Fine-Grained Complexity Theory: Conditional Lower Bounds for Computational Geometry

Fine-grained complexity theory is the area of theoretical computer sciencethat proves conditional lower bounds based on the Strong Exponential TimeHypothesis and similar conjectures. This area has been thriving in the lastdecade, leading to conditionally best-possible algorithms for a wide variety ofproblems on graphs, strings, numbers etc. This article is an introduction tofine-grained lower bounds in computational geometry, with a focus on lowerbounds for polynomial-time problems based on the Orthogonal Vectors Hypothesis.Specifically, we discuss conditional lower bounds for nearest neighbor searchunder the Euclidean distance and Fr\'echet distance.<br

Linear Time Subgraph Counting, Graph Degeneracy, and the Chasm at Size Six

We consider the problem of counting all k-vertex subgraphs in an input graph, for any constant k. This problem (denoted SUB-CNT_k) has been studied extensively in both theory and practice. In a classic result, Chiba and Nishizeki (SICOMP 85) gave linear time algorithms for clique and 4-cycle counting for bounded degeneracy graphs. This is a rich class of sparse graphs that contains, for example, all minor-free families and preferential attachment graphs. The techniques from this result have inspired a number of recent practical algorithms for SUB-CNT_k. Towards a better understanding of the limits of these techniques, we ask: for what values of k can SUB_CNT_k be solved in linear time? We discover a chasm at k=6. Specifically, we prove that for k < 6, SUB_CNT_k can be solved in linear time. Assuming a standard conjecture in fine-grained complexity, we prove that for all k ? 6, SUB-CNT_k cannot be solved even in near-linear time