Constraint-Directed Search In Computational Finance And Economics

Constraints shield solutions from a problem solver. However, in the hands of trained constraint problem solvers, the same constraints that create the problems in the first place can also guide problem solvers to solutions. Constraint satisfaction is all about learning how to flow with the force of the constraints. Examples of using constraints to guide one's search are abundant in complete search methods. Lookahead algorithms propagate constraints in order to reduce the remaining problem to smaller problems and detect dead-ends. Dependency-directed backtracking algorithms use constraints to identify potential culprits in dead-ends.