Revision a7294878672fa92c5a6b368fd6e0da363aa5029b authored by gchabert on 27 January 2017, 08:04:11 UTC, committed by gchabert on 27 January 2017, 08:04:11 UTC
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intro.rst
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Introduction
====================================
Ibex is a C++ numerical library based on **interval arithmetic** and **constraint programming**.
It can be used to solve a variety of problems that can roughly be formulated as:
*Find a reliable characterization with boxes (Cartesian product of intervals) of sets implicitely defined by constraints*
*Reliable* means that all sources of uncertainty should be taken into account, including:
- approximation of real numbers by floating-point numbers
- round-off errors
- linearization truncatures
- model parameter uncertainty
- measurement noise
.. image:: prob02.png
:width: 300 px
**Example of problem**: Given a set of nonlinear inequalities :math:`f_1\leq0,\ldots,f_n\leq0`, find two sets of boxes S\ :sub:`1` and S\ :sub:`2` such that
.. math::
S_1\subseteq \{ x, f_1(x)\leq0 \wedge \ldots \wedge f_n(x)\leq0\}\subseteq S_2
The API
---------------
The API of Ibex can be broken into three layers:
- An extended (symbolic-numeric) interval calculator
- A contractor programming library
- A system solver / global optimizer (supplied as a plugin since Release 2.2)
Each usage corresponds to a different layer and each layer is built on top of the previous one.
Ibex does not include low-level interval arithmetic but uses a third library (Ibex is currently
automatically compiled either with `Gaol`_ or `Filib`_ , depending on your platform).
.. It can be compiled with different existing implementations such as `Gaol`_, `Filib`_ or `Profil/Bias`_.
.. It can also be linked with different linear solvers, `Cplex`_, `Soplex`_ or `CLP`_.
.. _Gaol: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gaol
.. _Filib: http://www2.math.uni-wuppertal.de/~xsc/software/filib.html
.. _Profil/Bias: http://www.ti3.tu-harburg.de/keil/profil/index_e.html
.. _Cplex: http://www.ibm.com/software/commerce/optimization/cplex-optimizer
.. _Soplex: http://soplex.zib.de
.. _CLP: https://projects.coin-or.org/Clp
An extended interval calculator
-------------------------------
Ibex allows you to declare symbolically a mathematical function and to perform interval computations with it. For example::
Variable x;
Function f(x,sin(x)+1);
defines the "mathematical" object :math:`x \mapsto sin(x)+1`.
**Note:** *Functions* (as well as equalities or inequalities) can either be entered programmatically (using C++ operator overloading) or using a parser of an AMPL-like language called Minibex. Functions accept vector or matrix variables or values; similarities with Matlab are shared on purpose. See the modeling guide.
Now that functions are built, you can use them to perform interval or symbolic operations. Example::
Interval x(0,1);
Interval y=f.eval(x); // calculate the image of x by f
Function df(f,Function::DIFF); // derivate f
Interval z=df.eval_affine(x); // calculate the image of x by df using affine forms
All the classical operations with intervals can be performed with the previously defined functions, including relational (backward) operators, inner arithmetics, automatic differentiation, affine arithmetic, etc.
Contractor programming
-------------------------------
Ibex gives you the ability to build high-level interval-based algorithms declaratively through the *contractor programming* paradigm :ref:`[Chabert & Jaulin, 2009] <Chabert09a>`.
A contractor is basically an operator that transforms a box to a smaller (included) box, by safely removing points with respect to some mathematical property.
The first property one usually wants to enforce is a numerical constraint, like an equation or inequality::
Variable x,y,z;
Function f(x,y,z,...);
NumConstraint c(x,y,z,f(x,y,z)=0);
CtcFwdBwd ctc(c); // build the contractor w.r.t f(x,y,z)=0
.. _contractor programming: http://www.emn.fr/z-info/gchabe08/quimper.pdf
Contraction is performed with a call to the function ``contract(...)``::
IntervalVector box(3); // build a box for x, y and z
box[0]=...;
box[1]=...;
box[2]=...;
ctc.contract(box); // contract the box
**Note**: A *contractor* is the equivalent of a propagator in finite domain solvers except that it is a pure numerical function (no state).
More complex properties are obtained by combining contractors. For instance::
Ctc& c1=... ;
Ctc& c2=... ;
Ctc& c3=... ;
CtcUnion u(CtcInter(c1,c2),c3);
will define the contractor :math:`((C_1 \cap C_2) \cup C_3))`.
Ibex contains a variety of built-in operators (HC4, Shaving, ACID, X-newton, q-intersection, etc.).
System solving and global optimization
--------------------------------------
Finally, Ibex proposes various plugins. In particular, the IbexOpt plugin is dedicated to optimization and system solving and comes with a default black-box solver and global optimizer for immediate usage. See the :ref:`IbexOpt documentation <ibex-opt>`.
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