Logic-Based Benders Decomposition in Answer Set Programming for Chronic Outpatients Scheduling

Abstract In answer set programming (ASP), the user can define declaratively a problem and solve it with efficient solvers; practical applications of ASP are countless several constraint problems have been successfully solved ASP. On other hand, solution time usually grows in superlinear way (often, exponential) respect to size instance, which is impractical for large instances. A widely used approach split optimization into subproblems (SPs) that sequence, some committing values assigned by others, reconstructing valid assignment whole juxtaposing solutions single SPs. one this much faster due behavior; on does not provide any guarantee optimality: SP rule out optimal from search space. research areas, logic-Based Benders decomposition (LBBD) proved effective; LBBD, decomposed master (MP) or The MP passed SPs possibly fail. case failure, no-good returned again addition new constraint. process iterated until obtained all proven infeasible. provably under very mild conditions. paper, we apply first LBBD ASP, exploiting an application health care as study. Experimental results show effectiveness approach. We believe availability further increase applicability technologies.