Automated Configuration and Selection of SAT Solvers

Abstract

This chapter provides an introduction to the automated configuration and selection of SAT algorithms and gives an overview of the most prominent approaches. Since the early 2000s, these so-called meta-algorithmic approaches have played a major role in advancing the state of the art in SAT solving, giving rise to new ways of using and evaluating SAT solvers. At the same time, SAT has proven to be particularly fertile ground for research and development in the area of automated configuration and selection, and methods developed there have meanwhile achieved impact far beyond SAT, across a broad range of computationally challenging problems. Conceptually more complex approaches that go beyond “pure” algorithm configuration and selection are also discussed, along with some open challenges related to meta-algorithmic approaches, such as automated algorithm configuration and selection, to the tools based on these approaches, and to their effective application.