Solving Scheduling Problems as the Puzzle Games Using Constraint Programming

Constraint programming (CP) is one of the most effective techniques for solving practical operational problems. The outstanding feature of the method is a set of constraints affecting a solution of a problem can be imposed without a need to explicitly defining a linear relation among variables, i.e. an equation. Nevertheless, the challenge of paramount importance in using this technique is how to present the operational problem in a solvable Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) model. The problem modelling is problem independent and could be an exhaustive task at the beginning stage of problem solving, particularly when the problem is a real-world practical problem. This paper investigates the application of a simple grid puzzle game when a player attempts to solve practical scheduling problems. The examination scheduling and logistic fleet scheduling are presented as operational games. The game‘s rules are set up based on the operational practice. CP is then applied to solve the defined puzzle and the results show the success of the proposed method. The benefit of using a grid puzzle as the model is that the method can amplify the simplicity of CP in solving practical problems.