LP2PB: Translating Answer Set Programs into Pseudo-Boolean Theories

TL;DR

This paper introduces LP2PB, a tool that translates answer set programs into pseudo-Boolean theories to leverage stronger proof systems, but traditional ASP solvers still outperform it overall, with some promising benchmark results.

Contribution

The paper presents LP2PB, a novel translation tool from ASP to pseudo-Boolean theories, enabling the use of cutting-plane proof systems for ASP solving.

Findings

Traditional ASP solvers outperform LP2PB on most benchmarks.

LP2PB shows potential in certain benchmark families.

Further research into stronger proof systems for ASP is suggested.

Abstract

Answer set programming (ASP) is a well-established knowledge representation formalism. Most ASP solvers are based on (extensions of) technology from Boolean satisfiability solving. While these solvers have shown to be very successful in many practical applications, their strength is limited by their underlying proof system, resolution. In this paper, we present a new tool LP2PB that translates ASP programs into pseudo-Boolean theories, for which solvers based on the (stronger) cutting plane proof system exist. We evaluate our tool, and the potential of cutting-plane-based solving for ASP on traditional ASP benchmarks as well as benchmarks from pseudo-Boolean solving. Our results are mixed: overall, traditional ASP solvers still outperform our translational approach, but several benchmark families are identified where the balance shifts the other way, thereby suggesting that further investigation into a stronger proof system for ASP is valuable.