Hiding solutions in random satisfiability problems: A statistical mechanics approach
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
2009-11-07 v2 Statistical Mechanics
Computational Complexity
Abstract
A major problem in evaluating stochastic local search algorithms for NP-complete problems is the need for a systematic generation of hard test instances having previously known properties of the optimal solutions. On the basis of statistical mechanics results, we propose random generators of hard and satisfiable instances for the 3-satisfiability problem (3SAT). The design of the hardest problem instances is based on the existence of a first order ferromagnetic phase transition and the glassy nature of excited states. The analytical predictions are corroborated by numerical results obtained from complete as well as stochastic local algorithms.
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0111153,
title = {Hiding solutions in random satisfiability problems: A statistical mechanics approach},
author = {W. Barthel and A. K. Hartmann and M. Leone and F. Ricci-Tersenghi and M. Weigt and R. Zecchina},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0111153},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
5 pages, 4 figures, revised version to app. in PRL