Constraint satisfaction techniques are described in Dechter [2003] and Freuder and Mackworth [2006]. The GAC algorithm was invented by Mackworth [1977].

Variable elimination for propositional satisfiability was proposed by Davis and Putnam [1960]. VE for optimization has been called non-serial dynamic programming and was invented by Bertelè and Brioschi [1972].

Stochastic local search is described by Spall [2003] and Hoos and Stützle [2004]. The any-conflict algorithm is based on Minton et al. [1992]. Simulated annealing was invented by Kirkpatrick et al. [1983].

Genetic algorithms were pioneered by Holland [1975]. A huge literature exists on genetic algorithms; for overviews see Goldberg [1989], Koza [1992], Mitchell [1996], Bäck [1996], Whitley [2001], and Goldberg [2002].