OUCH!
Online Uncertain Constraint Handling

The world is an uncertain and dynamic place. Many real resource allocation problems change as their solutions are being executed: e.g. scheduling repair operations, or assigning deliveries to couriers. The problems grow as time progresses and new tasks arrive. Companies must allocate tasks to ensure efficient use of their resources, and they must start doing so before the full problem is known. In this project, we are attempting to extend constraint programming to reason about such problems. We assume that we have some uncertain knowledge of what the changes might be, and we are developing online algorithms which will produce partial solutions and extend or modify them as the problem develops.

People
Ken Brown
Alfio Vidotto
Christine Wei Wu
Chris Beck (collaborator, University of Toronto)

Publications

•	Vidotto, A., Brown, K. N. & Beck, J. C. "Robust constraint solving using multiple heuristics", AICS'05, Proceedings of the 16th Irish Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science, Portstewart, Northern Ireland, pp203--212, 2005.
•	Wu, C. W., Brown, K. N. & Beck, J. C. "Scheduling with Uncertain Release Dates", AICS'05, Proceedings of the 16th Irish Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science, Portstewart, Northern Ireland, pp397--406, 2005.
•	Beck, J. C., Brown, K. N. and Verfaillie, G. (eds.) Changes'04: Constraint Solving under Change and Uncertainty, Proceedings of the CP-2004 workshop, Toronto, Canada, 2004.
•	Vidotto, A., Brown, K. N. and Beck, J. C. "A Controller for Online Uncertain Constraint Handling", Proceedings of Changes'04, pp73-74, 2004.
•	Wu, C. W., Beck, J. C. and Brown, K. N. "Dynamic Vehicle Routing with Uncertain Customer Demand", Proceedings of Changes'04, pp75-76, 2004.

Links
PLANET TCU Online Planning and Scheduling

Funding
Enterprise Ireland Basic Research Grant