Franco-Japanese research collaboration on constraint programming

Constraint programming is an emergent technology that allows modeling and solving various problems in many areas such as artificial intelligence, computer programming, computer-aided design, computer graphics, and user interfaces. In this report, we recount the recent activities of research collaboration on constraint programming conducted by the authors and other researchers in France and Japan. First, we outline our joint research projects on constraint programming and then present the backgrounds, goals, and approaches of several research topics treated in the projects. Second, we describe the two Franco-Japanese Workshops on Constraint Programming (FJCP), which we held in Japan in October 2004 and in France in November 2005. We conclude with future prospects for collaboration between French and Japanese researchers in this area.