Declaratively solving Google Code Jam problems with Picat

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how Picat's declarative programming techniques, such as constraint and tabled logic programming, can simplify and directly solve complex Google Code Jam problems more efficiently than traditional imperative methods.

Contribution

It introduces a declarative approach using Picat for solving algorithmic problems, highlighting its advantages over conventional imperative programming.

Findings

Picat simplifies implementation of complex problems.

Declarative specifications can directly model problem constraints.

Picat enables efficient problem solving without explicit algorithms.

Abstract

In this paper we present several examples of solving algorithmic problems from the Google Code Jam programming contest with Picat programming language using declarative techniques: constraint logic programming and tabled logic programming. In some cases the use of Picat simplifies the implementation compared to conventional imperative programming languages, while in others it allows to directly convert the problem statement into an efficiently solvable declarative problem specification without inventing an imperative algorithm.