Abstract
This paper describes a filtering algorithm for a type of constraint that often arises in rostering problems but that also has wider application. Defined on a sequence of variables, the stretch constraint restricts the number of consecutive identical values in the sequence. The algorithm mainly proceeds by determining intervals in which a given stretch must lie and then reasoning about them to filter out values. It is shown to have low time complexity and significant pruning capability as evidenced by experimental results.
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Pesant, G. (2001). A Filtering Algorithm for the Stretch Constraint. In: Walsh, T. (eds) Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming — CP 2001. CP 2001. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2239. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45578-7_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45578-7_13
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