Alternate branching strategies in Gecode - c++

Question

I post here to ask if there is a way to alternate different strategies of branching. Let me explain, I have an efficient branching strategy which we'll call the strategy A. The biggest problem is that the strategy A cannot be used that often. So when I cannot use the strategy A, I use another strategy, which I'll call the strategy B, which is less efficient.
The documentation says that:
Brancher order. Creating a brancher registers it with its home space. A space maintains a queue of its branchers in that the brancher that is registered first is also used first for
branching. The first brancher in the queue of branchers is referred to as the current brancher.
So, I supposed that if I post the brancher A then the brancher B, the brancher A will has priority and each time the status of A says there is no branching to do, the brancher B will be used. Seems like I was wrong because when the status of a brancher return false, it is never called again.
Here is a "minimal example":
#include <gecode/minimodel.hh>
#include <iostream>
using namespace Gecode;
using namespace std;
class MyChoice : public Choice {
public:
int pos; // Position of the variable
int val; // Value of to assign
MyChoice(const Brancher& b, int pos0, int val0)
: Choice(b,2), pos(pos0), val(val0) {}
// Report size occupied
virtual size_t size(void) const {
return sizeof(*this);
}
// Archive into e
virtual void archive(Archive& e) const {
Choice::archive(e);
e << pos << val;
}
};
class BranchA : public Brancher {
protected:
ViewArray<Int::IntView> x;
public:
BranchA(Home home, ViewArray<Int::IntView>& x0)
: Brancher(home), x(x0) {}
static void post(Home home, ViewArray<Int::IntView>& x) {
(void) new (home) BranchA(home,x);
}
virtual size_t dispose(Space& home) {
(void) Brancher::dispose(home);
return sizeof(*this);
}
BranchA(Space& home, bool share, BranchA& b)
: Brancher(home,share,b) {
x.update(home,share,b.x);
}
virtual Brancher* copy(Space& home, bool share) {
return new (home) BranchA(home,share,*this);
}
// status
virtual bool status(const Space& home) const {
for (int i=0; i<x.size(); i++)
if (!x[i].assigned())
return !i%2 && x[i].in(1);
return false;
}
// choice
virtual Choice* choice(Space& home) {
for (int i=0; true; i++)
if (!x[i].assigned())
return new MyChoice(*this,i,1);
GECODE_NEVER;
return NULL;
}
virtual Choice* choice(const Space&, Archive& e) {
int pos, val;
e >> pos >> val;
return new MyChoice(*this, pos, val);
}
// commit
virtual ExecStatus commit(Space& home,
const Choice& c,
unsigned int a) {
const MyChoice& pv = static_cast<const MyChoice&>(c);
int pos=pv.pos, val=pv.val;
if (a == 0)
return me_failed(x[pos].eq(home,val)) ? ES_FAILED : ES_OK;
else
return me_failed(x[pos].nq(home,val)) ? ES_FAILED : ES_OK;
}
};
void branchA(Home home, const IntVarArgs& x) {
if (home.failed()) return;
ViewArray<Int::IntView> y(home,x);
BranchA::post(home,y);
}
// BranchB //////////////////////////////////////////////////////
class BranchB : public Brancher {
protected:
ViewArray<Int::IntView> x;
public:
BranchB(Home home, ViewArray<Int::IntView>& x0)
: Brancher(home), x(x0) {}
static void post(Home home, ViewArray<Int::IntView>& x) {
(void) new (home) BranchB(home,x);
}
virtual size_t dispose(Space& home) {
(void) Brancher::dispose(home);
return sizeof(*this);
}
BranchB(Space& home, bool share, BranchB& b)
: Brancher(home,share,b) {
x.update(home,share,b.x);
}
virtual Brancher* copy(Space& home, bool share) {
return new (home) BranchB(home,share,*this);
}
// status
virtual bool status(const Space& home) const {
for (int i=0; i<x.size(); i++)
if (!x[i].assigned())
return i%2 && x[i].in(2);
return false;
}
// choice
virtual Choice* choice(Space& home) {
for (int i=0; true; i++)
if (!x[i].assigned())
return new MyChoice(*this,i,2);
GECODE_NEVER;
return NULL;
}
virtual Choice* choice(const Space&, Archive& e) {
