doc-1.4.0/fdt/index.html)
## Status
Proof of concept. Not suitable for use in production. Significant API changes and core implementation rewrites are expected.
## Intro
[](https://livebook.dev/run?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fbokner%2Ffixpoint%2Fblob%2Fmain%2Flivebooks%2Ffixpoint.livemd)
## Implemented constraints
- `not_equal`
- `less_or_equal`
- `all_different` (decomposition to `not_equal`)
- `sum`
## Features
- views (linear combinations of variables in constraints)
- solving for satisfaction (CSP) and optimization (COP)
- distributed solving
## Installation
The package can be installed by adding `fixpoint` to your list of dependencies in `mix.exs`:
```elixir
def deps do
[
{:fixpoint, "~> 0.7.3"}
]
end
```
## Usage
### Getting started
Let's solve the following *constraint satisfaction problem*:
***Given two sets of values***
x = {1,2}, y = {0, 1}
***, find all solutions such that*** x != y
First step is to create a model that describes the problem we want to solve.
The model consists of *variables* and *constraints* over the variables.
In this example, we have 2 variables $x$ and $y$ and a single constraint $x$ $\neq$ $y$
```elixir
alias CPSolver.IntVariable
alias CPSolver.Constraint.NotEqual
alias CPSolver.Model
## Variable constructor takes a domain (i.e., set of values), and optional parameters, such as `name`
x = IntVariable.new([1, 2], name: "x")
y = IntVariable.new([0, 1], name: "y")
## Create NotEqual constraint
neq_constraint = NotEqual.new(x, y)
```
Now create an instance of `CPSolver.Model`:
```elixir
model = Model.new([x, y], [neq_constraint])
```
Once we have a model, we pass it to `CPSolver.solve/1,2`.
We can either solve asynchronously:
```elixir
## Asynchronous solving doesn't block
{:ok, solver} = CPSolver.solve(model)
Process.sleep(10)
## We can check for solutions and solver state and/or stats,
## for instance:
## There are 3 solutions: {x = 1, y = 0}, {x = 2, y = 0}, {x = 2, y = 1}
iex(46)> CPSolver.solutions(solver)
[[1, 0], [2, 0], [2, 1]]
## Solver reports it has found all solutions
iex(47)> CPSolver.status(solver)
:all_solutions
## Some stats
iex(48)> CPSolver.statistics(solver)
%{
elapsed_time: 2472,
solution_count: 3,
active_node_count: 0,
failure_count: 0,
node_count: 5
}
```
, or use a blocking call:
```elixir
iex(49)> {:ok, results} = CPSolver.solve_sync(model)
{:ok,
%{
status: :all_solutions,
statistics: %{
elapsed_time: 3910,
solution_count: 3,
active_node_count: 0,
failure_count: 0,
node_count: 5
},
variables: ["x", "y"],
objective: nil,
solutions: [[2, 1], [1, 0], [2, 0]]
}}
```
### API
```elixir
#################
# Solving
#################
#
# Asynchronous solving.
# Takes CPSolver.Model instance and solver options as a Keyword.
# Creates a solver process which runs asynchronously
# and could be controlled and queried for produced solutions and/or status as it runs.
# The solver process is alive even after the solving is completed.
# It's a responsibility of a caller to shut it down
{:ok, solver} = CPSolver.solve(model, solver_opts)
# Synchronous solving.
# Starts the solver and gets the results (solutions and/or solver stats) once the solver finishes.
{:ok, solver_results} = CPSolver.solve_sync(model, solver_opts)
```
, where
- ```model``` - [specification of the model](#model-specification);
- ```solver_opts (optional)``` - [solver options](#solver-options).
### Model specification
### Configuring solver
### Distributed solving
*Fixpoint* allows to solve an instance of CSP/COP problem using multiple cluster nodes.
Note: *Fixpoint* **will not configure the cluster nodes!**
It's assumed that each node has the cluster membership and the `fixpoint` dependency is installed on it.
The solving starts on a 'leader' node, and then the work is distributed across participating nodes.
The 'leader' node coordinates the process of solving through shared solver state.
Let's collect all solutions for 8-Queens problem using distributed solving.
For demonstration purposes, we will spawn peer nodes like so:
```zsh
iex --name leader --cookie solver -S mix
```
```elixir
### Let's spawn 2 worker nodes...
worker_nodes = Enum.map(["node1", "node2"], fn node ->
{:ok, _pid, node_name} = :peer.start(%{name: node, longnames: true, args: ['-setcookie', 'solver']})
:erpc.call(node_name, :code, :add_paths, [:code.get_path()])
node_name
end)
```
Then we'll pass spawned worker nodes to the solver:
```elixir
## To convince ourselves that the solving runs on worker nodes, we'll use a solution handler:
solution_handler = fn solution -> IO.puts("#{inspect Enum.map(solution, fn {_name, solution} -> solution end)} <- #{inspect Node.self()}") end
{:ok, _solver} = CPSolver.solve(CPSolver.Examples.Queens.model(8),
distributed: worker_nodes,
solution_handler: solution_handler)
```
### Search
## [Examples](lib/examples)
#### [Reindeer Ordering](lib/examples/reindeers.ex)
Shows how to put together a model that solves a simple riddle.
#### [N-Queens](lib/examples/queens.ex)
Classical N-Queens problem
#### [Sudoku](lib/examples/sudoku.ex)
No explanation needed :-)
#### [SEND+MORE=MONEY](lib/examples/send_more_money.ex)
Cryptoarithmetics problem - a riddle that involves arithmetics.
#### [Knapsack](lib/examples/knapsack.ex)
Constraint Optimization Problem - packing items so they fit the knapsack ***and*** maximize the total value. Think Indiana Jones trying to fill his backpack with treasures in the best way possible :-)
