The Tent-Matching Problem

PSU CS 410/510CS Homework 1a
Due Wednesday, January 31, 5:00PM

In this homework, you will use search to attack a simple constraint optimization problem.

Consider the basic optimization problem posed in the August 1998 Dr. Dobb's Journal article entitled Mates, in Dennis Shasha's regular Dr. Ecco's Omniheurist Corner column. (You can also get the instance data from this article as a text file.)

Search for good solutions to the posed problem instance using depth-first search of no more than 100,000 (1e5) nodes. Select a static variable and value ordering, i.e., decide up front what order the variables will be bound in and what order the values will be bound to them. In a comment in the source, describe the search space you are using. You will turn in the code, so please code cleanly. Also turn in a reasonable experimental writeup showing the experiments you performed and their outcomes.

Your program may be written in the language of your choice (let me know if you're planning on something other than C, C++, or Java) but should compile and run on the department UNIX machines. Those experimenting with departmental computers must follow the ``safety guidelines''.

Questions you should think about as you work on this instance:

  1. What are the variables here? What are the values?
  2. What value orderings work best?
  3. Are there variable orderings that help?
  4. What general problem is this an instance of?

Homework should be submitted by e-mail to <bart@cs.pdx.edu>. The words "CS410/510CS HW1a" should appear somewhere in the subject line. Remember: