A generalization of the integer linear infeasibility problem

Does a given system of linear equations with nonnegative constraints have an integer solution? This is a fundamental question in many areas. In statistics this problem arises in data security problems for contingency table data and also is closely related to non-squarefree elements of Markov bases for sampling contingency tables with given marginals. To study a family of systems with no integer solution, we focus on a commutative semigroup generated by a finite subset of $\Z^d$ and its saturation. An element in the difference of the semigroup and its saturation is called a ``hole''. We show the necessary and sufficient conditions for the finiteness of the set of holes. Also we define fundamental holes and saturation points of a commutative semigroup. Then, we show the simultaneous finiteness of the set of holes, the set of non-saturation points, and the set of generators for saturation points. We apply our results to some three- and four-way contingency tables. Then we will discuss the time complexities of our algorithms.Comment: This paper has been published in Discrete Optimization, Volume 5, Issue 1 (2008) p36-5

Bounds on generalized Frobenius numbers

Let $N \geq 2$ and let $1 < a_1 < ... < a_N$ be relatively prime integers. The Frobenius number of this $N$-tuple is defined to be the largest positive integer that has no representation as $\sum_{i=1}^N a_i x_i$ where $x_1,...,x_N$ are non-negative integers. More generally, the $s$-Frobenius number is defined to be the largest positive integer that has precisely $s$ distinct representations like this. We use techniques from the Geometry of Numbers to give upper and lower bounds on the $s$-Frobenius number for any nonnegative integer $s$.Comment: We include an appendix with an erratum and addendum to the published version of this paper: two inaccuracies in the statement of Theorem 2.2 are corrected and additional bounds on s-Frobenius numbers are derive

Parametric Polyhedra with at least kk Lattice Points: Their Semigroup Structure and the k-Frobenius Problem

Given an integral $d \times n$ matrix $A$, the well-studied affine semigroup \mbox{ Sg} (A)=\{ b : Ax=b, \ x \in {\mathbb Z}^n, x \geq 0\} can be stratified by the number of lattice points inside the parametric polyhedra $P_A(b)=\{x: Ax=b, x\geq0\}$. Such families of parametric polyhedra appear in many areas of combinatorics, convex geometry, algebra and number theory. The key themes of this paper are: (1) A structure theory that characterizes precisely the subset \mbox{ Sg}_{\geq k}(A) of all vectors b \in \mbox{ Sg}(A) such that $P_A(b) \cap {\mathbb Z}^n$ has at least $k$ solutions. We demonstrate that this set is finitely generated, it is a union of translated copies of a semigroup which can be computed explicitly via Hilbert bases computations. Related results can be derived for those right-hand-side vectors $b$ for which $P_A(b) \cap {\mathbb Z}^n$ has exactly $k$ solutions or fewer than $k$ solutions. (2) A computational complexity theory. We show that, when $n$, $k$ are fixed natural numbers, one can compute in polynomial time an encoding of \mbox{ Sg}_{\geq k}(A) as a multivariate generating function, using a short sum of rational functions. As a consequence, one can identify all right-hand-side vectors of bounded norm that have at least $k$ solutions. (3) Applications and computation for the $k$-Frobenius numbers. Using Generating functions we prove that for fixed $n,k$ the $k$-Frobenius number can be computed in polynomial time. This generalizes a well-known result for $k=1$ by R. Kannan. Using some adaptation of dynamic programming we show some practical computations of $k$-Frobenius numbers and their relatives