1,872 research outputs found
Simpler, faster and shorter labels for distances in graphs
We consider how to assign labels to any undirected graph with n nodes such
that, given the labels of two nodes and no other information regarding the
graph, it is possible to determine the distance between the two nodes. The
challenge in such a distance labeling scheme is primarily to minimize the
maximum label lenght and secondarily to minimize the time needed to answer
distance queries (decoding). Previous schemes have offered different trade-offs
between label lengths and query time. This paper presents a simple algorithm
with shorter labels and shorter query time than any previous solution, thereby
improving the state-of-the-art with respect to both label length and query time
in one single algorithm. Our solution addresses several open problems
concerning label length and decoding time and is the first improvement of label
length for more than three decades.
More specifically, we present a distance labeling scheme with label size (log
3)/2 + o(n) (logarithms are in base 2) and O(1) decoding time. This outperforms
all existing results with respect to both size and decoding time, including
Winkler's (Combinatorica 1983) decade-old result, which uses labels of size
(log 3)n and O(n/log n) decoding time, and Gavoille et al. (SODA'01), which
uses labels of size 11n + o(n) and O(loglog n) decoding time. In addition, our
algorithm is simpler than the previous ones. In the case of integral edge
weights of size at most W, we present almost matching upper and lower bounds
for label sizes. For r-additive approximation schemes, where distances can be
off by an additive constant r, we give both upper and lower bounds. In
particular, we present an upper bound for 1-additive approximation schemes
which, in the unweighted case, has the same size (ignoring second order terms)
as an adjacency scheme: n/2. We also give results for bipartite graphs and for
exact and 1-additive distance oracles
Approximating the Held-Karp Bound for Metric TSP in Nearly Linear Time
We give a nearly linear time randomized approximation scheme for the
Held-Karp bound [Held and Karp, 1970] for metric TSP. Formally, given an
undirected edge-weighted graph on edges and , the
algorithm outputs in time, with high probability, a
-approximation to the Held-Karp bound on the metric TSP instance
induced by the shortest path metric on . The algorithm can also be used to
output a corresponding solution to the Subtour Elimination LP. We substantially
improve upon the running time achieved previously
by Garg and Khandekar. The LP solution can be used to obtain a fast randomized
-approximation for metric TSP which improves
upon the running time of previous implementations of Christofides' algorithm
Stronger Lagrangian bounds by use of slack variables: applications to machine scheduling problems
Lagrangian relaxation is a powerful bounding technique that has been applied successfully to manyNP-hard combinatorial optimization problems. The basic idea is to see anNP-hard problem as an easy-to-solve problem complicated by a number of nasty side constraints. We show that reformulating nasty inequality constraints as equalities by using slack variables leads to stronger lower bounds. The trick is widely applicable, but we focus on a broad class of machine scheduling problems for which it is particularly useful. We provide promising computational results for three problems belonging to this class for which Lagrangian bounds have appeared in the literature: the single-machine problem of minimizing total weighted completion time subject to precedence constraints, the two-machine flow-shop problem of minimizing total completion time, and the single-machine problem of minimizing total weighted tardiness
Clustering with diversity
We consider the {\em clustering with diversity} problem: given a set of
colored points in a metric space, partition them into clusters such that each
cluster has at least points, all of which have distinct colors.
We give a 2-approximation to this problem for any when the objective
is to minimize the maximum radius of any cluster. We show that the
approximation ratio is optimal unless , by providing a matching
lower bound. Several extensions to our algorithm have also been developed for
handling outliers. This problem is mainly motivated by applications in
privacy-preserving data publication.Comment: Extended abstract accepted in ICALP 2010. Keywords: Approximation
algorithm, k-center, k-anonymity, l-diversit
Labeled Traveling Salesman Problems: Complexity and approximation
We consider labeled Traveling Salesman Problems, defined upon a complete graph of n vertices with colored edges. The objective is to find a tour of maximum or minimum number of colors. We derive results regarding hardness of approximation and analyze approximation algorithms, for both versions of the problem. For the maximization version we give a -approximation algorithm based on local improvements and show that the problem is APX-hard. For the minimization version, we show that it is not approximable within for any fixed . When every color appears in the graph at most times and is an increasing function of , the problem is shown not to be approximable within factor . For fixed constant we analyze a polynomial-time approximation algorithm, where is the -th harmonic number, and prove APX-hardness for . For all of the analyzed algorithms we exhibit tightness of their analysis by provision of appropriate worst-case instances
Algorithms for the on-line travelling salesman
In this paper the problem of efficiently serving a sequence of requests presented in an on-line fashion located at points of a metric space is considered. We call this problem the On-Line Travelling Salesman Problem (OLTSP). It has a variety of relevant applications in logistics and robotics. We consider two versions of the problem. In the first one the server is not required to return to the departure point after all presented requests have been served. For this problem we derive a lower bound on the competitive ratio of 2 on the real line. Besides, a 2.5-competitive algorithm for a wide class of metric spaces, and a 7/3-competitive algorithm for the real line are provided. For the other version of the problem, in which returning to the departure point is required, we present an optimal 2-competitive algorithm for the above mentioned general class of metric spaces. If in this case the metric space is the real line we present a 1.75-competitive algorithm that compares with a \approx 1.64 lower bound
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