We introduce a new subclass of Allen's interval algebra we call "ORDHorn subclass," which is a strict superset of the "pointisable subclass." We prove that reasoning in the ORD-Horn subclass is a polynomial-time problem and show that the path-consistency method is sufficient for deciding satisfiability. Further, using an extensive machine-generated case analysis, we show that the ORD-Horn subclass is a maximal tractable subclass of the full algebra (assuming<F NaN> P6=NP). In fact, it is the unique greatest tractable subclass amongst the subclasses that contain all basic relations. This work has been supported by the German Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT) under grant ITW 8901 8 as part of the WIP project and under grant ITW 9201 as part of the TACOS project. 1 1 Introduction Temporal information is often conveyed qualitatively by specifying the relative positions of time intervals such as ". . . point to the figure while explaining the performance of the system . . . "...

This paper presents a general model for temporal reasoning that is capable of handling both qualitative and quantitative information. This model allows the representation and processing of many types of constraints discussed in the literature to date, including metric constraints (restricting the distance between time points) and qualitative, disjunctive constraints (specifying the relative position of temporal objects). Reasoning tasks in this unified framework are formulated as constraint satisfaction problems and are solved by traditional constraint satisfaction techniques, such as backtracking and path consistency. New classes of tractable problems are characterized, involving qualitative networks augmented by quantitative domain constraints, some of which can be solved in polynomial time using arc and path consistency. This work was supported in part by grants from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, AFOSR 900136, and the National Science Foundation, IRI 8815522...

In reasoning tasks involving the maintenance of consistent databases (so-called QQconstraint networks/Q/Q), it is customary to enforce local consistency conditions in order to simplify the subsequent construction of a globally coherent model of the data. In this paper we present a relationship between the sizes of the variables' domains, the constraints' arity and the level of local consistency sufficient to ensure global consistency. Based on these parameters a new tractability classification of constraint networks is presented. We also show, based on this relationship, that any relation on bi-valued variables which is not representable by a network of binary constraints cannot be represented by networks with any number of hidden variables.

We define formal notions of temporal domain and temporal database, and use them to survey a wide spectrum of temporal query languages. We distinguish between an abstract temporal database and its concrete representations, and accordingly between abstract and concrete temporal query languages. We also address the issue of incomplete temporal information. 1 Introduction A temporal database is a repository of temporal information. A temporal query language is any query language for temporal databases. In this paper we propose a formal notion of temporal database and use this notion in surveying a wide spectrum of temporal query languages. The need to store temporal information arises in many computer applications. Consider, for example, records of various kinds: financial [37], personnel, medical [98], or judicial. Also, monitoring data, e.g., in telecommunications network management [4] or process control, has often a temporal dimension. There has been a lot of research in temporal dat...

We extend the framework of simple temporal problems studied originally by Dechter, Meiri and Pearl to consider constraints of the form x1 \Gamma y1 r1 : : : xn \Gamma yn rn , where x1 : : : xn ; y1 : : : yn are variables ranging over the real numbers, r1 : : : rn are real constants, and n 1. We have implemented four progressively more efficient algorithms for the consistency checking problem for this class of temporal constraints. We have partially ordered those algorithms according to the number of visited search nodes and the number of performed consistency checks. Finally, we have carried out a series of experimental results on the location of the hard region. The results show that hard problems occur at a critical value of the ratio of disjunctions to variables. This value is between 6 and 7. Introduction Reasoning with temporal constraints has been a hot research topic for the last fifteen years. The importance of this problem has been demonstrated in many areas of artifici...

Temporal events are regarded here as intervals on a time line. This paper deals with problems in reasoning about such intervals when the precise topological relationship between them is unknown or only partially specified. This work unifies notions of interval algebras in artificial intelligence with those of interval orders and interval graphs in combinatorics. The satisfiability, minimal labeling, all solutions and all realizations problems are considered for temporal (interval) data. Several versions are investigated by restricting the possible interval relationships yielding different complexity results. We show that even when the temporal data comprises of subsets of relations based on intersection and precedence only, the satisfiability question is NP-complete. On the positive side, we give efficient algorithms for several restrictions of the problem. In the process, the interval graph sandwich problem is introduced, and is shown to be NP-complete. This problem is als...

The concepts of binary constraint satisfaction problems can be naturally generalized to the relation algebras of Tarski. The concept of path-consistency plays a central role. Algorithms for path-consistency can be implemented on matrices of relations and on matrices of elements from a relation algebra. We give an example of a 4-by-4 matrix of infinite relations on which no iterative local path-consistency algorithm terminates. We give a class of examples over a fixed finite algebra on which all iterative local algorithms, whether parallel or sequential, must take quadratic time. Specific relation algebras arising from interval constraint problems are also studied: the Interval Algebra, the Point Algebra, and the Containment Algebra. 1 Introduction The logical study of binary relations is classical [8], [9], [51], [52], [56], [53], [54]. Following this tradition, Tarski formulated the theory of binary relations as an algebraic theory called relation algebra [59] 1 . Constraint satis...

As multimedia systems deal with a variety of temporally interrelated media items, synchronization is an important issue in those systems. One part of synchronization is the representation of temporal information. In contrast to traditional computing tasks, multimedia imposes new requirements on the representation of time. Specifically, a fine-grained and a flexible temporal model is required. Therefore, a number of temporal models have been suggested by various authors. However, there is not any temporal model that has been agreed on for multimedia. This paper evaluates and classifies a selection of the most common existing models applying fundamental statements of the time theory and temporal logic. Learning from the deficits of the existing models, a new temporal model based on interval operators is proposed for multimedia systems. 1.

Canonical models are very useful for determining simple representation formalism for qualitative relations. Allen's interval relations, e.g., can thereby be represented using the start and the end point of the intervals. Such a simple representation was not possible for regions of higher dimension as used by the Region Connection Calculus. In this paper we present a canonical model which allows regions and relations between them to be represented as points of the topological space and information about their neighbourhoods. With this formalism we are able to prove that whenever a set of RCC-8 formulas is consistent there exists a realization in any dimension, even when the regions are constrained to be (sets of) polytopes. For three- and higher dimensional space this is also true for internally connected regions. Using the canonical model we give algorithms for generating consistent scenarios. 1 Introduction The Region Connection Calculus (RCC) is a topological approach t...

Constraint networks have beenshown to be useful in formulating such diverse problems as scene labeling, natural language parsing, and temporal reasoning. Given a constraint network, we often wish to (i) nd a solution that satis es the constraints and (ii) nd the corresponding minimal network where the constraints are as explicit as possible. Both tasks are known to be NP-complete in the general case. Task (i) is usually solved using a backtracking algorithm, and task (ii) is often solved only approximately by enforcing various levels of local consistency. In this paper, we identify a property of binary constraints called row convexity and show its usefulness in deciding when a form of local consistency called path consistency is sufficient to guarantee that a network is both minimal and globally consistent. Globally consistent networks have the property that a solution can be found without backtracking. We show that one can test for the row convexity property e ciently and we show, by examining