int pos, val;
e >> pos >> val;
return new MyChoice(*this, pos, val);
}
// commit
virtual ExecStatus commit(Space& home,
const Choice& c,
unsigned int a) {
const MyChoice& pv = static_cast<const MyChoice&>(c);
int pos=pv.pos, val=pv.val;
if (a == 0)
return me_failed(x[pos].eq(home,val)) ? ES_FAILED : ES_OK;
else
return me_failed(x[pos].nq(home,val)) ? ES_FAILED : ES_OK;
}
};
void branchB(Home home, const IntVarArgs& x) {
if (home.failed()) return;
ViewArray<Int::IntView> y(home,x);
BranchB::post(home,y);
}
// Minimal Space ///////////////////////////////////////
class TestSpace : public Space {
protected:
IntVarArray x;
public:
TestSpace(int size)
: x(*this, size, 0, 10) {
branchA(*this, x);
branchB(*this, x);
}
TestSpace (bool share, TestSpace& s)
: Space(share, s) {
x.update(*this, share, s.x);
}
virtual Space* copy (bool share) {
return new TestSpace(share, *this);
}
void print(std::ostream& os) {
os << "x= " << x << endl;
}
};
// Minimal Main //////////////////////:
int main (int, char**) {
// create model and search engine
TestSpace* m = new TestSpace(10);
DFS<TestSpace> e(m);
delete m;
// search and print all solutions
while (TestSpace* s = e.next()) {
s->print(cout); delete s;
}
return 0;
}
In this example, the status of the brancher A return true if the next variable to assign is on an even index and if the variable can take the value of 1 (false else). And the brancher B status return true if the next variable to assign is on an odd index and if the variable can take the value of 2 (false else).
With that code I expected to get the solutions [1, 2, 1, 2, ...] and [!1, !2, !1, !2, ...] (and others combinations like [!1, 2, 1, !2, ...]) but since the branchers are disposed when their status return false, only the two first variables have been assigned.
Is there a good way to make the brancher not being disposed after its status return false (or to alternate two differents branching strategies) or should I merge the two branchers into one ?

Answer 1

If it may help someone, here is the solution I used.
As advised by Patrick Trentin, I unified the control by making a third brancher which is a vector of branchers. Here is the implementation I used:
The header branchAllInOne.h:
#include <gecode/minimodel.hh>
using namespace Gecode;
using namespace std;
class BranchAllInOne : public Brancher {
protected:
// Queue of brancher (may be better with ActorLink)
vector<Actor *> queue;
// Every brancher are in the brancher
BrancherGroup group;
mutable int toChoose;
class ChoiceAndID : public Choice {
public:
// Choice of the brancher used
Choice* c;
/// ID of brancher used
unsigned int id;
ChoiceAndID(const Brancher& b, Choice * c, unsigned int id);
virtual ~ChoiceAndID();
virtual size_t size(void) const ;
virtual void archive(Archive& e) const ;
};
public:
BranchAllInOne(Home home);
virtual size_t dispose(Space& home);
BranchAllInOne(Home home, bool share, BranchAllInOne& b);
virtual ~BranchAllInOne();
/**
* Check status of brancher, set toChoose value to the ID of the first
* brancher with alternative left
**/
virtual bool status(const Space&) const ;
/**
* Let the brancher of ID toChoose make the choice
*/
virtual Choice* choice(Space&);
virtual Choice* choice(const Space&, Archive& e);
/**
* Let the brancher of ID toChoose commit his choice
*/
virtual ExecStatus commit(Space& home, const Choice& _c, unsigned int a);
/// Copy brancher
virtual Actor* copy(Space& home, bool share);
/// Post brancher
static BranchAllInOne * post(Home home);
virtual void print(const Space& home,
const Choice& c,
unsigned int a,
ostream& o) const ;
void pushBrancher(Space& home, Brancher *b);
};
BranchAllInOne * branchAllInOne(Home home);
The implementation branchAllInOne.cpp:
#include "branchAllInOne.h"
static Brancher * ActorToBrancher(Actor *a);
// Choice implementation
