Optimality of Linear Sketching Under Modular Updates

We study the relation between streaming algorithms and linear sketching algorithms, in the context of binary updates. We show that for inputs in n dimensions, the existence of efficient streaming algorithms which can process Omega(n^2) updates implies efficient linear sketching algorithms with comparable cost. This improves upon the previous work of Li, Nguyen and Woodruff [Yi Li et al., 2014] and Ai, Hu, Li and Woodruff [Yuqing Ai et al., 2016] which required a triple-exponential number of updates to achieve a similar result for updates over integers. We extend our results to updates modulo p for integers p >= 2, and to approximation instead of exact computation

On Closest Pair in Euclidean Metric: Monochromatic is as Hard as Bichromatic

Given a set of n points in R^d, the (monochromatic) Closest Pair problem asks to find a pair of distinct points in the set that are closest in the l_p-metric. Closest Pair is a fundamental problem in Computational Geometry and understanding its fine-grained complexity in the Euclidean metric when d=omega(log n) was raised as an open question in recent works (Abboud-Rubinstein-Williams [FOCS\u2717], Williams [SODA\u2718], David-Karthik-Laekhanukit [SoCG\u2718]). In this paper, we show that for every p in R_{>= 1} cup {0}, under the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis (SETH), for every epsilon>0, the following holds: - No algorithm running in time O(n^{2-epsilon}) can solve the Closest Pair problem in d=(log n)^{Omega_{epsilon}(1)} dimensions in the l_p-metric. - There exists delta = delta(epsilon)>0 and c = c(epsilon)>= 1 such that no algorithm running in time O(n^{1.5-epsilon}) can approximate Closest Pair problem to a factor of (1+delta) in d >= c log n dimensions in the l_p-metric. In particular, our first result is shown by establishing the computational equivalence of the bichromatic Closest Pair problem and the (monochromatic) Closest Pair problem (up to n^{epsilon} factor in the running time) for d=(log n)^{Omega_epsilon(1)} dimensions. Additionally, under SETH, we rule out nearly-polynomial factor approximation algorithms running in subquadratic time for the (monochromatic) Maximum Inner Product problem where we are given a set of n points in n^{o(1)}-dimensional Euclidean space and are required to find a pair of distinct points in the set that maximize the inner product. At the heart of all our proofs is the construction of a dense bipartite graph with low contact dimension, i.e., we construct a balanced bipartite graph on n vertices with n^{2-epsilon} edges whose vertices can be realized as points in a (log n)^{Omega_epsilon(1)}-dimensional Euclidean space such that every pair of vertices which have an edge in the graph are at distance exactly 1 and every other pair of vertices are at distance greater than 1. This graph construction is inspired by the construction of locally dense codes introduced by Dumer-Miccancio-Sudan [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory\u2703]

Non-Malleable Codes for Small-Depth Circuits

We construct efficient, unconditional non-malleable codes that are secure against tampering functions computed by small-depth circuits. For constant-depth circuits of polynomial size (i.e. $\mathsf{AC^0}$ tampering functions), our codes have codeword length $n = k^{1+o(1)}$ for a $k$-bit message. This is an exponential improvement of the previous best construction due to Chattopadhyay and Li (STOC 2017), which had codeword length $2^{O(\sqrt{k})}$. Our construction remains efficient for circuit depths as large as $\Theta(\log(n)/\log\log(n))$ (indeed, our codeword length remains $n\leq k^{1+\epsilon})$, and extending our result beyond this would require separating $\mathsf{P}$ from $\mathsf{NC^1}$. We obtain our codes via a new efficient non-malleable reduction from small-depth tampering to split-state tampering. A novel aspect of our work is the incorporation of techniques from unconditional derandomization into the framework of non-malleable reductions. In particular, a key ingredient in our analysis is a recent pseudorandom switching lemma of Trevisan and Xue (CCC 2013), a derandomization of the influential switching lemma from circuit complexity; the randomness-efficiency of this switching lemma translates into the rate-efficiency of our codes via our non-malleable reduction.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figure

AC^0[p] Lower Bounds Against MCSP via the Coin Problem

Minimum Circuit Size Problem (MCSP) asks to decide if a given truth table of an n-variate boolean function has circuit complexity less than a given parameter s. We prove that MCSP is hard for constant-depth circuits with mod p gates, for any prime p >= 2 (the circuit class AC^0[p]). Namely, we show that MCSP requires d-depth AC^0[p] circuits of size at least exp(N^{0.49/d}), where N=2^n is the size of an input truth table of an n-variate boolean function. Our circuit lower bound proof shows that MCSP can solve the coin problem: distinguish uniformly random N-bit strings from those generated using independent samples from a biased random coin which is 1 with probability 1/2+N^{-0.49}, and 0 otherwise. Solving the coin problem with such parameters is known to require exponentially large AC^0[p] circuits. Moreover, this also implies that MAJORITY is computable by a non-uniform AC^0 circuit of polynomial size that also has MCSP-oracle gates. The latter has a few other consequences for the complexity of MCSP, e.g., we get that any boolean function in NC^1 (i.e., computable by a polynomial-size formula) can also be computed by a non-uniform polynomial-size AC^0 circuit with MCSP-oracle gates

