250 research outputs found
Trees with maximum number of maximal matchings
AbstractForests on n vertices with maximum number of maximal matchings are called extremal forests. All extremal forests, except 2K1, are trees. Extremal trees with small number n of vertices, n⩽19, are characterized; in particular, they are unique if n≠6. The exponential upper and lower bounds on the maximum number of maximal matchings among n-vertex trees have been found
Dimers and cluster integrable systems
We show that the dimer model on a bipartite graph on a torus gives rise to a
quantum integrable system of special type - a cluster integrable system. The
phase space of the classical system contains, as an open dense subset, the
moduli space of line bundles with connections on the graph. The sum of
Hamiltonians is essentially the partition function of the dimer model. Any
graph on a torus gives rise to a bipartite graph on the torus. We show that the
phase space of the latter has a Lagrangian subvariety. We identify it with the
space parametrizing resistor networks on the original graph.We construct
several discrete quantum integrable systems.Comment: This is an updated version, 75 pages, which will appear in Ann. Sci.
EN
Multi-Agent Submodular Optimization
Recent years have seen many algorithmic advances in the area of submodular optimization: (SO) min/max~f(S): S in F, where F is a given family of feasible sets over a ground set V and f:2^V - > R is submodular. This progress has been coupled with a wealth of new applications for these models. Our focus is on a more general class of multi-agent submodular optimization (MASO) min/max Sum_{i=1}^{k} f_i(S_i): S_1 u+ S_2 u+ ... u+ S_k in F. Here we use u+ to denote disjoint union and hence this model is attractive where resources are being allocated across k agents, each with its own submodular cost function f_i(). This was introduced in the minimization setting by Goel et al. In this paper we explore the extent to which the approximability of the multi-agent problems are linked to their single-agent versions, referred to informally as the multi-agent gap.
We present different reductions that transform a multi-agent problem into a single-agent one. For minimization, we show that (MASO) has an O(alpha * min{k, log^2 (n)})-approximation whenever (SO) admits an alpha-approximation over the convex formulation. In addition, we discuss the class of "bounded blocker" families where there is a provably tight O(log n) multi-agent gap between (MASO) and (SO). For maximization, we show that monotone (resp. nonmonotone) (MASO) admits an alpha (1-1/e) (resp. alpha * 0.385) approximation whenever monotone (resp. nonmonotone) (SO) admits an alpha-approximation over the multilinear formulation; and the 1-1/e multi-agent gap for monotone objectives is tight. We also discuss several families (such as spanning trees, matroids, and p-systems) that have an (optimal) multi-agent gap of 1. These results substantially expand the family of tractable models for submodular maximization
Non-Uniform Robust Network Design in Planar Graphs
Robust optimization is concerned with constructing solutions that remain
feasible also when a limited number of resources is removed from the solution.
Most studies of robust combinatorial optimization to date made the assumption
that every resource is equally vulnerable, and that the set of scenarios is
implicitly given by a single budget constraint. This paper studies a robustness
model of a different kind. We focus on \textbf{bulk-robustness}, a model
recently introduced~\cite{bulk} for addressing the need to model non-uniform
failure patterns in systems.
We significantly extend the techniques used in~\cite{bulk} to design
approximation algorithm for bulk-robust network design problems in planar
graphs. Our techniques use an augmentation framework, combined with linear
programming (LP) rounding that depends on a planar embedding of the input
graph. A connection to cut covering problems and the dominating set problem in
circle graphs is established. Our methods use few of the specifics of
bulk-robust optimization, hence it is conceivable that they can be adapted to
solve other robust network design problems.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure
- …