BranchAllInOne::ChoiceAndID::ChoiceAndID(const Brancher& b, Choice * c0, unsigned int id0)
: Choice(b, c0->alternatives()),
c(c0),
id(id0){}
BranchAllInOne::ChoiceAndID::~ChoiceAndID() {
delete c;
}
size_t BranchAllInOne::ChoiceAndID::size(void) const {
return sizeof(*this) + c->size();
}
void BranchAllInOne::ChoiceAndID::archive(Archive& e) const {
Choice::archive(e);
c->archive(e);
}
BranchAllInOne::BranchAllInOne(Home home)
: Brancher(home),
toChoose(-1) {
home.notice(*this,AP_DISPOSE);
}
// brancher
BranchAllInOne * BranchAllInOne::post(Home home) {
return new (home) BranchAllInOne(home);
}
size_t BranchAllInOne::dispose(Space& home) {
home.ignore(*this, AP_DISPOSE);
size_t size = queue.size() * sizeof(Actor*);
for (unsigned int i = queue.size() ; i--;) {
size += ActorToBrancher(queue[i])->dispose(home);
}
queue.~vector();
// Making sure to kill each brancher inserted in the queue (may be useless)
group.kill(home);
(void) Brancher::dispose(home);
return sizeof(*this) + size;
}
BranchAllInOne::BranchAllInOne(Home home, bool share, BranchAllInOne& b)
: Brancher(home, share, b),
queue(b.queue.size()),
toChoose(b.toChoose){
for (unsigned int i = 0 ; i < queue.size() ; i++)
queue[i] = b.queue[i]->copy(home, share);
}
BranchAllInOne::~BranchAllInOne() {
for (unsigned int i = 0 ; i < queue.size() ; i++) {
delete queue[i];
}
queue.~vector();
}
Actor* BranchAllInOne::copy(Space& home, bool share){
return new (home) BranchAllInOne(home, share, *this);
}
// status
bool BranchAllInOne::status(const Space& s) const {
for (unsigned int i = 0 ; i < queue.size() ; i++) {
if (ActorToBrancher(queue[i])->status(s)) {
toChoose = i;
return true;
}
}
std::cout << std::endl;
return false;
}
// choice
Choice* BranchAllInOne::choice(Space& s) {
ChoiceAndID* res = new ChoiceAndID(*this,
const_cast<Choice *>(ActorToBrancher(queue[toChoose])->choice(s)),
toChoose);
toChoose = -1;
return res;
}
Choice* BranchAllInOne::choice(const Space& s, Archive& e) {
return new ChoiceAndID(*this,
const_cast<Choice *>(ActorToBrancher(queue[toChoose])->choice(s, e)),
toChoose);
}
// Perform commit for choice \a _c and alternative \a a
ExecStatus BranchAllInOne::commit(Space& home, const Choice& c, unsigned int a) {
const BranchAllInOne::ChoiceAndID& ch = static_cast<const BranchAllInOne::ChoiceAndID&>(c);
return ActorToBrancher(queue[ch.id])->commit(home, const_cast<Choice&>(*ch.c), a);
}
void BranchAllInOne::print(const Space& home,
const Choice& c,
unsigned int a,
ostream& o) const {
const BranchAllInOne::ChoiceAndID& ch = static_cast<const BranchAllInOne::ChoiceAndID&>(c);
o << ch.id << ": ";
ActorToBrancher(queue[ch.id])->print(home, *(ch.c), a, o);
}
void BranchAllInOne::pushBrancher(Space &home, Brancher *b) {
queue.push_back(b);
group.move(home, *b);
}
static Brancher * ActorToBrancher(Actor *a) {
return dynamic_cast<Brancher *>(a);
}
// end of BranchAllInOne implementation
BranchAllInOne* branchAllInOne(Home home) {
if (home.failed()) return NULL;
return BranchAllInOne::post(home);
}
I've made some modifications to get a pointer to branchers I want to put in the vector (that include the post function of each branchers):
brancherA example:
BranchA * BranchA::post(Home home, ViewArray<Int::IntView>& x) {
return new (home) BranchA(home,x);
}
BranchA * branchA(Home home, const IntVarArgs& x) {
if (home.failed()) return NULL;
ViewArray<Int::IntView> y(home,x);
return BranchA::post(home,y);
}
The space has also been modified:
TestSpace::TestSpace(int size)
: x(*this, size, 0, 10) {
BranchAllInOne * b = branchAllInOne(*this);
b->pushBrancher(*this, branchA(*this, x));
b->pushBrancher(*this, branchB(*this, x));
}
I tested it with and without Gist and only got a memory leak of a pointer for each brancher put in the vector (here only two). A small problem remain is that branchers put in the vector are also scheduled after the third brancher stoped (but their status return false).