Towards multi-clause automated deduction and theorem generation: Constructing and applying standard contradictions

  • Yang Xu
  • , Shuwei Chen
  • , Xiaomei Zhong
  • , J. Liu
  • , Xingxing He

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Trustworthy AI requires reasoning systems that are both powerful and transparent. Automated Reasoning (AR) is central to formal reasoning, yet classical binary resolution is limited: each step handles only two clauses and removes at most two literals. To move beyond this bottleneck, the concepts of standard contradiction and contradiction-separation-based deduction were introduced in 2018. This paper extends that framework by systematically constructing and applying standard contradictions for multi-clause deduction and automated theorem generation. We focus on two key forms—the maximum triangular and triangular-type standard contradictions—and present methods for building them. Using these structures, we develop a procedure to test the satisfiability of clause sets and derive formulas to count the sub-contradictions they contain. These results establish a foundation for dynamic multi-clause automated deduction and theorem generation, expanding the expressive and deductive reach of reasoning systems beyond the classical binary paradigm.
Original languageEnglish
Article number114985
Pages (from-to)1-17
Number of pages17
JournalKnowledge-Based Systems
Volume334
Early online date7 Dec 2025
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 15 Feb 2026

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier B.V.

Funding

The present work is partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 62366017, 61673320, 61976130).

FundersFunder number
National Natural Science Foundation of China61976130, 62366017, 61673320

    UN SDGs

    This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

    1. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
      SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

    Keywords

    • Contradiction
    • Standard contradiction
    • Triangular standard contradiction
    • Automated reasoning
    • Automated theorem generation

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