SMT-based Constraint Answer Set Solver EZSMT (System Description)

Constraint answer set programming is a promising research direction that integrates answer set programming with constraint processing. Recently, the formal link between this research area and satisfiability modulo theories (or SMT) was established. This link allows the cross-fertilization between traditionally different solving technologies. The paper presents the system EZSMT, one of the first SMT-based solvers for constraint answer set programming. It also presents the comparative analysis of the performance of EZSMT in relation to its peers including solvers EZCSP and CLINGCON that rely on the hybrid solving approach based on the combination of answer set solvers and constraint solvers. Experimental results demonstrate that SMT is a viable technology for constraint answer set programming