A scalable algorithm for minimal unsatisfiable core extraction

Abstract

We propose a new algorithm for minimal unsatisfiable core extraction, based on a deeper exploration of resolution-refutation properties. We provide experimental results on formal verification benchmarks confirming that our algorithm finds smaller cores than suboptimal algorithms; and that it runs faster than those algorithms that guarantee minimality of the core. (A more complete version of this paper may be found at arXiv.org/pdf/cs.L0/0605085.) © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.