Towards a Generic Representation of Combinatorial Problems for Learning-Based Approaches
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using learning-based approaches for solving combinatorial problems, either in an end-to-end manner or in conjunction with traditional optimization algorithms. In both scenarios, the challenge lies in encoding the targeted combinatorial problems into a structure compatible with the learning algorithm. Many existing works have proposed problem-specific representations, often in the form of a graph, to leverage the advantages of \textit{graph neural networks}. However, these approaches lack generality, as the representation cannot be easily transferred from one combinatorial problem to another one. While some attempts have been made to bridge this gap, they still offer a partial generality only. In response to this challenge, this paper advocates for progress toward a fully generic representation of combinatorial problems for learning-based approaches. The approach we propose involves constructing a graph by breaking down any constraint of a combinatorial problem into an abstract syntax tree and expressing relationships (e.g., a variable involved in a constraint) through the edges. Furthermore, we introduce a graph neural network architecture capable of efficiently learning from this representation. The tool provided operates on combinatorial problems expressed in the XCSP3 format, handling all the constraints available in the 2023 mini-track competition. Experimental results on four combinatorial problems demonstrate that our architecture achieves performance comparable to dedicated architectures while maintaining generality. Our code and trained models are publicly available at \url{https://github.com/corail-research/learning-generic-csp}.
Code (1)
Tasks
Graph Neural NetworkMethods 이 논문이 사용한 방법론
Similar Papers 제목 키워드 기반
Domain-Independent Dynamic Programming: Generic State Space Search for Combinatorial Optimization
For combinatorial optimization problems, model-based approaches such as mixed-integer programming (MIP) and constraint programming (CP) aim to decouple modeling and solving a problem: the 'holy grail' of declarative prob…
Combinatorial OptimizationA Unified Framework for Combinatorial Optimization Based on Graph Neural Networks
Graph neural networks (GNNs) have emerged as a powerful tool for solving combinatorial optimization problems (COPs), exhibiting state-of-the-art performance in both graph-structured and non-graph-structured domains. Howe…
Combinatorial OptimizationA Graph Neural Network-Based QUBO-Formulated Hamiltonian-Inspired Loss Function for Combinatorial Optimization using Reinforcement Learning
Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) is a generic technique to model various NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems in the form of binary variables. The Hamiltonian function is often used to formulate …
Combinatorial OptimizationGraph Neural Networkreinforcement-learningReinforcement LearningCombining Reinforcement Learning and Constraint Programming for Combinatorial Optimization
Combinatorial optimization has found applications in numerous fields, from aerospace to transportation planning and economics. The goal is to find an optimal solution among a finite set of possibilities. The well-known c…
Combinatorial OptimizationDeep Reinforcement LearningPortfolio Optimizationreinforcement-learning+3Neural Learning of One-of-Many Solutions for Combinatorial Problems in Structured Output Spaces
Recent research has proposed neural architectures for solving combinatorial problems in structured output spaces. In many such problems, there may exist multiple solutions for a given input, e.g. a partially filled Sudok…