# Anytime answer set optimization via unsatisfiable core shrinking

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.00731 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1608.00731/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 2 Aug 2016.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Rushing and Strolling among Answer Sets -- Navigation Made Easy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.07596/) (2021)
- [Large Neighborhood Prioritized Search for Combinatorial Optimization with Answer Set Programming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.11305/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Unsatisfiable core analysis can boost the computation of optimum stable models for logic programs with weak constraints. However, current solvers employing unsatisfiable core analysis either run to completion, or provide no suboptimal stable models but the one resulting from the preliminary disjoint cores analysis. This drawback is circumvented here by introducing a progression based shrinking of the analyzed unsatisfiable cores. In fact, suboptimal stable models are possibly found while shrinking unsatisfiable cores, hence resulting into an anytime algorithm. Moreover, as confirmed empirically, unsatisfiable core analysis also benefits from the shrinking process in terms of solved instances. This paper is under consideration for acceptance in TPLP.