Searching for feasible stationary states in reaction networks by solving a Boolean constraint satisfaction problem

We analyze the solutions, on single network instances, of a recently introduced class of constraint-satisfaction problems (CSPs), describing feasible steady states of chemical reaction networks. First, we show that the CSPs generalize the scheme known as network expansion, which is recovered in a specific limit. Next, a full statistical mechanics characterization (including the phase diagram and a discussion of the physical origin of the phase transitions) for network expansion is obtained. Finally, we provide a message-passing algorithm to solve the original CSPs in the most general form. © 2014 American Physical Society.