After successful completion of the course, students are able to explain and apply algorithmic techniques and fundamental results in automated deduction, such as SAT/SMT solving and superposition reasoning.

Due to current COVID-19 pandemic, the course will take place entirely online

- with all lectures made available as pre-recorded lectures, on the day of the respective lecture;

- with four live Q&A sessions via Zoom. 

Lecture recordings and slides will be posted online on the TUWEL site of the course, and course-related discussions will be monitored online on TUWEL. 

The reasoning power that computational logic offers brings new perspectives in the field of program verification. This course is about computational logic, with particular focus on algorithmic and automated methods for proving logical properties.

The course aims at teaching attendees algorithmic techniques and fundamental results in automated deduction. Student will also use state-of-the-art theorem provers for proving logical properties.

The course focuses on specialised algorithms for reasoning in various fragments of first-order logics, such as propositional logic, combination of ground theories, and full first-order logic with equality. We will address both the theoretical and practical aspects for using and implementing decisions procedures of various logics.

The tentative list of topics covered by the course is below:

• propositional and first-order logic;
• satisfiability checking in propositional logic (splitting, DPLL, randomized algorithms);
• satisfiability checking in the theory of arithmetic, uninterpreted functions and arrays;
• satisfiability checking the the combination of theories (SMT);
• validity proving in first-order logic (superposition theorem proving). 

The course will address transformation to normal forms, DPLL, SAT-solving, SMT-solving, resolution, unification, superposition, redundancy checking, and  experiments with theorem provers.

The course will also include hands-on sessions using the SAT solver MINISAT, the SMT solver Z3 and the first-order theorem prover VAMPIRE.

There will be two pre-recorded lectures a week, with lecture slides online accompanying the lectures. 

There will be 4 homeworks,  handed out online. 
Exercises/homework solutions will be discussed during the live Q&A sessions, via Zoom.

The course is held blocked, within 8 weeks, with 2 pre-recorded lectures a week. 

The course will start on March 4, 9am, with an introductory lecture summarizing general course information. The kick-off on March 4, 9am will be held live, via Zoom, at the following link: 

https://tuwien.zoom.us/j/92898893549?pwd=MFh2WmJXejBRZjlVcjJ2VFJyZUtJUT09

The first proper lecture is on March 9, 9:15-10:45, as a pre-recorded lecture.

The course grade will be based on four written homework assignments and a written exam.

Homework assignments count for 40% of the course grade.

The exam will take place as an open-book written online exam, by uploading scanned solutions on TUWEL. Students are required to identify themselves online, upon entering the online written exam. The online written exam will likely be monitored via Zoom and students are required to be online during the entire slot of the online exams (further details are available on the TUWEL page of the course).  

The final written exam will take place as an online written exam in June 2021. The following two exam slots are available:

• June 10, 2021, 9am-1pm
• June 17, 2021, 9am-1pm

Please register, via TISS, and participate in  only one of the above two slots. 

For slides and other material see the TUWEL course.