Department of
Computer Science
695 Park Ave.
NY, NY 10021

 

Susan L. Epstein

The CUNY Graduate School, Department of Computer Science and

 Hunter College, Department of Computer Science

 

 

 

 

 

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ACE (CSP)

The Adaptive Constraint Engine

ACE is a FORR-based program that learns to solve constraint satisfaction problems. Its premise is that agreement among varying heuristic viewpoints is a valid decision-making principle. ACE minimizes search, focusing instead upon reasonable rationales and multiple learning methods. ACE learns during problem solving, and demonstrates substantial, learned expertise after relatively little training.

 

Available problem classes

Problem Solving and Machine Learning Laboratory

 

Key references

Li, X. and S. L. Epstein (2010). Learning cluster-based structure to solve constraint satisfaction problems, Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence..

Epstein, S. L. and X. Yun 2010. From Unsolvable to Solvable: An Exploration of Simple Changes. In Proceedings of WARA-10.

Li, X. and S. L. Epstein 2010. Visualization for Structured Constraint Satisfaction Problems. In Proceedings of AAAI Workshop on Visual Representations and Reasoning.

Epstein, S. L., & Petrovic, S. (In press). Learning Expertise with Bounded Rationality and Self-awareness. In Metareasoning: Thinking about thinking: MIT Press.

Epstein, S. L. (2009). Integrating a Portfolio of Representations to Solve Hard Problems. In Proceedings of the AAAI Fall Symposium on Multi-representational Architectures for Human-level Intelligence.

Epstein, S. L. and X. Li (2009). Cluster-based Modeling for Constraint Satisfaction Problems. In Proceedings of the IJCAI Workshop on Learning Structural Knowledge from Observations.

Epstein, S. L., & Li, X. (2009). Cluster Graphs as Abstractions for Constraint Satisfaction Problems. In Proceedings of SARA-09.

Epstein, S. L. and X. Li (2009). Search on Constraint Satisfaction Problems with Sparse Secondary Structure. In Proceedings of International Symposium on Combinatorial Search (SoCS-09).

Petrovic, S. and S. L. Epstein (2008). Tailoring a Mixture of Search Heuristics. Constraint Programming Letters 4: 15-38.

Epstein, S. L. (2008). Building a Constraint Solver that Learns. In Proceedings of the AAAI Fall Symposium on BIologically Inspired Computer Architecture, Arlington VA. AAAI.

Epstein, S. L. (2008). Optimistic Problem Solving. In Proceedings of the AAAI Fall Symposium on Naturally Inspired Artificial Intelligence, Arlington VA.

Epstein, S. L. and S. Petrovic (2008). Learning Expertise with Bounded Rationality and Self-awareness. In Proceedings of AAAI Workshop on Metareasoning, Chicago, AAAI.

Zhang, Z. and S. L. Epstein (2008). Learned Value-Ordering Heuristics for Constraint Satisfaction. In Proceedings of STAIR-08 Workshop at AAAI-2008.

Petrovic, S. and S. L. Epstein (2007). Random Subsets Support Learning a Mixture of Heuristics. International Journal on Artificial Intelligence Tools 20(10): 1-17.
(An earlier, less detailed version appeared as Petrovic, S. and S. L. Epstein (2007). Learning to Solve Constraint Problems. ICAPS-07 Workshop on Planning and Learning, Providence RI.)

Petrovic, S. and S. L. Epstein (2007). Random Subsets Support Learning a Mixture of Heuristics. In Proceedings of FLAIRS (2007), Key West, AAAI.

Petrovic, S., S. L. Epstein and R. J. Wallace (2007). Learning a Mixture of Search Heuristics. In Proceedings of CP-07 Workshop on Autonomous Search, Providence, RI.

Petrovic, S. and S. L. Epstein (2007). Preferences Improve Learning to Solve Constraint Problems. AAAI-07 Workshop on Preference for Artificial Intelligence.

Zhang, Z. and S.L. Epstein, (2007). Constraint Solving by Composition. Proceedings of CP-07, Providence, RI.

Epstein, S. L. and R. J. Wallace. 2006. Finding Crucial Subproblems to Focus Global Search. In Proceedings of ICTAI-2006, Washington, D.C., IEEE.

Petrovic, S. and S. L. Epstein. 2006. Full Restart Speeds Learning. In Proceedings of FLAIRS-2006.

Epstein, S. L., E. C. Freuder and M. Wallace 2005. Learning to Support Constraint Programmers. Computational Intelligence 21(4): 337-371.

Epstein, S. L., E. C. Freuder, R. M. Wallace and X. Li. 2005. Learning Propagation Policies. In Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Constraint Propagation and Implementation, Sitges, Spain, pp.1-15.

Epstein, S. L. and T. Ligorio. 2004. Fast and Frugal Reasoning Enhances a Solver for Really Hard Problems. In Proceedings of Cognitive Science 2004. Chicago: Lawrence Earlbaum, pp.351-356

Epstein, S. L., E.C. Freuder, R. Wallace, A. Morozov and B. Samuels. 2002. The Adaptive Constraint Engine. In Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming -- CP2002, 2470. Berlin: Springer Verlag.

Epstein, S. L. and G. Freuder. 2001. Collaborative Learning for Constraint Solving. In Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming -- CP2001, 2239. Berlin: Springer Verlag.

 

Research on ACE is done in collaboration with Gene Freuder, Rick Wallace, and the Cork Constraint Computation Centre.

 

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. ISS-0811437, IIS-0328743, 9423085, #IRI-9703475, 9222720, and #9001936, by the New York State Technological Development Graduate Research and Technology Initiative, and by the PSC-CUNY Research Foundation.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation, New York State, or PSC-CUNY.

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