Related papers: Upper-Bounding Proof Length with the Busy Beaver
For any functions $f(x)$, $g(x)$ from $\mathbb {N}$ to $\mathbb {R}$ we call repeats $uvu$ such that $g(|u|)\le |v|\le f(|u|)$ as {\it $f,g$-gapped repeats}. We study the possible number of $f,g$-gapped repeats in words of fixed length~$n$.…
This is a survey on propositional proof complexity aimed at introducing the basics of the field with a particular focus on a method known as feasible interpolation. This method is used to construct "hard theorems" for several proof systems…
Bayesian inference has theoretical attractions as a principled framework for reasoning about beliefs. However, the motivations of Bayesian inference which claim it to be the only 'rational' kind of reasoning do not apply in practice. They…
Large reasoning models, such as OpenAI o1 or DeepSeek R1, have demonstrated remarkable performance on reasoning tasks but often incur a long reasoning path with significant memory and time costs. Existing methods primarily aim to shorten…
The dynamic optimality conjecture, postulating the existence of an $O(1)$-competitive online algorithm for binary search trees (BSTs), is among the most fundamental open problems in dynamic data structures. Despite extensive work and some…
Starting with an infinite set of non linear Equations for the Li-Keiper coefficients, we first specify a lower bound emerging from the infinite set and give a characterization of it. Then, we propose a possible new upper and lower bound for…
We determine the complexity of counting models of bounded size of specifications expressed in Linear-time Temporal Logic. Counting word models is #P-complete, if the bound is given in unary, and as hard as counting accepting runs of…
The fixed-template constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) can be seen as the problem of deciding whether a given primitive positive first-order sentence is true in a fixed structure (also called model). We study a class of problems that…
We define an extension of predicate logic, called Binding Logic, where variables can be bound in terms and in propositions. We introduce a notion of model for this logic and prove a soundness and completeness theorem for it. This theorem is…
Proof formats for SAT solvers have diversified over the last decade, enabling new features such as extended resolution-like capabilities, very general extension-free rules, inclusion of proof hints, and pseudo-boolean reasoning.…
Counterfactual explanations are a common approach to providing recourse to data subjects. However, current methodology can produce counterfactuals that cannot be achieved by the subject, making the use of counterfactuals for recourse…
In this paper, by constructing extremely hard examples of CSP (with large domains) and SAT (with long clauses), we prove that such examples cannot be solved without exhaustive search, which is stronger than P $\neq$ NP. This constructive…
Using appropriate notation systems for proofs, cut-reduction can often be rendered feasible on these notations, and explicit bounds can be given. Developing a suitable notation system for Bounded Arithmetic, and applying these bounds, all…
The busy beaver value BB(n) is the maximum number of steps made by any n-state, 2-symbol deterministic halting Turing machine starting on blank tape. The busy beaver function $n \mapsto \text{BB}(n)$ is uncomputable and, from below, only 4…
To determine whether a number is congruent or not is an old and difficult topic and progress is slow. The paper presents a new theorem when a prime number is a congruent number or not. The proof is not necessarily any simpler or shorter…
The problem of checking whether a recursive query can be rewritten as query without recursion is a fundamental reasoning task, known as the boundedness problem. Here we study the boundedness problem for Unions of Conjunctive Regular Path…
We consider the classical stochastic multi-armed bandit but where, from time to time and roughly with frequency $\epsilon$, an extra observation is gathered by the agent for free. We prove that, no matter how small $\epsilon$ is the agent…
The trapping redundancy of a linear code is the number of rows of a smallest parity-check matrix such that no submatrix forms an $(a,b)$-trapping set. This concept was first introduced in the context of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes…
In recent years, many connections have been made between minimal codes, a classical object in coding theory, and other remarkable structures in finite geometry and combinatorics. One of the main problems related to minimal codes is to give…
Scaling test-time compute through extended chains of thought has become a dominant paradigm for improving large language model reasoning. However, existing research implicitly assumes that longer thinking always yields better results. This…