Talk:Combinatorial search

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I deleted most of the computational complexity content, since there was already a reasonable page on that topic. I also cut down some of the other stuff, reworded it, and cleaned up the language. I think we have a nice page going here! Bart Massey 09:03 Apr 19, 2003 (UTC)

(This notice also posted to Talk: Search algorithm) How much overlap does this page have with search algorithm? Do they deserve a merging? Is one of these article titles inappropriate? Should one link to the other?

Derrick Coetzee 21:31, 4 May 2004 (UTC)

Regarding the section discussing the programming languages in which Combinatorial search can be implemented, it does appear to be an exhaustive catalogue of programming language paradigms (functional, declarative, imperative). As such, that section isn't as informative as it might be. Perhaps some criteria for the selection of a programming language would be helpful. Indeed, since the algorithm works -- not contingent on programming language -- why is that section included?

Ilan Muskat 17:17, 30 April 2005 (EDT)

Merge
Alternatively merging with combinatorial optimization might be considered. --moxon 11:18, 27 November 2005 (UTC)

I have no issue with such a merge. Might want to check with Bart though. maxomai 19:29, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Combinatorial optimization is a special case of combinatorial search that seeks to optimize rather than satisfy or path-find. A combinatorial search algorithm is a special kind of search algorithm that works in combinatorial spaces. I'm comfortable with any organization that respects this; the current one, in which combinatorial search has been redirected to a "merged" combinatorial optimization, is no good---especially since some content from the original combinatorial search page seems to have been lost. What is really needed is a major edit of search algorithm that throws to combinatorial search for that content; combinatorial search should be its own entry which discusses the generalities of combinatorial search and then throws to combinatorial optimization for that subtopic. This would also allow organizing some other things. I don't have the energy to do this today, but I'll try to find some sometime soon unless folks object. Bart Massey 18:54, 18 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Perhaps a few years too late, but I agree with Bart that this merge was not a smart idea. Combinatorial search algorithms are in general more closely related to search algorithms than to combinatorial optimization (except that they like combinatorial optimization algorithms try to avoid an exhaustive search of the state space.) —Ruud 11:13, 15 April 2012 (UTC)

Don't understand how this differs from combinatorial optimization -- for example, minmax is typically used to find the best move, A-star is often used to find the shortest path. Can somebody add an example which clearly delineates combinatorial search? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.132.222.197 (talk) 04:06, 28 December 2012 (UTC)