boolean satisfiability problem (SAT)
The Boolean Satisfiability Problem (SAT) is a fundamental problem in computer science and mathematical logic. It involves determining whether there exists an assignment of truth values (true or false) to a set of variables that makes a given Boolean formula true. SAT is important because it serves as a benchmark for various computational problems and is the first problem proven to be NP-complete.
SAT can be expressed in different forms, such as conjunctive normal form (CNF), where a formula is a conjunction of clauses, and each clause is a disjunction of literals. The significance of SAT lies in its applications in fields like artificial intelligence, verification, and optimization, where solving complex problems often reduces to finding a satisfying assignment for a Boolean formula.