Foundations of Constraint Satisfaction

This seminal text of Computer Science, the most cited book on the subject, is now available for the first time in paperback.

Constraint satisfaction is a decision problem that involves finite choices. It is ubiquitous. The goal is to find values for a set of variables that will satisfy a given set of constraints. It is the core of many applications in artificial intelligence, and has found its application in many areas, such as planning and scheduling. Because of its generality, most AI researchers should be able to benefit from having good knowledge of techniques in this field.

Originally published in 1993, this now classic book was the first attempt to define the scope of constraint satisfaction. It covers both the theoretical and the implementation aspects of the subject. It provides a framework for studying this field, relates different research, and resolves ambiguity in a number of concepts and algorithms in the literature.

This seminal text is arguably the most rigorous book in the field. All major concepts were defined in First Order Predicate Calculus. Concepts defined this way are precise and unambiguous.