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Banbara-Soh Lab
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A lab that explores knowledge representation and reasoning through SAT and answer set programming.
AboutAbout the lab
Knowledge representation and reasoning, from basic theory to real-world application
The Banbara-Soh Lab conducts wide-ranging research in the field of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, from basic theory to real-world application.
The lab focuses in particular on general-purpose approaches to declarative problem solving, centering its research on answer set programming, SAT (satisfiability testing), and constraint programming.
Research subjects include university course timetables, string compression, and puzzles.
For high school and undergraduate students, the lab publishes an introduction to SAT and an article on creating nurse work schedules on the blog of Nagoya University's School of Informatics.
Key terms
- Answer set programming
- A method in which the conditions of a problem to be solved are written in logic and a solver finds the solutions. Abbreviated as ASP
- SAT
- Satisfiability testing: the problem, or the technology, of determining whether there is an assignment of values to variables that makes a logical formula true
- Combinatorial optimization
- The problem of finding a good solution that satisfies the given conditions among a huge number of combinations
NewsLab news
A solver developed by Associate Professor Soh won first place in the Main CSP Track of XCSP3 Competition 2026
A research presentation by students received a Special Session Award at DA Symposium 2025
A paper by Professor Banbara and colleagues received the 29th Research Paper Award of the Japan Society for Software Science and Technology
A student team received a Special Prize at the Algorithm Design Contest
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies problem solving with answer set programming, SAT, and constraint programming in the field of knowledge representation and reasoning. It takes up concrete problems such as university course timetables and string compression, and researches methods and solvers for solving them.
*Illustrative imageWeb Page on Common Multiple Shape Puzzles
The lab publishes a web page collecting common multiple shape puzzles, titled "Nagoya University's World of Polyominoes." Visitors can enjoy the various common multiple shapes that arise from polyominoes.
*Illustrative imageSearch Method for Optimizing Timetable Creation
The lab has proposed ALNPS, a search method for combinatorial optimization problems that combines systematic search with meta-strategies. It reports the results of applying it to the course timetabling problem.
*Illustrative imageSAT Solver for the Independent Set Reconfiguration Problem
The lab studies a solver that uses SAT technology to solve the independent set reconfiguration problem. Its distinguishing feature is the use of clique partitioning.
*Illustrative imageResearch on a String Compression Tool
The lab studies a string compression tool that uses answer set programming. This research is carried out in collaboration with researchers who study strings.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Banbara-Soh Lab consist of faculty members, secretaries, visitors, and master's and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorMutsunori Banbara
- Associate ProfessorTakehide Soh
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Samurai-sudoku” „Markus Weigel“ / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Web Page on Common Multiple Shape Puzzles: “Jigsaw puzzle in progress” Balise42 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Search Method for Optimizing Timetable Creation: “Teaching timetable, Triam Udom Suksa School” Paul_012 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- SAT Solver for the Independent Set Reconfiguration Problem: “Network Visualization” Martin Grandjean / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Research on a String Compression Tool: “Basilica Julia set with binary decomposition” Adam majewski / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (酒井研究室
（Sakai Lab.） ): “Education program at Faculty of Computer Science & Engineering 3” Иван Ж / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (西田研究室
（Nishida Lab.） ): “Skeleton programming code” Monky2020 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (結縁・中澤研究室
（SQLAB） ): “Coder screen shot” Wikideas1 / CC0 (cropped) - Related lab (ソフトウェア論講座 濱口 毅): “Software development methodologies” Marcel Douwe Dekker / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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