This function returns a constraint that abstracts the values of the elements of one array of constrained variables (called x) in a model into the abstract value of another array of constrained variables (called y). In other words, for each element x[i], there is a variable y[i] corresponding to the abstraction of x[i] with respect to an array of numeric values. That is,

x[i] = v with v in values if and only if y[i] = v;

x[i] = v with v not in values if and only if y[i] = abstractValue.

This constraint maintains a many-to-one mapping that makes it possible to define constraints that impinge only on a particular set of values from the domains of constrained variables. The abstract value (specified by abstractValue) must not be in the domain of x[i].

Adding a Constraint to a Model, Extracting a Model for an Algorithm

In order for the constraint returned by IloAbstraction to take effect, you must add it to a model with the template IloAdd or the member function IloModel::add and extract the model for an algorithm with the member function IloAlgorithm::extract.

Exceptions

If the arrays x and y are not the same size, this function throws the exception IloAbstraction::InvalidArraysException.

Example

For simplicity, let's assume that our array x consists of three elements with the domains {3}, {4}, and {5}. We will also assume that our abstract value is 7, and the values we are interested in are {4, 8, 12, 16}. Then IloAbstraction produces these elements in the array y: