The 3-Decomposition Conjecture: A SAT-Based Approach with Specialized Propagators

Abstract

We investigate the 3-decomposition conjecture, which states that every connected cubic graph can be decomposed into a spanning tree, a collection of cycles, and a matching. Using a SAT-based approach enhanced with specialized propagators, we verify the conjecture for all relevant graphs up to 28 vertices. Our method extends the Satisfiability Modulo Symmetries (SMS) framework with specialized propagators that exploit theoretical properties of minimal counterexamples (counterexamples with the minimal number of vertices), enabling efficient pruning. We demonstrate that graphs containing certain substructures cannot be minimal counterexamples to the conjecture, allowing us to exclude these patterns during the search dynamically. Our experimental results quantify the impact of different propagator configurations and forbidden subgraph constraints on solving efficiency, showing significant performance improvements when leveraging these techniques. The approach scales effectively to graphs of 28 vertices. Our work illustrates how combining SAT solving with specialized constraint propagation techniques can successfully address challenging combinatorial problems in contemporary graph theory.