Pairwise Cardinality Networks

We introduce pairwise cardinality networks, networks of comparators, derived from pairwise sorting networks, which express cardinality constraints. We show that pairwise cardinality networks are superior to the cardinality networks introduced in previous work which are derived from odd-even sorting networks. Our presentation identifies the precise relationship between odd-even and pairwise sorting networks. This relationship also clarifies why pairwise sorting networks have significantly better propagation properties for the application of cardinality constraints.