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This book gives a broad overview of core topics of finite model theory: expressive power, descriptive complexity, and zero-one laws, together with selected applications to database theory and artificial intelligence, especially, constraint databases and constraint satisfaction problems. The final chapter provides a concise modern introduction to modal logic, which emphasizes the continuity in spirit and technique with finite model theory. This underlying spirit involves the use of various fragments of, and hierarchies within, first order, second order, fixed point, and infinitary logics to gain insight into phenomena in complexity theory and combinatorics. The book emphasizes the use of combinatorial games, such as extensions and refinements of the Ehrenfeucht-Fraissé pebble game, as a powerful technique for analyzing the expressive power of such logics, and illustrates how deep notions from model theory and combinatorics, such as o-minimality and tree-width, arise naturally in the application of finite model theory to database theory and AI. Students of logic and computer science will find here the tools necessary to embark on research in finite model theory, and all readers will experience the excitement of a vibrant area of application of logic to computer science.

Finite model theory. --- Computational complexity. --- Constraint databases. --- Databases --- Complexity, Computational --- Electronic data processing --- Machine theory --- Computer science --- Model theory --- Mathematics --- Information theory. --- Computer science. --- Software engineering. --- Logic design. --- Database management. --- Theory of Computation. --- Mathematical Logic and Formal Languages. --- Software Engineering. --- Computation by Abstract Devices. --- Logics and Meanings of Programs. --- Database Management. --- Data base management --- Data services (Database management) --- Database management services --- DBMS (Computer science) --- Generalized data management systems --- Services, Database management --- Systems, Database management --- Systems, Generalized database management --- Design, Logic --- Design of logic systems --- Digital electronics --- Electronic circuit design --- Logic circuits --- Switching theory --- Computer software engineering --- Engineering --- Informatics --- Science --- Communication theory --- Communication --- Cybernetics --- Computers. --- Mathematical logic. --- Computer logic. --- Computer science logic --- Logic, Symbolic and mathematical --- Algebra of logic --- Logic, Universal --- Mathematical logic --- Symbolic and mathematical logic --- Symbolic logic --- Algebra, Abstract --- Metamathematics --- Set theory --- Syllogism --- Automatic computers --- Automatic data processors --- Computer hardware --- Computing machines (Computers) --- Electronic brains --- Electronic calculating-machines --- Electronic computers --- Hardware, Computer --- Computer systems --- Calculators --- Cyberspace

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• Reference Manager
• EndNote
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• Reference Manager
• EndNote
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Nowadays constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) are ubiquitous in many different areas of computer science, from artificial intelligence and database systems to circuit design, network optimization, and theory of programming languages. Consequently, it is important to analyze and pinpoint the computational complexity of certain algorithmic tasks related to constraint satisfaction. The complexity-theoretic results of these tasks may have a direct impact on, for instance, the design and processing of database query languages, or strategies in data-mining, or the design and implementation of planners. This state-of-the-art survey contains the papers that were invited by the organizers after conclusion of an International Dagstuhl-Seminar on Complexity of Constraints, held in Dagstuhl Castle, Germany, in October 2006. A number of speakers were solicited to write surveys presenting the state of the art in their area of expertise. These contributions were peer-reviewed by experts in the field and revised before they were collated to the 9 papers of this volume. In addition, the volume contains a reprint of a survey by Kolaitis and Vardi on the logical approach to constraint satisfaction that first appeared in 'Finite Model Theory and its Applications', published by Springer in 2007.

Complex analysis --- Discrete mathematics --- Computer science --- Artificial intelligence. Robotics. Simulation. Graphics --- Computer. Automation --- discrete wiskunde --- complexe analyse (wiskunde) --- grafische vormgeving --- informatica --- database management --- programmatielogica --- KI (kunstmatige intelligentie) --- robots --- numerieke analyse