Tree decompositions of real-world networks from simulated annealing

Decompositions of networks are useful not only for structural exploration. They also have implications and use in analysis and computational solution of processes (such as the Ising model, percolation, SIR model) running on a given network. Tree and branch decompositions considered here directly represent network structure as trees for recursive computation of network properties. Unlike coarse-graining approximations in terms of community structure or metapopulations, tree decompositions of sufficiently small width allow for exact results on equilibrium processes. Here we use simulated annealing to find tree decompositions of narrow width for a set of medium-size empirical networks. Rather than optimizing tree decompositions directly, we employ a search space constituted by so-called elimination orders being permutations on the network's node set. For each in a database of empirical networks with up to 1000 edges, we find a tree decomposition of low width.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

A Primal-Dual Analysis of Monotone Submodular Maximization

In this paper we design a new primal-dual algorithm for the classic discrete optimization problem of maximizing a monotone submodular function subject to a cardinality constraint achieving the optimal approximation of $(1-1/e)$. This problem and its special case, the maximum $k$-coverage problem, have a wide range of applications in various fields including operations research, machine learning, and economics. While greedy algorithms have been known to achieve this approximation factor, our algorithms also provide a dual certificate which upper bounds the optimum value of any instance. This certificate may be used in practice to certify much stronger guarantees than the worst-case $(1-1/e)$ approximation factor

From Parameter Tuning to Dynamic Heuristic Selection

The importance of balance between exploration and exploitation plays a crucial role while solving combinatorial optimization problems. This balance is reached by two general techniques: by using an appropriate problem solver and by setting its proper parameters. Both problems were widely studied in the past and the research process continues up until now. The latest studies in the field of automated machine learning propose merging both problems, solving them at design time, and later strengthening the results at runtime. To the best of our knowledge, the generalized approach for solving the parameter setting problem in heuristic solvers has not yet been proposed. Therefore, the concept of merging heuristic selection and parameter control have not been introduced. In this thesis, we propose an approach for generic parameter control in meta-heuristics by means of reinforcement learning (RL). Making a step further, we suggest a technique for merging the heuristic selection and parameter control problems and solving them at runtime using RL-based hyper-heuristic. The evaluation of the proposed parameter control technique on a symmetric traveling salesman problem (TSP) revealed its applicability by reaching the performance of tuned in online and used in isolation underlying meta-heuristic. Our approach provides the results on par with the best underlying heuristics with tuned parameters.:1 Introduction 1 1.1 Motivation 1 1.2 Research objective 2 1.3 Solution overview 2 2 Background and RelatedWork Analysis 3 2.1 Optimization Problems and their Solvers 3 2.2 Heuristic Solvers for Optimization Problems 9 2.3 Setting Algorithm Parameters 19 2.4 Combined Algorithm Selection and Hyper-Parameter Tuning Problem 27 2.5 Conclusion on Background and Related Work Analysis 28 3 Online Selection Hyper-Heuristic with Generic Parameter Control 31 3.1 Combined Parameter Control and Algorithm Selection Problem 31 3.2 Search Space Structure 32 3.3 Parameter Prediction Process 34 3.4 Low-Level Heuristics 35 3.5 Conclusion of Concept 36 4 Implementation Details 37 4.2 Search Space 40 4.3 Prediction Process 43 4.4 Low Level Heuristics 48 4.5 Conclusion 52 5 Evaluation 55 5.1 Optimization Problem 55 5.2 Environment Setup 56 5.3 Meta-heuristics Tuning 56 5.4 Concept Evaluation 60 5.5 Analysis of HH-PC Settings 74 5.6 Conclusion 79 6 Conclusion 81 7 FutureWork 83 7.1 Prediction Process 83 7.2 Search Space 84 7.3 Evaluations and Benchmarks 84 Bibliography 87 A Evaluation Results 99 A.1 Results in Figures 99 A.2 Results in numbers 10

