Constraint-based problems - 24.06.2024

I was illustrating a constraint-based problem in the context of the Hospital appointment system.
Post your ideas on constraint-based problems!

How appointments are managed in a Hospital.

One example of constraint-based problems can be application processing system.
During admissions in universities/institutes/schools, a large number of application is received for a few amount of seats or positions. This creates a constraint based problem as each application has different data based upon which the institution selects the applicant. It can be academic record, entrance test marks, interview evaluation and many more constraints.

This example resonates with how operating systems work. The applicants are the users, the selection body is the operating system, and the seats are the hardware resource like memory.

Organs are scarce resources, so there should be a fair and effective system in place to determine who should receive them.

one example of constraint-based problems can be a Hotel where too many customers are waiting for a table to sit
This example illustrates how operating systems work. The customers of the hotel are the users, the selection body is the waiter and the tables are like memory available

One such constraint based scenario can be based on  restaurants. For example any restaurant who has both delivery option and dine in option  to decide whom to cater to first like lets say there are 5 customers 1 online, 1 is a critic, 1 is a famous person, other person is a regular loyal customer and another is a group of college students. This would create a problem can be to decide first to whom to provide the table to and then again if or not after assigning the tables, whom to serve first the online customer or the ones waiting.

A constraint related to Operating Systems can be to decide how to allocate resources (RAM, CPU, GPU) to different applications/softwares running at the same time. They would be a prioritization system where certain heavier softwares are allocated more resources to provide a smooth experience. This is a constraint that can be visualized through the task manager.

Considering a scenario where a country's immigration department is processing visa applications for five individuals. Each applicant has different backgrounds, needs, and constraints that must be evaluated to determine their eligibility for a visa. For example some of the constraints for a software engineer with a job offer from a tech company in the destination country applying for an employee based visa would have the following constraints:
Must have a valid job offer and employer sponsorship.
Requires a specific set of technical skills and qualifications.
Needs to pass a criminal background check.
Must demonstrate proficiency in the local language.

At an intersection, there is an ambulance, a politician's car, and a school bus approaching from three different directions. The ambulance needs to go straight to reach the hospital. The politician has an important meeting and needs to go the same way as the hospital. The school bus, which is running late and risks the driver losing their job, needs to go in the direction opposite to the hospital. Considering that only one signal can be opened at a time, and each signal will take half an hour to change, which signal should be opened first?

Road Transport Office ( RTO), where the customers who are willing to get their list of  services, such as new vehicle registration, driver’s license issuance, vehicle certification, and transfer of vehicle ownership.
The citizens who are applying for the specific purpose can also specify their top choices to allocation.

Organizing examinations on a large campus with approximately 22,000 students is a challenging task. Implementing software to manage this process can streamline the effort. dealing with constraints, including:

- Allocating a specific number of students to each classroom based on their courses.
- Ensuring a balanced mix of students from different courses in each classroom.
- Assigning teachers to invigilate the exams.
- Creating detailed seating plans.
- Scheduling the exams within limited available time slots.
-Minimizing student movement across the campus to avoid congestion.

A system where you need to place appointments for getting government related documents like aadhar and other certificates or it can be a system for getting an appointment to meet higher officials of the government.
It should be a fair appointment for the people according to their needs and they apply it only on a single website and then the admin will give a fair allotment.
Here the constraints can be what particular certificate they need, caste, reccomendations, a person who applied at the earliest or maybe a person who is a minister or a government officials.
By creating a well functioning solution we can give fair allotments to the people and the process can be done at a faster pace

Job recruitment is a challenging process, especially considering the current scenario. Therefore, a fair system should be used to evaluate candidates and ensure they are given the positions they deserve.

Parking space allotment:

In India, parking is a big problem. there are narrow roads, and not enough space for people to park. This is to devise an indoor parking space allotment scheme that takes into consideration 3 major constraints to this problem:

1. the people: many kinds of people are drivers. some people think they are designated to a spot if they park there on a daily basis, even though there is no official allotment. then there is the problem of pregnant women or old people or disabled people, who may find it difficult to spend time to search for available parking lots.

