Many problems in computer-aided design of highly integrated circuits
(CAD for VLSI) can be transformed to the task of manipulating objects
over finite domains. The efficiency of these operations depends
substantially on the chosen data structures. In the last years,
ordered binary decision diagrams (OBDDs) have proven to be
a very efficient data structure in this context.
Here, we give a survey on these developments and stress the deep
interactions between basic research and practically relevant
applied research with its immediate impact on the performance
improvement of modern CAD design and verification tools.