10 research outputs found
A Simple Model to Generate Hard Satisfiable Instances
In this paper, we try to further demonstrate that the models of random CSP
instances proposed by [Xu and Li, 2000; 2003] are of theoretical and practical
interest. Indeed, these models, called RB and RD, present several nice
features. First, it is quite easy to generate random instances of any arity
since no particular structure has to be integrated, or property enforced, in
such instances. Then, the existence of an asymptotic phase transition can be
guaranteed while applying a limited restriction on domain size and on
constraint tightness. In that case, a threshold point can be precisely located
and all instances have the guarantee to be hard at the threshold, i.e., to have
an exponential tree-resolution complexity. Next, a formal analysis shows that
it is possible to generate forced satisfiable instances whose hardness is
similar to unforced satisfiable ones. This analysis is supported by some
representative results taken from an intensive experimentation that we have
carried out, using complete and incomplete search methods.Comment: Proc. of 19th IJCAI, pp.337-342, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2005. For more
information, please click
http://www.nlsde.buaa.edu.cn/~kexu/papers/ijcai05-abstract.ht
Quantum walk speedup of backtracking algorithms
We describe a general method to obtain quantum speedups of classical
algorithms which are based on the technique of backtracking, a standard
approach for solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). Backtracking
algorithms explore a tree whose vertices are partial solutions to a CSP in an
attempt to find a complete solution. Assume there is a classical backtracking
algorithm which finds a solution to a CSP on n variables, or outputs that none
exists, and whose corresponding tree contains T vertices, each vertex
corresponding to a test of a partial solution. Then we show that there is a
bounded-error quantum algorithm which completes the same task using O(sqrt(T)
n^(3/2) log n) tests. In particular, this quantum algorithm can be used to
speed up the DPLL algorithm, which is the basis of many of the most efficient
SAT solvers used in practice. The quantum algorithm is based on the use of a
quantum walk algorithm of Belovs to search in the backtracking tree. We also
discuss how, for certain distributions on the inputs, the algorithm can lead to
an exponential reduction in expected runtime.Comment: 23 pages; v2: minor changes to presentatio
Constrainedness in stable matching
In constraint satisfaction problems, constrainedness provides a way to predict the number of solutions: for instances of a same size, the number of constraints is inversely correlated with the number of solutions. However, there is no obvious equivalent metric for stable matching problems. We introduce the contrarian score, a simple metric that is to matching problems what constrainedness is to constraint satisfaction problems. In addition to comparing the contrarian score against other potential tightness metrics, we test it for different instance sizes as well as extremely distinct versions of the stable matching problem. In all cases, we find that the correlation between contrarian score and number of solutions is very strong
Approaches to grid-based SAT solving
In this work we develop techniques for using distributed computing resources to efficiently solve instances of the propositional satisfiability problem (SAT). The computing resources considered in this work are assumed to be geographically distributed and connected by a non-dedicated network. Such systems are typically referred to as computational grid environments.
The time a modern SAT solver consumes while solving an instance varies according to a random distribution. Unlike many other methods for distributed SAT solving, this work identifies the random distribution as a valuable resource for solving-time reduction. The methods which use randomness in the run times of a search algorithm, such as the ones discussed in this work, are examples of multi-search. The main contribution of this work is in developing and analyzing the multi-search approach in SAT solving and showing its efficiency with several experiments. For the purpose of the analysis, the work introduces a grid simulation model which captures several of the properties of a grid environment which are not observed in more traditional parallel computing systems.
The work develops two algorithmic frameworks for multi-search in SAT. The first, SDSAT, is based on using properties of the distribution of the solving time so that the expected time required to solve an instance is reduced. Based on the analysis of SDSAT, the work proposes an algorithm for efficiently using large number of computing resources simultaneously to solve collections of SAT instances. The analysis of SDSAT also motivates the second algorithmic framework, CL-SDSAT. The framework is used to efficiently solve many industrial SAT instances by carefully combining information learned in the distributed SAT solvers.
All methods described in the work are directly applicable in a wide range of grid environments and can be used together with virtually unmodified state-of-the-art SAT solvers. The methods are experimentally verified using standard benchmark SAT instances in a production-level grid environment. The experiments show that using the relatively simple methods developed in the work, SAT instances which cannot be solved efficiently in sequential settings can be now solved in a grid environment
Statistical Regimes Across Constrainedness Regions
Much progress has been made in terms of boosting the effectiveness of backtrack style search methods. In addition, during the last decade, a much better understanding of problem hardness, typical case complexity, and backtrack search behavior has been obtained. One example of a recent insight into backtrack search concerns so-called heavy-tailed behavior in randomized versions of backtrack search. Such heavy-tails explain the large variance in runtime often observed in practice. However, heavy-tailed behavior does certainly not occur on all instances. This has led to a need for a more precise characterization of when heavy-tailedness does and when it does not occur in backtrack search. In this paper, we provide such a characterization. We identify different statistical regimes of the tail of the runtime distributions of randomized backtrack search methods and show how they are correlated with the Bsophistication ^ of the search procedure combined with the inherent hardness of the instances. We also show that the runtime distribution regime is highly correlated with the distribution of the depth of inconsistent subtrees discovered during the search. In particular, we show that an exponential distribution of the depth of inconsistent subtrees combined with a search space that grows exponentially with the depth of the inconsistent subtrees implies heavy-tailed behavior
Statistical regimes across constrainedness regions
Abstract. Much progress has been made in terms of boosting the effectiveness of backtrack style search methods. In addition, during the last decade, a much better understanding of problem hardness, typical case complexity, and backtrack search behavior has been obtained. One example of a recent insight into backtrack search concerns so-called heavy-tailed behavior in randomized versions of backtrack search. Such heavy-tails explain the large variations in runtime often observed in practice. However, heavy-tailed behavior does certainly not occur on all instances. This has led to a need for a more precise characterization of when heavy-tailedness does and when it does not occur in backtrack search. In this paper, we provide such a characterization. We identify different statistical regimes of the tail of the runtime distributions of randomized backtrack search methods and show how they are correlated with the “sophistication ” of the search procedure combined with the inherent hardness of the instances. We also show that the runtime distribution regime is highly correlated with the distribution of the depth of inconsistent subtrees discovered during the search. In particular, we show that an exponential distribution of the depth of inconsistent subtrees combined with a search space that grows exponentially with the depth of the inconsistent subtrees implies heavy-tailed behavior.