2,925 research outputs found
Alternation-Trading Proofs, Linear Programming, and Lower Bounds
A fertile area of recent research has demonstrated concrete polynomial time
lower bounds for solving natural hard problems on restricted computational
models. Among these problems are Satisfiability, Vertex Cover, Hamilton Path,
Mod6-SAT, Majority-of-Majority-SAT, and Tautologies, to name a few. The proofs
of these lower bounds follow a certain proof-by-contradiction strategy that we
call alternation-trading. An important open problem is to determine how
powerful such proofs can possibly be.
We propose a methodology for studying these proofs that makes them amenable
to both formal analysis and automated theorem proving. We prove that the search
for better lower bounds can often be turned into a problem of solving a large
series of linear programming instances. Implementing a small-scale theorem
prover based on this result, we extract new human-readable time lower bounds
for several problems. This framework can also be used to prove concrete
limitations on the current techniques.Comment: To appear in STACS 2010, 12 page
Finding the Median (Obliviously) with Bounded Space
We prove that any oblivious algorithm using space to find the median of a
list of integers from requires time . This bound also applies to the problem of determining whether the median
is odd or even. It is nearly optimal since Chan, following Munro and Raman, has
shown that there is a (randomized) selection algorithm using only
registers, each of which can store an input value or -bit counter,
that makes only passes over the input. The bound also implies
a size lower bound for read-once branching programs computing the low order bit
of the median and implies the analog of for length oblivious branching programs
Multi-Head Finite Automata: Characterizations, Concepts and Open Problems
Multi-head finite automata were introduced in (Rabin, 1964) and (Rosenberg,
1966). Since that time, a vast literature on computational and descriptional
complexity issues on multi-head finite automata documenting the importance of
these devices has been developed. Although multi-head finite automata are a
simple concept, their computational behavior can be already very complex and
leads to undecidable or even non-semi-decidable problems on these devices such
as, for example, emptiness, finiteness, universality, equivalence, etc. These
strong negative results trigger the study of subclasses and alternative
characterizations of multi-head finite automata for a better understanding of
the nature of non-recursive trade-offs and, thus, the borderline between
decidable and undecidable problems. In the present paper, we tour a fragment of
this literature
Two-Way Automata Making Choices Only at the Endmarkers
The question of the state-size cost for simulation of two-way
nondeterministic automata (2NFAs) by two-way deterministic automata (2DFAs) was
raised in 1978 and, despite many attempts, it is still open. Subsequently, the
problem was attacked by restricting the power of 2DFAs (e.g., using a
restricted input head movement) to the degree for which it was already possible
to derive some exponential gaps between the weaker model and the standard
2NFAs. Here we use an opposite approach, increasing the power of 2DFAs to the
degree for which it is still possible to obtain a subexponential conversion
from the stronger model to the standard 2DFAs. In particular, it turns out that
subexponential conversion is possible for two-way automata that make
nondeterministic choices only when the input head scans one of the input tape
endmarkers. However, there is no restriction on the input head movement. This
implies that an exponential gap between 2NFAs and 2DFAs can be obtained only
for unrestricted 2NFAs using capabilities beyond the proposed new model. As an
additional bonus, conversion into a machine for the complement of the original
language is polynomial in this model. The same holds for making such machines
self-verifying, halting, or unambiguous. Finally, any superpolynomial lower
bound for the simulation of such machines by standard 2DFAs would imply LNL.
In the same way, the alternating version of these machines is related to L =?
NL =? P, the classical computational complexity problems.Comment: 23 page
Pebbling, Entropy and Branching Program Size Lower Bounds
We contribute to the program of proving lower bounds on the size of branching
programs solving the Tree Evaluation Problem introduced by Cook et. al. (2012).
Proving a super-polynomial lower bound for the size of nondeterministic thrifty
branching programs (NTBP) would separate from for thrifty models
solving the tree evaluation problem. First, we show that {\em Read-Once NTBPs}
are equivalent to whole black-white pebbling algorithms thus showing a tight
lower bound (ignoring polynomial factors) for this model.
We then introduce a weaker restriction of NTBPs called {\em Bitwise
Independence}. The best known NTBPs (of size ) for the tree
evaluation problem given by Cook et. al. (2012) are Bitwise Independent. As our
main result, we show that any Bitwise Independent NTBP solving
must have at least states. Prior to this work, lower
bounds were known for NTBPs only for fixed heights (See Cook et. al.
(2012)). We prove our results by associating a fractional black-white pebbling
strategy with any bitwise independent NTBP solving the Tree Evaluation Problem.
Such a connection was not known previously even for fixed heights.
Our main technique is the entropy method introduced by Jukna and Z{\'a}k
(2001) originally in the context of proving lower bounds for read-once
branching programs. We also show that the previous lower bounds given by Cook
et. al. (2012) for deterministic branching programs for Tree Evaluation Problem
can be obtained using this approach. Using this method, we also show tight
lower bounds for any -way deterministic branching program solving Tree
Evaluation Problem when the instances are restricted to have the same group
operation in all internal nodes.Comment: 25 Pages, Manuscript submitted to Journal in June 2013 This version
includes a proof for tight size bounds for (syntactic) read-once NTBPs. The
proof is in the same spirit as the proof for size bounds for bitwise
independent NTBPs present in the earlier version of the paper and is included
in the journal version of the paper submitted in June 201
- …