Dynamic QBF Dependencies in Reduction and Expansion

Abstract

We provide the first proof complexity results for QBF dependency calculi. By showing that the reflexive resolution path dependency scheme admits exponentially shorter Q-resolution proofs on a known family of instances, we answer a question first posed by Slivovsky and Szeider in 2014 [37]. Further, we conceive a method of QBF solving in which dependency recomputation is utilised as a form of inprocessing. Formalising this notion, we introduce a new version of Q-resolution in which a dependency scheme is applied dynamically. We demonstrate the further potential of this approach beyond that of the existing static system with an exponential separation. Last, we show that the same picture emerges in an analogous approach to the universal expansion paradigm.