From Grounding to Skolemization: A Logic-Constrained Vector Symbolic Architecture for Complex Query Answering

Abstract: Complex Query Answering (CQA) over incomplete Knowledge Graphs (KGs), typically formalized as reasoning with Existential First-Order predicate logic with one free variable (EFO$_1$), faces a fundamental trade-off between logical soundness and computational efficiency. This work establishes the Grounding-Skolemization dichotomy for systematically analyzing CQA methods through the lens of formal logic. While Grounding-based methods inherently suffer from combinatorial explosion, most Skolemization-based methods neglect to explicitly model Skolem functions and compromise logical consistency. To address these limitations, we propose the Logic-constrained Vector Symbolic Architecture (LVSA), a neuro-symbolic framework that unifies a differentiable Skolemization module and a neural negator, as well as a logical constraint-driven optimization protocol to harmonize geometric and logical requirements. Theoretically, LVSA guarantees universality for all EFO$_1$ queries. Empirically, it outperforms state-of-the-art Skolemization-based methods and reduces inference costs by orders of magnitude compared to Grounding-based baselines.