الصفحة 1
الصفحة 1
Global optimization and constraint satisfaction ; 2nd International Workshop, COCOS 2003, Lausanne, Switzerland, Nevember 18-21, 2003, Revised Selected Papers
Theformulationofmanypracticalproblemsnaturallyinvolvesconstraintsonthe variables entering the mathematical model of a real-life situation to be analyzed. It is of great interest to ?nd the possible scenarios satisfying all constraints, and, iftherearemanyofthem,eitherto?ndthebestsolution,ortoobtainacompact, explicit representation of the whole feasible set. The 2nd Workshop on Global Constrained Optimization and Constraint S- isfaction, COCOS 2003, which took place during November 18–21, 2003 in L- sanne, Switzerland, was dedicated to theoretical, algorithmic, and application oriented advances in answering these questions. Here global optimization refers to ?nding the absolutely best feasible point, while constraint satisfaction refers to?ndingallpossiblefeasiblepoints.AsinCOCOS2002,the?rstsuchworkshop (see the proceeedings [1]), the emphasis was on complete solving techniques for problems involving continuous variables that provide all solutions with full rigor, and on applications which, however, were allowed to have relaxed standards of rigor.
Constraint solving and language processing
Contains selected and thoroughly revised papers plus contributions from invited speakers presented at the First International Workshop on C- straint Solving and Language Processing, held in Roskilde, Denmark, September 1–3, 2004. Constraint Programming and Constraint Solving, in particular Constraint Logic Programming, appear to be a very promising platform, perhaps the most promising present platform, for bringing forward the state of the art in natural language processing, this due to the naturalness in speci?cation and the direct relation to e?cient implementation. Language, in the present context, may - fer to written and spoken language, formal and semiformal language, and even general input data to multimodal and pervasive systems, which can be handled in very much the same ways using constraint programming. The notion of constraints, with slightly differing meanings, apply in the characterization of linguistic and cognitive phenomena, in formalized linguistic m- els as well as in implementation-oriented frameworks. Programming techniques for constraint solving have been, and still are, in a period with rapid devel- ment of new eficient methods and paradigms from which language processing can prompt. A common metaphor for human language processing is one big c- straint solving process in which the differently specified linguistic and cognitive phases take place in parallel and with mutual cooperation, which ?ts quite well with current constraint programming paradigms.
