Constraints & Applications

The C&A team's research is organized around two themes: combinatorial optimization using operations research and constraint programming, and formal methods applied to neurosciences and biomedicine.

The first theme consists of several recurring topics such as the solution of complex combinatorial optimization problems, in particular the Traveller's Problem (TSP) and the Bin Packing problem, the parallelization of constraint programming solvers, the development of efficient algorithms for multi-valued decision diagrams (MDD) and problem solving using MDD. We also have a strong interest in modeling and solving scheduling problems. Recently, we have produced some original models for constrained text or music production.

The second theme concerns the modeling and formal verification of dynamic systems. The methodology we employ consists of three steps: (i) we describe the system in question as a graph which models the system's possible states and transitions, (ii) we formalize dynamic properties concerning the temporal evolution of the system's variables, (iii) we use automatic tools (model checkers) to test whether the encoded proprieties are verified by the modeled system. We mainly focus on verifying spiking neural networks inspired from human brains and proposing tools to assess and monitor neuro-degenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer).


The research team “Constraints & Applications” (C&A) gathers experts in:

  • Operation Research, Artificial Intelligence with a focus on Constraint Programming;
  • Model Checking for Neurosciences and Biomedicine.

We are involved in the following hot topics identified in the Villani report on AI:

  • artificial intelligence and algorithmic approach;
  • decision aid;
  • knowledge representation and reasoning;
  • automatic learning (machine learning, deep learning, big data analysis);
  • natural language processing;
  • logics and formal proofs.
i3S laboratory