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\documentclass{acmabs}

\begin{document}

\Journal{Journal of the ACM}

\refkey{BeekD95}

\title{On the Minimality and Global Consistency of Row-Convex Constraint
  Networks}

\author{Peter van Beek \and Rina Dechter}

\Pages{543--561}

\Month{May}

\Year{1995}

\Volume{42}

\Number{3}

\maketitle

\begin{abstract}

Constraint networks have been shown to be useful in formulating such diverse
  problems as scene labeling, natural language parsing, and temporal reasoning.
  Given a constraint network, we often wish to (i)~find a solution that
  satisfies the constraints and (ii)~find the corresponding minimal network
  where the constraints are as explicit as possible. Both tasks are known to be
  NP-complete in the general case. Task~(i) is usually solved using a
  backtracking algorithm, and task~(ii) is often solved only approximately by
  enforcing various levels of local consistency. In this paper, we identify a
  property of binary constraints called \emph{row convexity} and show its
  usefulness in deciding when a form of local consistency called path
  consistency is sufficient to guarantee that a network is both minimal and
  globally consistent. Globally consistent networks have the property that a
  solution can be found without backtracking. We show that one can test for the
  row convexity property efficiently and we show, by examining applications of
  constraint networks discussed in the literature, that our results are useful
  in practice. Thus, we identify a class of binary constraint networks for
  which we can solve both tasks (i) and~(ii) efficiently. Finally, we
  generalize the results for binary constraint networks to networks with
  non-binary constraints.

\end{abstract}

\begin{categories}

F.2.2 [computations on discrete structures]; G.2.2 [permutations and
  combinations]; I.2.4 [relation systems]

\end{categories}

\begin{terms}

Algorithms, Theory

\end{terms}

\begin{keywords}

Consecutive ones property, constraint-based reasoning, constraint networks,
  constraint satisfaction problems, path consistency, relations, row convexity

\end{keywords}

\end{document}
