An on-line competitive algorithm for coloring bipartite graphs without long induced paths

The existence of an on-line competitive algorithm for coloring bipartite graphs remains a tantalizing open problem. So far there are only partial positive results for bipartite graphs with certain small forbidden graphs as induced subgraphs. We propose a new on-line competitive coloring algorithm for $P_9$-free bipartite graphs

Online Multi-Coloring with Advice

We consider the problem of online graph multi-coloring with advice. Multi-coloring is often used to model frequency allocation in cellular networks. We give several nearly tight upper and lower bounds for the most standard topologies of cellular networks, paths and hexagonal graphs. For the path, negative results trivially carry over to bipartite graphs, and our positive results are also valid for bipartite graphs. The advice given represents information that is likely to be available, studying for instance the data from earlier similar periods of time.Comment: IMADA-preprint-c

Locality in Online, Dynamic, Sequential, and Distributed Graph Algorithms

In this work, we give a unifying view of locality in four settings: distributed algorithms, sequential greedy algorithms, dynamic algorithms, and online algorithms. We introduce a new model of computing, called the online-LOCAL model: the adversary presents the nodes of the input graph one by one, in the same way as in classical online algorithms, but for each node we get to see its radius-T neighborhood before choosing the output. Instead of looking ahead in time, we have the power of looking around in space. We compare the online-LOCAL model with three other models: the LOCAL model of distributed computing, where each node produces its output based on its radius-T neighborhood, the SLOCAL model, which is the sequential counterpart of LOCAL, and the dynamic-LOCAL model, where changes in the dynamic input graph only influence the radius-T neighborhood of the point of change. The SLOCAL and dynamic-LOCAL models are sandwiched between the LOCAL and online-LOCAL models. In general, all four models are distinct, but we study in particular locally checkable labeling problems (LCLs), which is a family of graph problems extensively studied in the context of distributed graph algorithms. We prove that for LCL problems in paths, cycles, and rooted trees, all four models are roughly equivalent: the locality of any LCL problem falls in the same broad class - O(log* n), ?(log n), or n^?(1) - in all four models. In particular, this result enables one to generalize prior lower-bound results from the LOCAL model to all four models, and it also allows one to simulate e.g. dynamic-LOCAL algorithms efficiently in the LOCAL model. We also show that this equivalence does not hold in two-dimensional grids or general bipartite graphs. We provide an online-LOCAL algorithm with locality O(log n) for the 3-coloring problem in bipartite graphs - this is a problem with locality ?(n^{1/2}) in the LOCAL model and ?(n^{1/10}) in the SLOCAL model

Open problems on graph coloring for special graph classes.

For a given graph G and integer k, the Coloring problem is that of testing whether G has a k-coloring, that is, whether there exists a vertex mapping c:V→{1,2,…}c:V→{1,2,…} such that c(u)≠c(v)c(u)≠c(v) for every edge uv∈Euv∈E. We survey known results on the computational complexity of Coloring for graph classes that are hereditary or for which some graph parameter is bounded. We also consider coloring variants, such as precoloring extensions and list colorings and give some open problems in the area of on-line coloring

Digraph Coloring Games and Game-Perfectness

In this thesis the game chromatic number of a digraph is introduced as a game-theoretic variant of the dichromatic number. This notion generalizes the well-known game chromatic number of a graph. An extended model also takes into account relaxed colorings and asymmetric move sequences. Game-perfectness is defined as a game-theoretic variant of perfectness of a graph, and is generalized to digraphs. We examine upper and lower bounds for the game chromatic number of several classes of digraphs. In the last part of the thesis, we characterize game-perfect digraphs with small clique number, and prove general results concerning game-perfectness. Some results are verified with the help of a computer program that is discussed in the appendix

Designing Networks with Good Equilibria under Uncertainty

We consider the problem of designing network cost-sharing protocols with good equilibria under uncertainty. The underlying game is a multicast game in a rooted undirected graph with nonnegative edge costs. A set of k terminal vertices or players need to establish connectivity with the root. The social optimum is the Minimum Steiner Tree. We are interested in situations where the designer has incomplete information about the input. We propose two different models, the adversarial and the stochastic. In both models, the designer has prior knowledge of the underlying metric but the requested subset of the players is not known and is activated either in an adversarial manner (adversarial model) or is drawn from a known probability distribution (stochastic model). In the adversarial model, the designer's goal is to choose a single, universal protocol that has low Price of Anarchy (PoA) for all possible requested subsets of players. The main question we address is: to what extent can prior knowledge of the underlying metric help in the design? We first demonstrate that there exist graphs (outerplanar) where knowledge of the underlying metric can dramatically improve the performance of good network design. Then, in our main technical result, we show that there exist graph metrics, for which knowing the underlying metric does not help and any universal protocol has PoA of $\Omega(\log k)$, which is tight. We attack this problem by developing new techniques that employ powerful tools from extremal combinatorics, and more specifically Ramsey Theory in high dimensional hypercubes. Then we switch to the stochastic model, where each player is independently activated. We show that there exists a randomized ordered protocol that achieves constant PoA. By using standard derandomization techniques, we produce a deterministic ordered protocol with constant PoA.Comment: This version has additional results about stochastic inpu

Algorithmic Graph Theory

The main focus of this workshop was on mathematical techniques needed for the development of efficient solutions and algorithms for computationally difficult graph problems. The techniques studied at the workshhop included: the probabilistic method and randomized algorithms, approximation and optimization, structured families of graphs and approximation algorithms for large problems. The workshop Algorithmic Graph Theory was attended by 46 participants, many of them being young researchers. In 15 survey talks an overview of recent developments in Algorithmic Graph Theory was given. These talks were supplemented by 10 shorter talks and by two special sessions

Call Control in Rings

The call control problem is an important optimization problem encountered in the design and operation of communication networks. The goal of the call control problem in rings is to compute, for a given ring network with edge capacities and a set of paths in the ring, a maximum cardinality subset of the paths such that no edge capacity is violated. We give a polynomial-time algorithm to solve the problem optimally. The algorithm is based on a decision procedure that checks whether a solution with at least k paths exists, which is in turn implemented by an iterative greedy approach operating in rounds. We show that the algorithm can be implemented efficiently and, as a by-product, obtain a linear-time algorithm to solve the problem in chains optimally. For the weighted version of call control in rings, where each path is associated with a weight and the goal is to maximize the total weight of the paths in the solution, we present a simple 2-approximation algorithm and a polynomial-time approximation scheme. While the complexity of the weighted version remains open, we show that it is at least as hard as the bipartite exact matching problem, which has not been resolved to be in P or NP-hard. This latter result follows from recent work by Hochbaum and Levi