Decision systems : the relation between problem specification and mathematical analysis

In this paper it is demonstrated that automated support for decision making of a tactical or strategic nature requires a solver-independent medium for describing decision situations. Such a medium may be specific for one environment, but it is also possible to develop media for certain types of environments. By using such a medium one obtains a decoupling of problem formulation and method of analysis. This makes it possible to use (parts of) the problem formulation as input for different types of models. Such problem formulations may provide mathematical models themselves, although they might also contain some less formal features. The decoupling makes it possible to choose problem formulations which are much closer to the original decision situation than would otherwise be possible with formulations in terms of a preselected solver. The argumentation is illustrated by treating a language for specifying goods flow problems in some detail. This language is based on timed coloured Petri-nets

Technological roadmap on AI planning and scheduling

At the beginning of the new century, Information Technologies had become basic and indispensable constituents of the production and preparation processes for all kinds of goods and services and with that are largely influencing both the working and private life of nearly every citizen. This development will continue and even further grow with the continually increasing use of the Internet in production, business, science, education, and everyday societal and private undertaking. Recent years have shown, however, that a dramatic enhancement of software capabilities is required, when aiming to continuously provide advanced and competitive products and services in all these fast developing sectors. It includes the development of intelligent systems – systems that are more autonomous, flexible, and robust than today’s conventional software. Intelligent Planning and Scheduling is a key enabling technology for intelligent systems. It has been developed and matured over the last three decades and has successfully been employed for a variety of applications in commerce, industry, education, medicine, public transport, defense, and government. This document reviews the state-of-the-art in key application and technical areas of Intelligent Planning and Scheduling. It identifies the most important research, development, and technology transfer efforts required in the coming 3 to 10 years and shows the way forward to meet these challenges in the short-, medium- and longer-term future. The roadmap has been developed under the regime of PLANET – the European Network of Excellence in AI Planning. This network, established by the European Commission in 1998, is the co-ordinating framework for research, development, and technology transfer in the field of Intelligent Planning and Scheduling in Europe. A large number of people have contributed to this document including the members of PLANET non- European international experts, and a number of independent expert peer reviewers. All of them are acknowledged in a separate section of this document. Intelligent Planning and Scheduling is a far-reaching technology. Accepting the challenges and progressing along the directions pointed out in this roadmap will enable a new generation of intelligent application systems in a wide variety of industrial, commercial, public, and private sectors