Linear Datalog and Bounded Path Duality of Relational Structures

In this paper we systematically investigate the connections between logics with a finite number of variables, structures of bounded pathwidth, and linear Datalog Programs. We prove that, in the context of Constraint Satisfaction Problems, all these concepts correspond to different mathematical embodiments of a unique robust notion that we call bounded path duality. We also study the computational complexity implications of the notion of bounded path duality. We show that every constraint satisfaction problem \csp(\best) with bounded path duality is solvable in NL and that this notion explains in a uniform way all families of CSPs known to be in NL. Finally, we use the results developed in the paper to identify new problems in NL

Tractable Optimization Problems through Hypergraph-Based Structural Restrictions

Several variants of the Constraint Satisfaction Problem have been proposed and investigated in the literature for modelling those scenarios where solutions are associated with some given costs. Within these frameworks computing an optimal solution is an NP-hard problem in general; yet, when restricted over classes of instances whose constraint interactions can be modelled via (nearly-)acyclic graphs, this problem is known to be solvable in polynomial time. In this paper, larger classes of tractable instances are singled out, by discussing solution approaches based on exploiting hypergraph acyclicity and, more generally, structural decomposition methods, such as (hyper)tree decompositions

Datalog and Constraint Satisfaction with Infinite Templates

On finite structures, there is a well-known connection between the expressive power of Datalog, finite variable logics, the existential pebble game, and bounded hypertree duality. We study this connection for infinite structures. This has applications for constraint satisfaction with infinite templates. If the template Gamma is omega-categorical, we present various equivalent characterizations of those Gamma such that the constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) for Gamma can be solved by a Datalog program. We also show that CSP(Gamma) can be solved in polynomial time for arbitrary omega-categorical structures Gamma if the input is restricted to instances of bounded treewidth. Finally, we characterize those omega-categorical templates whose CSP has Datalog width 1, and those whose CSP has strict Datalog width k.Comment: 28 pages. This is an extended long version of a conference paper that appeared at STACS'06. In the third version in the arxiv we have revised the presentation again and added a section that relates our results to formalizations of CSPs using relation algebra

The complexity of general-valued CSPs seen from the other side

The constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) is concerned with homomorphisms between two structures. For CSPs with restricted left-hand side structures, the results of Dalmau, Kolaitis, and Vardi [CP'02], Grohe [FOCS'03/JACM'07], and Atserias, Bulatov, and Dalmau [ICALP'07] establish the precise borderline of polynomial-time solvability (subject to complexity-theoretic assumptions) and of solvability by bounded-consistency algorithms (unconditionally) as bounded treewidth modulo homomorphic equivalence. The general-valued constraint satisfaction problem (VCSP) is a generalisation of the CSP concerned with homomorphisms between two valued structures. For VCSPs with restricted left-hand side valued structures, we establish the precise borderline of polynomial-time solvability (subject to complexity-theoretic assumptions) and of solvability by the $k$-th level of the Sherali-Adams LP hierarchy (unconditionally). We also obtain results on related problems concerned with finding a solution and recognising the tractable cases; the latter has an application in database theory.Comment: v2: Full version of a FOCS'18 paper; improved presentation and small correction

On the Complexity of Existential Positive Queries

We systematically investigate the complexity of model checking the existential positive fragment of first-order logic. In particular, for a set of existential positive sentences, we consider model checking where the sentence is restricted to fall into the set; a natural question is then to classify which sentence sets are tractable and which are intractable. With respect to fixed-parameter tractability, we give a general theorem that reduces this classification question to the corresponding question for primitive positive logic, for a variety of representations of structures. This general theorem allows us to deduce that an existential positive sentence set having bounded arity is fixed-parameter tractable if and only if each sentence is equivalent to one in bounded-variable logic. We then use the lens of classical complexity to study these fixed-parameter tractable sentence sets. We show that such a set can be NP-complete, and consider the length needed by a translation from sentences in such a set to bounded-variable logic; we prove superpolynomial lower bounds on this length using the theory of compilability, obtaining an interesting type of formula size lower bound. Overall, the tools, concepts, and results of this article set the stage for the future consideration of the complexity of model checking on more expressive logics

Structural Decompositions for Problems with Global Constraints

A wide range of problems can be modelled as constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs), that is, a set of constraints that must be satisfied simultaneously. Constraints can either be represented extensionally, by explicitly listing allowed combinations of values, or implicitly, by special-purpose algorithms provided by a solver. Such implicitly represented constraints, known as global constraints, are widely used; indeed, they are one of the key reasons for the success of constraint programming in solving real-world problems. In recent years, a variety of restrictions on the structure of CSP instances have been shown to yield tractable classes of CSPs. However, most such restrictions fail to guarantee tractability for CSPs with global constraints. We therefore study the applicability of structural restrictions to instances with such constraints. We show that when the number of solutions to a CSP instance is bounded in key parts of the problem, structural restrictions can be used to derive new tractable classes. Furthermore, we show that this result extends to combinations of instances drawn from known tractable classes, as well as to CSP instances where constraints assign costs to satisfying assignments.Comment: The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10601-015-9181-

Hybrid VCSPs with crisp and conservative valued templates

A constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) is a problem of computing a homomorphism ${\bf R} \rightarrow {\bf \Gamma}$ between two relational structures. Analyzing its complexity has been a very fruitful research direction, especially for fixed template CSPs, denoted $CSP({\bf \Gamma})$, in which the right side structure ${\bf \Gamma}$ is fixed and the left side structure ${\bf R}$ is unconstrained. Recently, the hybrid setting, written $CSP_{\mathcal{H}}({\bf \Gamma})$, where both sides are restricted simultaneously, attracted some attention. It assumes that ${\bf R}$ is taken from a class of relational structures $\mathcal{H}$ that additionally is closed under inverse homomorphisms. The last property allows to exploit algebraic tools that have been developed for fixed template CSPs. The key concept that connects hybrid CSPs with fixed-template CSPs is the so called "lifted language". Namely, this is a constraint language ${\bf \Gamma}_{{\bf R}}$ that can be constructed from an input ${\bf R}$. The tractability of that language for any input ${\bf R}\in\mathcal{H}$ is a necessary condition for the tractability of the hybrid problem. In the first part we investigate templates ${\bf \Gamma}$ for which the latter condition is not only necessary, but also is sufficient. We call such templates ${\bf \Gamma}$ widely tractable. For this purpose, we construct from ${\bf \Gamma}$ a new finite relational structure ${\bf \Gamma}'$ and define $\mathcal{H}_0$ as a class of structures homomorphic to ${\bf \Gamma}'$. We prove that wide tractability is equivalent to the tractability of $CSP_{\mathcal{H}_0}({\bf \Gamma})$. Our proof is based on the key observation that ${\bf R}$ is homomorphic to ${\bf \Gamma}'$ if and only if the core of ${\bf \Gamma}_{{\bf R}}$ is preserved by a Siggers polymorphism. Analogous result is shown for valued conservative CSPs.Comment: 21 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1504.0706