The Constraint Satisfaction Problem: Complexity and Approximability (Dagstuhl Seminar 18231)

Abstract

Constraint satisfaction has always played a central role in computational
complexity theory; appropriate versions of CSPs are classical complete
problems for most standard complexity classes. CSPs constitute a very rich and
yet sufficiently manageable class of problems to give a good perspective on
general computational phenomena. For instance, they help to understand which
mathematical properties make a computational problem tractable (in a wide
sense, e.g., polynomial-time solvable, non-trivially approximable,
fixed-parameter tractable, or definable in a weak logic). In the last decade,
research activity in this area has significantly intensified and hugely
impressive progress was made.
The Dagstuhl Seminar 18231 "The Constraint Satisfaction Problem: Complexity and
Approximability" was aimed at bringing together researchers using all the
different techniques in the study of the CSP so that they can share their
insights obtained during the past three years. This report documents the
material presented during the course of the seminar.