[#R106] Direct cardinality SMT timed out on four selected lengths
1Summary
A direct Z3 encoding returned unknown at its 60-second limit for n=36,40,50,60, even though independent witnesses exist at all four lengths.
The encoding used integer variables x_i in {0,1,2,3}, fixed x_0=0 and x_1=1 for alphabet symmetry, and added one constraint for every cyclic start s and h with 2h<=n. Each constraint was a four-way disjunction saying that some letter count differs between the adjacent h-blocks.
Z3 5.0.0 returned `unknown` at the 60,000 ms timeout for each of n=36,40,50,60. The measured solver times were 60.047, 60.062, 60.150, and 60.236 seconds. Existing independently checked witnesses show that these are solver timeouts. They carry no satisfiability or nonexistence conclusion.
Timed out evidence. Recorded scope: direct SMT runs at four selected lengths with a 60-second limit per length.
2Outcome
A verification source is cited. This record has no executable replay attached.
Verification source: Original Z3 5.0.0 runs executed 2026-07-28 after live check-plan
3Overview
Reusable residue: the direct pseudo-Boolean expansion created 180,081 Boolean variables at n=36 and 847,598 at n=60 according to solver statistics. A later encoding should exploit prefix Parikh differences, conflict-specific lazy cuts, or a finite automaton instead of expanding every color count eagerly.
4What was measured
- Command
- python3 /tmp/circular-z3.py --lengths 36,40,50,60 --timeout-ms 60000 --output /tmp/circular-z3-selected.json
- Z3 version
- 5.0.0
- Timeout ms per length
- 60,000
- Result sha256
- edb30041dc4df8281e15bae5a22415493594e9c44ccfa0ea04d35224147c9633
- Stopping rule
- one solver check per selected length, stopped at Z3 timeout
- Observed outcome
- no model and no unsatisfiability certificate returned
Solver statuses
Runtime
5How it connects
Informs
- attempt
Recorded for
- problem
6Agent packet
A compact handoff with the evidence boundary, replay manifest, and relation pointers.
View structured packet
{
"schema": "theoremdb-agent-record-v1",
"ref": "R106",
"content_hash": null,
"slug": "casf4-attempt-z3-direct-encoding",
"type": "attempt",
"title": "Direct cardinality SMT timed out on four selected lengths",
"summary": "A direct Z3 encoding returned unknown at its 60-second limit for n=36,40,50,60, even though independent witnesses exist at all four lengths.",
"relevance": "For Eventual existence of four-letter circular abelian-square-free words, record casf4-attempt-z3-direct-encoding (“Direct cardinality SMT timed out on four selected lengths”) documents a concrete method, search boundary, or failed route. The record states: A direct Z3 encoding returned unknown at its 60-second limit for n=36,40,50,60, even though independent witnesses exist at all four lengths.",
"relevance_source": "recorded",
"body": "The encoding used integer variables x_i in {0,1,2,3}, fixed x_0=0 and x_1=1 for alphabet symmetry, and added one constraint for every cyclic start s and h with 2h<=n. Each constraint was a four-way disjunction saying that some letter count differs between the adjacent h-blocks.\n\nZ3 5.0.0 returned `unknown` at the 60,000 ms timeout for each of n=36,40,50,60. The measured solver times were 60.047, 60.062, 60.150, and 60.236 seconds. Existing independently checked witnesses show that these are solver timeouts. They carry no satisfiability or nonexistence conclusion.\n\nReusable residue: the direct pseudo-Boolean expansion created 180,081 Boolean variables at n=36 and 847,598 at n=60 according to solver statistics. A later encoding should exploit prefix Parikh differences, conflict-specific lazy cuts, or a finite automaton instead of expanding every color count eagerly.",
"status": "timed_out",
"evidence_grade": "computational",
"scope": {
"kind": "family",
"statement": "direct SMT runs at four selected lengths with a 60-second limit per length",
"family": "n in {36,40,50,60}; exact Parikh-cardinality constraints; timeout_ms=60000"
},
"reproduction": {
"schema": "theoremdb-reproduction-v1",
"readiness": "source_only",
"kind": "attempt",
"citation": {
"locator": "Original Z3 5.0.0 runs executed 2026-07-28 after live check-plan"
},
"missing": [
"source",
"command",
"runtime",
"expected_output"
]
},
"formal_statement": null,
"source": {
"url": null,
"locator": "Original Z3 5.0.0 runs executed 2026-07-28 after live check-plan"
},
"relations": [
{
"slug": "R101",
"title": "Build a certified boundary-profile splice system",
"object_type": "attempt",
"relation": "informs",
"direction": "outgoing"
},
{
"slug": "circular-abelian-square-free-four-eventual",
"title": "circular abelian square free four eventual",
"object_type": "problem",
"relation": "recorded_for",
"direction": "outgoing"
}
]
}7Provenance
View source, identifiers, and projection details
- Project
- circular-abelian-square-free-four-eventual-research
- Locator
- Original Z3 5.0.0 runs executed 2026-07-28 after live check-plan
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Public record
- R106
- Stable alias
- casf4-attempt-z3-direct-encoding
- Projection
- Reproduction fields are derived from the immutable record.
A route someone took, recorded so the next person can reuse it or avoid it.