2. the kind of vehicle: there are many kinds of vehicles, 4 wheelers, 2 wheelers and larger 4 wheelers. they may need separating to accommodate all the kinds and to utilize the space efficiently

3. the time constraint: sometimes to accommodate vehicles, a case arises where one vehicle may be parked between other vehicles, with no way out unless one of those surrounding vehicles move out of the way. so there can be some scheme devised to allocate vehicles who are staying for shorter periods of time in a particular place, so that they don't have to wait for the outer vehicles to come and get their vehicle out of the way.

An example of a constraint based scenario could be based on passenger selection(done by drivers on travel apps). Drivers usually select passengers based on factors such as distance and price. In order to curb the issue of not getting rides, we should design a fair system of selection which profits both parties.-2341638& 2341615

Land Registration and also Income Tax process an example of constraint based scenario.

One example of a constraint-based problem is managing a blood bank. Blood banks need to ensure a sufficient supply of different blood types while minimizing waste due to the limited shelf life of blood products. This creates a constraint-based problem as blood banks must balance donor availability, storage capacity, and varying demand.

Personalized Healthcare Monitoring System
a personalized healthcare monitoring system involves ensuring data accuracy, maintaining patient privacy and real-time monitoring.
Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts: Developing algorithms that continuously monitor vital signs (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, glucose levels)
Integrating data from various wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, glucose monitors, blood pressure cuffs) and health apps into a unified platform.

One of the examples could be how hotel kitchens manage multiple chefs (tasks) cooking different dishes simultaneously without causing conflicts or ruining dishes.

The possible constraints could be:
- Shared Appliances: The kitchen has shared resources like stoves, ovens, and prep areas. The kitchen manager (like the operating system) ensures these resources are used efficiently and fairly.
- Conflict Conditions: If two chefs try to use the same stove at the same time, there could be conflicts and delays. The kitchen manager schedules the use of appliances to avoid these conflicts.
- Messy Ingredients: If one chef is using a particular ingredient  and another chef tries to use it without coordination, the dish could get ruined. The kitchen manager ensures that chefs communicate and don't mess up each other's ingredients.

One example of constraint-based problems is ROUTE OPTIMIZATION in a DELIVERY LOGISTICS SYSTEM. To find the best route from place A to place B, the system must consider constraints like traffic jams, road conditions, and delivery deadlines. This ensures efficient and timely deliveries, much like how an operating system optimizes task allocation.

In agricultural settings, optimizing water usage presents a complex challenge due to varying soil conditions, crop types, and weather patterns affecting irrigation needs.
Implement precision agriculture techniques using IoT sensors and data analytics to monitor soil moisture levels, weather forecasts, and crop growth stages in real-time. Employ machine learning algorithms to dynamically adjust irrigation schedules and amounts, ensuring efficient water usage tailored to specific field conditions and minimizing water wastage.

One example of constraint-based problems is the allocation of movies in a theater. To schedule movies in different rooms and at different times, the system must consider constraints like movie duration, room availability, audience demand, and overlapping showtimes. This ensures efficient use of theater space and maximizes audience satisfaction, similar to how an operating system schedules processes.

One example of constraint-based problems is optimizing content delivery in a streaming service. To ensure smooth playback, the system must consider constraints like bandwidth availability, server load, and user location. This ensures high-quality streaming with minimal buffering, much like how an operating system manages resource allocation for optimal performance.

delivery management system
constraint: imagine there are 100 trucks available but 1000 orders were placed on the same day, which delivery to prioritize and how many deliveries to be made in day.
#2 imagine there is a problem with 5 trucks, how will the daily quota for delivery be met.

One real life technical example of queue based constraint system is AWS (Amazon Web Services). It uses a gateway or a hub to see which EC2 instances were received first and if there are roles within the organization, the system will take that also into account and allow the instances to pass accordingly. For example, if the CEO and a normal employee sends the same request at the same time, it will give priority to the CEO.