The School of Computer Science is delighted to announce the Inaugural Lecture of Professor Ian Miguel.

Title: ‘Constraint Satisfaction and the Crystal Maze’

Abstract: In numerous contexts today we are faced with making decisions of increasing size and complexity, where many different considerations interlock in complex ways. Consider, for example, a staff rostering problem to assign staff to shifts while respecting required shift patterns and staffing levels, physical and staff resources, and staff working preferences. The decision-making process is often further complicated by the need also to optimise an objective, such as to maximise profit or to minimise waste. In this talk I will introduce the field of Constraint Programming, which offers a means of solving such problems automatically. Using an illustrative example from the annals of the Crystal Maze, a popular TV game show from the 1990s, I will explore the process of modelling and solving problems with constraints and discuss some of the most significant challenges in the field.

The lecture will be held at School III, St Salvator’s Quadrangle

and there will be a reception afterwards, in Lower College Hall.