Integrating rules and constraints

Abstract

Constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) is a deductive problem of a special kind, while rule-based systems are the practical programs that have implemented many of the ideas and techniques of deductive systems. Incorporating CSP into a rule-based system allows the rule-based system to exploit the power of CSP techniques in handling this special class of problems. This paper shows how constraints and rules can be integrated. This integration also helps to deal with the problems of disjunctions, which are not handled satisfactorily in the current rule-based systems.<>