Classical Algorithms from Quantum and Arthur-Merlin Communication Protocols

In recent years, the polynomial method from circuit complexity has been applied to several fundamental problems and obtains the state-of-the-art running times (e.g., R. Williams\u27s n^3 / 2^{Omega(sqrt{log n})} time algorithm for APSP). As observed in [Alman and Williams, STOC 2017], almost all applications of the polynomial method in algorithm design ultimately rely on certain (probabilistic) low-rank decompositions of the computation matrices corresponding to key subroutines. They suggest that making use of low-rank decompositions directly could lead to more powerful algorithms, as the polynomial method is just one way to derive such a decomposition. Inspired by their observation, in this paper, we study another way of systematically constructing low-rank decompositions of matrices which could be used by algorithms - communication protocols. Since their introduction, it is known that various types of communication protocols lead to certain low-rank decompositions (e.g., P protocols/rank, BQP protocols/approximate rank). These are usually interpreted as approaches for proving communication lower bounds, while in this work we explore the other direction. We have the following two generic algorithmic applications of communication protocols: - Quantum Communication Protocols and Deterministic Approximate Counting. Our first connection is that a fast BQP communication protocol for a function f implies a fast deterministic additive approximate counting algorithm for a related pair counting problem. Applying known BQP communication protocols, we get fast deterministic additive approximate counting algorithms for Count-OV (#OV), Sparse Count-OV and Formula of SYM circuits. In particular, our approximate counting algorithm for #OV runs in near-linear time for all dimensions d = o(log^2 n). Previously, even no truly-subquadratic time algorithm was known for d = omega(log n). - Arthur-Merlin Communication Protocols and Faster Satisfying-Pair Algorithms. Our second connection is that a fast AM^{cc} protocol for a function f implies a faster-than-bruteforce algorithm for f-Satisfying-Pair. Using the classical Goldwasser-Sisper AM protocols for approximating set size, we obtain a new algorithm for approximate Max-IP_{n,c log n} in time n^{2 - 1/O(log c)}, matching the state-of-the-art algorithms in [Chen, CCC 2018]. We also apply our second connection to shed some light on long-standing open problems in communication complexity. We show that if the Longest Common Subsequence (LCS) problem admits a fast (computationally efficient) AM^{cc} protocol (polylog(n) complexity), then polynomial-size Formula-SAT admits a 2^{n - n^{1-delta}} time algorithm for any constant delta > 0, which is conjectured to be unlikely by a recent work [Abboud and Bringmann, ICALP 2018]. The same holds even for a fast (computationally efficient) PH^{cc} protocol

Hardness of Sparse Sets and Minimal Circuit Size Problem

We develop a polynomial method on finite fields to amplify the hardness of spare sets in nondeterministic time complexity classes on a randomized streaming model. One of our results shows that if there exists a $2^{n^{o(1)}}$-sparse set in $NTIME(2^{n^{o(1)}})$ that does not have any randomized streaming algorithm with $n^{o(1)}$ updating time, and $n^{o(1)}$ space, then $NEXP\not=BPP$, where a $f(n)$-sparse set is a language that has at most $f(n)$ strings of length $n$. We also show that if MCSP is $ZPP$-hard under polynomial time truth-table reductions, then $EXP\not=ZPP$

Querying a Matrix Through Matrix-Vector Products

We consider algorithms with access to an unknown matrix M in F^{n x d} via matrix-vector products, namely, the algorithm chooses vectors v^1, ..., v^q, and observes Mv^1, ..., Mv^q. Here the v^i can be randomized as well as chosen adaptively as a function of Mv^1, ..., Mv^{i-1}. Motivated by applications of sketching in distributed computation, linear algebra, and streaming models, as well as connections to areas such as communication complexity and property testing, we initiate the study of the number q of queries needed to solve various fundamental problems. We study problems in three broad categories, including linear algebra, statistics problems, and graph problems. For example, we consider the number of queries required to approximate the rank, trace, maximum eigenvalue, and norms of a matrix M; to compute the AND/OR/Parity of each column or row of M, to decide whether there are identical columns or rows in M or whether M is symmetric, diagonal, or unitary; or to compute whether a graph defined by M is connected or triangle-free. We also show separations for algorithms that are allowed to obtain matrix-vector products only by querying vectors on the right, versus algorithms that can query vectors on both the left and the right. We also show separations depending on the underlying field the matrix-vector product occurs in. For graph problems, we show separations depending on the form of the matrix (bipartite adjacency versus signed edge-vertex incidence matrix) to represent the graph. Surprisingly, this fundamental model does not appear to have been studied on its own, and we believe a thorough investigation of problems in this model would be beneficial to a number of different application areas