New high performance algorithmic solution for diagnosis problem

Abstract

In this paper we address the problem of generating the minimal diagnosis from the conflicts. This problem can be formulated as the well-known Hitting Set Problem. Our approach starts by mapping the Hitting Set problem into the Integer Programming Problem that enables us, for the first time, a priori determination of the lower and upper bounds on the size for the solution. Based on these bounds, we introduce a new concept of solution window for the problem. We also propose a new branch-and-bound technique that not only is faster than the current techniques in terms of number of operations (by exploiting the structure of the problem) but also, using the concept of window, allows a massive reduction (pruning) in the number of branches. Furthermore, as the branch-and-bound proceeds, the solution window is dynamically updated and narrowed to enable further pruning.