1,147 research outputs found
Global Cardinality Constraints Make Approximating Some Max-2-CSPs Harder
Assuming the Unique Games Conjecture, we show that existing approximation algorithms for some Boolean Max-2-CSPs with cardinality constraints are optimal. In particular, we prove that Max-Cut with cardinality constraints is UG-hard to approximate within ~~0.858, and that Max-2-Sat with cardinality constraints is UG-hard to approximate within ~~0.929. In both cases, the previous best hardness results were the same as the hardness of the corresponding unconstrained Max-2-CSP (~~0.878 for Max-Cut, and ~~0.940 for Max-2-Sat).
The hardness for Max-2-Sat applies to monotone Max-2-Sat instances, meaning that we also obtain tight inapproximability for the Max-k-Vertex-Cover problem
Rainbow Coloring Hardness via Low Sensitivity Polymorphisms
A k-uniform hypergraph is said to be r-rainbow colorable if there is an r-coloring of its vertices such that every hyperedge intersects all r color classes. Given as input such a hypergraph, finding a r-rainbow coloring of it is NP-hard for all k >= 3 and r >= 2. Therefore, one settles for finding a rainbow coloring with fewer colors (which is an easier task). When r=k (the maximum possible value), i.e., the hypergraph is k-partite, one can efficiently 2-rainbow color the hypergraph, i.e., 2-color its vertices so that there are no monochromatic edges. In this work we consider the next smaller value of r=k-1, and prove that in this case it is NP-hard to rainbow color the hypergraph with q := ceil[(k-2)/2] colors. In particular, for k <=6, it is NP-hard to 2-color (k-1)-rainbow colorable k-uniform hypergraphs.
Our proof follows the algebraic approach to promise constraint satisfaction problems. It proceeds by characterizing the polymorphisms associated with the approximate rainbow coloring problem, which are rainbow colorings of some product hypergraphs on vertex set [r]^n. We prove that any such polymorphism f: [r]^n -> [q] must be C-fixing, i.e., there is a small subset S of C coordinates and a setting a in [q]^S such that fixing x_{|S} = a determines the value of f(x). The key step in our proof is bounding the sensitivity of certain rainbow colorings, thereby arguing that they must be juntas. Armed with the C-fixing characterization, our NP-hardness is obtained via a reduction from smooth Label Cover
Robustly Solvable Constraint Satisfaction Problems
An algorithm for a constraint satisfaction problem is called robust if it
outputs an assignment satisfying at least -fraction of the
constraints given a -satisfiable instance, where
as . Guruswami and
Zhou conjectured a characterization of constraint languages for which the
corresponding constraint satisfaction problem admits an efficient robust
algorithm. This paper confirms their conjecture
Constraint satisfaction parameterized by solution size
In the constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) corresponding to a constraint
language (i.e., a set of relations) , the goal is to find an assignment
of values to variables so that a given set of constraints specified by
relations from is satisfied. The complexity of this problem has
received substantial amount of attention in the past decade. In this paper we
study the fixed-parameter tractability of constraint satisfaction problems
parameterized by the size of the solution in the following sense: one of the
possible values, say 0, is "free," and the number of variables allowed to take
other, "expensive," values is restricted. A size constraint requires that
exactly variables take nonzero values. We also study a more refined version
of this restriction: a global cardinality constraint prescribes how many
variables have to be assigned each particular value. We study the parameterized
complexity of these types of CSPs where the parameter is the required number
of nonzero variables. As special cases, we can obtain natural and
well-studied parameterized problems such as Independent Set, Vertex Cover,
d-Hitting Set, Biclique, etc.
In the case of constraint languages closed under substitution of constants,
we give a complete characterization of the fixed-parameter tractable cases of
CSPs with size constraints, and we show that all the remaining problems are
W[1]-hard. For CSPs with cardinality constraints, we obtain a similar
classification, but for some of the problems we are only able to show that they
are Biclique-hard. The exact parameterized complexity of the Biclique problem
is a notorious open problem, although it is believed to be W[1]-hard.Comment: To appear in SICOMP. Conference version in ICALP 201
On the NP-Hardness of Approximating Ordering Constraint Satisfaction Problems
We show improved NP-hardness of approximating Ordering Constraint
Satisfaction Problems (OCSPs). For the two most well-studied OCSPs, Maximum
Acyclic Subgraph and Maximum Betweenness, we prove inapproximability of
and .
An OCSP is said to be approximation resistant if it is hard to approximate
better than taking a uniformly random ordering. We prove that the Maximum
Non-Betweenness Problem is approximation resistant and that there are width-
approximation-resistant OCSPs accepting only a fraction of
assignments. These results provide the first examples of
approximation-resistant OCSPs subject only to P \NP
The wonderland of reflections
A fundamental fact for the algebraic theory of constraint satisfaction
problems (CSPs) over a fixed template is that pp-interpretations between at
most countable \omega-categorical relational structures have two algebraic
counterparts for their polymorphism clones: a semantic one via the standard
algebraic operators H, S, P, and a syntactic one via clone homomorphisms
(capturing identities). We provide a similar characterization which
incorporates all relational constructions relevant for CSPs, that is,
homomorphic equivalence and adding singletons to cores in addition to
pp-interpretations. For the semantic part we introduce a new construction,
called reflection, and for the syntactic part we find an appropriate weakening
of clone homomorphisms, called h1 clone homomorphisms (capturing identities of
height 1).
As a consequence, the complexity of the CSP of an at most countable
-categorical structure depends only on the identities of height 1
satisfied in its polymorphism clone as well as the the natural uniformity
thereon. This allows us in turn to formulate a new elegant dichotomy conjecture
for the CSPs of reducts of finitely bounded homogeneous structures.
Finally, we reveal a close connection between h1 clone homomorphisms and the
notion of compatibility with projections used in the study of the lattice of
interpretability types of varieties.Comment: 24 page
A Characterization of Approximation Resistance for Even -Partite CSPs
A constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) is said to be \emph{approximation
resistant} if it is hard to approximate better than the trivial algorithm which
picks a uniformly random assignment. Assuming the Unique Games Conjecture, we
give a characterization of approximation resistance for -partite CSPs
defined by an even predicate
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