25,954 research outputs found
Lossy Kernelization
In this paper we propose a new framework for analyzing the performance of
preprocessing algorithms. Our framework builds on the notion of kernelization
from parameterized complexity. However, as opposed to the original notion of
kernelization, our definitions combine well with approximation algorithms and
heuristics. The key new definition is that of a polynomial size
-approximate kernel. Loosely speaking, a polynomial size
-approximate kernel is a polynomial time pre-processing algorithm that
takes as input an instance to a parameterized problem, and outputs
another instance to the same problem, such that . Additionally, for every , a -approximate solution
to the pre-processed instance can be turned in polynomial time into a
-approximate solution to the original instance .
Our main technical contribution are -approximate kernels of
polynomial size for three problems, namely Connected Vertex Cover, Disjoint
Cycle Packing and Disjoint Factors. These problems are known not to admit any
polynomial size kernels unless . Our approximate
kernels simultaneously beat both the lower bounds on the (normal) kernel size,
and the hardness of approximation lower bounds for all three problems. On the
negative side we prove that Longest Path parameterized by the length of the
path and Set Cover parameterized by the universe size do not admit even an
-approximate kernel of polynomial size, for any , unless
. In order to prove this lower bound we need to combine
in a non-trivial way the techniques used for showing kernelization lower bounds
with the methods for showing hardness of approximationComment: 58 pages. Version 2 contain new results: PSAKS for Cycle Packing and
approximate kernel lower bounds for Set Cover and Hitting Set parameterized
by universe siz
Approximating Subdense Instances of Covering Problems
We study approximability of subdense instances of various covering problems
on graphs, defined as instances in which the minimum or average degree is
Omega(n/psi(n)) for some function psi(n)=omega(1) of the instance size. We
design new approximation algorithms as well as new polynomial time
approximation schemes (PTASs) for those problems and establish first
approximation hardness results for them. Interestingly, in some cases we were
able to prove optimality of the underlying approximation ratios, under usual
complexity-theoretic assumptions. Our results for the Vertex Cover problem
depend on an improved recursive sampling method which could be of independent
interest
Inapproximability of Combinatorial Optimization Problems
We survey results on the hardness of approximating combinatorial optimization
problems
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