On approximate polynomial identity testing and real root finding

In this thesis we study the following three topics, which share a connection through the (arithmetic) circuit complexity of polynomials. 1. Rank of symbolic matrices. 2. Computation of real roots of real sparse polynomials. 3. Complexity of symmetric polynomials. We start with studying the commutative and non-commutative rank of symbolic matrices with linear forms as their entries. Here we show a deterministic polynomial time approximation scheme (PTAS) for computing the commutative rank. Prior to this work, deterministic polynomial time algorithms were known only for computing a 1/2-approximation of the commutative rank. We give two distinct proofs that our algorithm is a PTAS. We also give a min-max characterization of commutative and non-commutative ranks. Thereafter we direct our attention to computation of roots of uni-variate polynomial equations. It is known that solving a system of polynomial equations reduces to solving a uni-variate polynomial equation. We describe a polynomial time algorithm for (n,k,\tau)-nomials which computes approximations of all the real roots (even though it may also compute approximations of some complex roots). Moreover, we also show that the roots of integer trinomials are well-separated. Finally, we study the complexity of symmetric polynomials. It is known that symmetric Boolean functions are easy to compute. In contrast, we show that the assumption VP \neq VNP implies that there exist hard symmetric polynomials. To prove this result, we use an algebraic analogue of the classical Newton iteration.In dieser Dissertation untersuchen wir die folgenden drei Themen, welche durch die (arithmetische) Schaltkreiskomplexität von Polynomen miteinander verbunden sind: 1. der Rang von symbolischen Matrizen, 2. die Berechnung von reellen Nullstellen von dünnbesetzten (“sparse”) Polynomen mit reellen Koeffizienten, 3. die Komplexität von symmetrischen Polynomen. Wir untersuchen zunächst den kommutativen und nicht-kommutativen Rang von Matrizen, deren Einträge aus Linearformen bestehen. Hier beweisen wir die Existenz eines deterministischem Polynomialzeit-Approximationsschemas (PTAS) für die Berechnung des kommutative Ranges. Zuvor waren polynomielle Algorithmen nur für die Berechnung einer 1/2-Approximation des kommutativen Ranges bekannt. Wir geben zwei unterschiedliche Beweise für den Fakt, dass unser Algorithmus tatsächlich ein PTAS ist. Zusätzlich geben wir eine min-max Charakterisierung des kommutativen und nicht-kommutativen Ranges. Anschließend lenken wir unsere Aufmerksamkeit auf die Berechnung von Nullstellen von univariaten polynomiellen Gleichungen. Es ist bekannt, dass das Lösen eines polynomiellem Gleichungssystems auf das Lösen eines univariaten Polynoms zurückgeführt werden kann. Wir geben einen Polynomialzeit-Algorithmus für (n, k, \tau)-Nome, welcher Abschätzungen für alle reellen Nullstellen berechnet (in manchen Fallen auch Abschätzungen von komplexen Nullstellen). Zusätzlich beweisen wir, dass Nullstellen von ganzzahligen Trinomen stets weit voneinander entfernt sind. Schließlich untersuchen wir die Komplexität von symmetrischen Polynomen. Es ist bereits bekannt, dass sich symmetrische Boolesche Funktionen leicht berechnen lassen. Im Gegensatz dazu zeigen wir, dass die Annahme VP \neq VNP bedeutet, dass auch harte symmetrische Polynome existieren. Um dies zu beweisen benutzen wir ein algebraisches Analog zum klassischen Newton-Verfahren

New Algorithmic Paradigms for Discrete Problems using Dynamical Systems and Polynomials

Optimization is a fundamental tool in modern science. Numerous important tasks in biology, economy, physics and computer science can be cast as optimization problems. Consider the example of machine learning: recent advances have shown that even the most sophisticated tasks involving decision making, can be reduced to solving certain optimization problems. These advances however, bring several new challenges to the field of algorithm design. The first of them is related to the ever-growing size of instances, these optimization problems need to be solved for. In practice, this forces the algorithms for these problems to run in time linear or nearly linear in their input size. The second challenge is related to the emergence of new, harder and harder problems which need to be dealt with. These problems are in most cases considered computationally intractable because of complexity barriers such as NP completeness, or because of non-convexity. Therefore, efficiently computable relaxations for these problems are typically desired. The material of this thesis is divided into two parts. In the first part we attempt to address the first challenge. The recent tremendous progress in developing fast algorithm for such fundamental problems as maximum flow or linear programming, demonstrate the power of continuous techniques and tools such as electrical flows, fast Laplacian solvers and interior point methods. In this thesis we study new algorithms of this type based on continuous dynamical systems inspired by the study of a slime mold Physarum polycephalum. We perform a rigorous mathematical analysis of these dynamical systems and extract from them new, fast algorithms for problems such as minimum cost flow, linear programming and basis pursuit. In the second part of the thesis we develop new tools to approach the second challenge. Towards this, we study a very general form of discrete optimization problems and its extension to sampling and counting, capturing a host of important problems such as counting matchings in graphs, computing permanents of matrices or sampling from constrained determinantal point processes. We present a very general framework, based on polynomials, for dealing with these problems computationally. It is based, roughly, on encoding the problem structure in a multivariate polynomial and then recovering the solution by means of certain continuous relaxations. This leads to several questions on how to reason about such relaxations and how to compute them. We resolve them by relating certain analytic properties of the arising polynomials, such as the location of their roots or convexity, to the combinatorial structure of the underlying problem. We believe that the ideas and mathematical techniques developed in this thesis are only a beginning and they will inspire more work on the use of dynamical systems and polynomials in the design of fast algorithms