Generating optimal code using answer set programming

Abstract

This paper presents the Total Optimisation using Answer Set Technology (TOAST) system, which can be used to generate optimal code sequences for machine architectures via a technique known as superoptimisation. Answer set programming (ASP) is utilised as the modelling and computational framework for searching over the large, complex search spaces and for proving the functional equivalence of two code sequences. Experimental results are given showing the progress made in solver performance over the previous few years, along with an outline of future developments to the system and applications within compiler toolchains. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.