Mathematical constraints provide a flexible and uniform way to conceptually represent and manipulate diverse data capturing spatio-temporal behavior, complex modeling requirements, partial and incomplete information etc., and have been used in a wide variety of application realms. The CCUBE project deals with incorporation of successful constraint technology (involving arithmetic constraints over reals, interval constraint propagation, and combinatorial optimization over finite domains) with database technology, in the framework of Constraint Databases (CDBs) aimed especially at two broad application areas: (1) Spatial and temporal applications that require manipulation of complex objects in low (up to 5-6) dimensional space, movement of objects in 3D-space, transformations among various coordinate systems, and patterns of behavior in space over time. These applications include CAD/CAM systems, GIS and environmental systems, and spatio-temporal data fusion and sensor management. (2) Applications requiring combinatorial optimization in presence of large amounts of data, in which database set-at-a-time processing, indexing, and the ability to store large intermediate results are being exploited for search. Applications here include manufacturing and warehouse support systems, financial systems such as electronic trade, and traditional mathematical programming problems involving large amounts of data. The technology being developed in the CCUBE project has the potential to provide an order-of-magnitude productivity gain in building software systems in the target domains. Furthermore, it is suitable to become an integral component of future database management systems, as well as optimization productivity tools. Finally, the CCUBE project is being utilized as an important educational device, being used by students in graduate-level courses for real-life applications, and stimulating their early involvement in research.
