We show that the perfect matching function on n-vertex graphs requires monotone circuits of size 2nΩ(1). This improves on the nΩ(logn) lower bound of Razborov (1985). Our proof uses the standard approximation method together with a new sunflower lemma for matchings.

We exhibit an n-bit partial function with randomized communication complexity O(logn) but such that any completion of this function into a total one requires randomized communication complexity nΩ(1). In particular, this shows an exponential separation between randomized and pseudodeterministic communication protocols. Previously, Gavinsky (2025) showed an analogous separation in the weaker model of parity decision trees. We use lifting techniques to extend his proof idea to communication complexity.

Random Δ-CNF formulas are one of the few candidates that are expected to be hard for proof systems and SAT algotirhms. Assume we sample m clauses over n variables. Here, the main complexity parameter is clause density, χ := m/n. For a fixed Δ, there exists a satisfiability threshold c_Δ such that for χ > c_Δ a formula is unsatisfiable with high probability. and for χ < c_Δ it is satisfiable with high probability. Near satisfiability threshold, there are various lower bounds for algorithms and proof systems [Eli Ben-Sasson, 2001; Eli Ben-Sasson and Russell Impagliazzo, 1999; Michael Alekhnovich and Alexander A. Razborov, 2003; Dima Grigoriev, 2001; Grant Schoenebeck, 2008; Pavel Hrubes and Pavel Pudlák, 2017; Noah Fleming et al., 2017; Dmitry Sokolov, 2024], and for high-density regimes, there exist upper bounds [Uriel Feige et al., 2006; Sebastian Müller and Iddo Tzameret, 2014; Jackson Abascal et al., 2021; Venkatesan Guruswami et al., 2022]. One of the frontiers in the direction of proving lower bounds on these formulas is the k-DNF Resolution proof system (aka Res(k)). There are several known results for k = 𝒪(√{log n}/{log log n}}) [Nathan Segerlind et al., 2004; Michael Alekhnovich, 2011], that are applicable only for density regime near the threshold. In this paper, we show the first Res(k) lower bound that is applicable in higher-density regimes. Our results work for slightly larger k = 𝒪(√{log n}).

We present a top-down lower-bound method for depth-4 boolean circuits. In particular, we give a new proof of the well-known result that the parity function requires depth-4 circuits of size exponential in $n^{1 / 3}$. Our proof is an application of robust sunflowers and block unpredictability.

Restricted branching programs capture various complexity measures like space in Turing machines or length of proofs in proof systems. In this paper, we focus on the application in the proof complexity that was discovered by Lovasz et al. [László Lovász et al., 1995] who showed the equivalence between regular Resolution and read-once branching programs for "unsatisfied clause search problem" (Search_φ). This connection is widely used, in particular, in the recent breakthrough result about the Clique problem in regular Resolution by Atserias et al. [Albert Atserias et al., 2018]. We study the branching programs with bounded repetitions, so-called (1,+k)-BPs (Sieling [Detlef Sieling, 1996]) in application to the Search_φ problem. On the one hand, it is a natural generalization of read-once branching programs. On the other hand, this model gives a powerful proof system that can efficiently certify the unsatisfiability of a wide class of formulas that is hard for Resolution (Knop [Alexander Knop, 2017]). We deal with Search_φ that is "relatively easy" compared to all known hard examples for the (1,+k)-BPs. We introduce the first technique for proving exponential lower bounds for the (1,+k)-BPs on Search_φ. To do it we combine a well-known technique for proving lower bounds on the size of branching programs [Detlef Sieling, 1996; Detlef Sieling and Ingo Wegener, 1994; Stasys Jukna and Alexander A. Razborov, 1998] with the modification of the "closure" technique [Michael Alekhnovich et al., 2004; Michael Alekhnovich and Alexander A. Razborov, 2003]. In contrast with most Resolution lower bounds, our technique uses not only "local" properties of the formula, but also a "global" structure. Our hard examples are based on the Flow formulas introduced in [Michael Alekhnovich and Alexander A. Razborov, 2003].

We prove that there is a constant K such that Tseitin formulas for an undirected graph G requires proofs of size 2^{tw(G)^{Omega(1/d)}} in depth-d Frege systems for d<(K log n)/(log log n), where tw(G) is the treewidth of G. This extends Håstad recent lower bound for the grid graph to any graph. Furthermore, we prove tightness of our bound up to a multiplicative constant in the top exponent. Namely, we show that if a Tseitin formula for a graph G has size s, then for all large enough d, it has a depth-d Frege proof of size 2^{tw(G)^{O(1/d)}} poly(s). Through this result we settle the question posed by M. Alekhnovich and A. Razborov of showing that the class of Tseitin formulas is quasi-automatizable for resolution.