רונן ברפמן

We investigate the solution of constraint-based configuration problems in which the preference function over outcomes is unknown or incompletely specified. The aim is to configure a system, such as a personal computer, so that it will be op-timal for a given user. The goal of this project is to develop algorithms that generate the most preferred feasible configu-ration by posing preference queries to the user. In order to minimize the number and the complexity of preference queries posed to the user, the algorithm reasons about the user's pref-erences while taking into account constraints over the set of feasible configurations. We assume that the user can struc-ture their preferences in a particular way that, while natural in many settings, can be exploited during the optimization pro-cess. We also address in a preliminary fashion the trade-offs between computational effort in the solution of a problem and the degree of interaction with the user.