Hardness of Parameterized Resolution

Abstract

Parameterized Resolution and, moreover, a general framework for parameterized proof complexity was introduced by Dantchev, Martin, and Szeider (FOCS'07). In that paper, Dantchev et al. show a complexity gap in tree-like Parameterized Resolution for propositional formulas arising from translations of first-order principles.
We broadly investigate Parameterized Resolution obtaining the following main results:

1) We introduce a purely combinatorial approach to obtain lower bounds to the proof size in tree-like Parameterized Resolution. For this we devise a new asymmetric Prover-Delayer game which characterizes proofs in (parameterized) tree-like Resolution. 
By exhibiting good Delayer strategies we then show lower bounds for the pigeonhole principle as well as the order principle.

2) Interpreting a well-known FPT algorithm for vertex cover as a DPLL procedure for Parameterized Resolution, we devise a proof search algorithm for Parameterized Resolution and show that tree-like Parameterized Resolution allows short refutations of all parameterized contradictions given as bounded-width CNF's.

3) We answer a question posed by Dantchev, Martin, and Szeider showing that dag-like Parameterized Resolution is not fpt-bounded. We obtain this result by proving  that the pigeonhole principle requires proofs of size $n^{Omega(k)}$ in dag-like Parameterized Resolution. 
For this lower bound we use a different Prover-Delayer game which was developed for Resolution by Pudlák.