240 research outputs found
Measured descent: A new embedding method for finite metrics
We devise a new embedding technique, which we call measured descent, based on
decomposing a metric space locally, at varying speeds, according to the density
of some probability measure. This provides a refined and unified framework for
the two primary methods of constructing Frechet embeddings for finite metrics,
due to [Bourgain, 1985] and [Rao, 1999]. We prove that any n-point metric space
(X,d) embeds in Hilbert space with distortion O(sqrt{alpha_X log n}), where
alpha_X is a geometric estimate on the decomposability of X. As an immediate
corollary, we obtain an O(sqrt{(log lambda_X) \log n}) distortion embedding,
where \lambda_X is the doubling constant of X. Since \lambda_X\le n, this
result recovers Bourgain's theorem, but when the metric X is, in a sense,
``low-dimensional,'' improved bounds are achieved.
Our embeddings are volume-respecting for subsets of arbitrary size. One
consequence is the existence of (k, O(log n)) volume-respecting embeddings for
all 1 \leq k \leq n, which is the best possible, and answers positively a
question posed by U. Feige. Our techniques are also used to answer positively a
question of Y. Rabinovich, showing that any weighted n-point planar graph
embeds in l_\infty^{O(log n)} with O(1) distortion. The O(log n) bound on the
dimension is optimal, and improves upon the previously known bound of O((log
n)^2).Comment: 17 pages. No figures. Appeared in FOCS '04. To appeaer in Geometric &
Functional Analysis. This version fixes a subtle error in Section 2.
Matchings, coverings, and Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity
We show that the co-chordal cover number of a graph G gives an upper bound
for the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of the associated edge ideal. Several
known combinatorial upper bounds of regularity for edge ideals are then easy
consequences of covering results from graph theory, and we derive new upper
bounds by looking at additional covering results.Comment: 12 pages; v4 has minor changes for publicatio
Vertex Sparsifiers: New Results from Old Techniques
Given a capacitated graph and a set of terminals ,
how should we produce a graph only on the terminals so that every
(multicommodity) flow between the terminals in could be supported in
with low congestion, and vice versa? (Such a graph is called a
flow-sparsifier for .) What if we want to be a "simple" graph? What if
we allow to be a convex combination of simple graphs?
Improving on results of Moitra [FOCS 2009] and Leighton and Moitra [STOC
2010], we give efficient algorithms for constructing: (a) a flow-sparsifier
that maintains congestion up to a factor of , where , (b) a convex combination of trees over the terminals that maintains
congestion up to a factor of , and (c) for a planar graph , a
convex combination of planar graphs that maintains congestion up to a constant
factor. This requires us to give a new algorithm for the 0-extension problem,
the first one in which the preimages of each terminal are connected in .
Moreover, this result extends to minor-closed families of graphs.
Our improved bounds immediately imply improved approximation guarantees for
several terminal-based cut and ordering problems.Comment: An extended abstract appears in the 13th International Workshop on
Approximation Algorithms for Combinatorial Optimization Problems (APPROX),
2010. Final version to appear in SIAM J. Computin
Bidimensionality and EPTAS
Bidimensionality theory is a powerful framework for the development of
metaalgorithmic techniques. It was introduced by Demaine et al. as a tool to
obtain sub-exponential time parameterized algorithms for problems on H-minor
free graphs. Demaine and Hajiaghayi extended the theory to obtain PTASs for
bidimensional problems, and subsequently improved these results to EPTASs.
Fomin et. al related the theory to the existence of linear kernels for
parameterized problems. In this paper we revisit bidimensionality theory from
the perspective of approximation algorithms and redesign the framework for
obtaining EPTASs to be more powerful, easier to apply and easier to understand.
Two of the most widely used approaches to obtain PTASs on planar graphs are
the Lipton-Tarjan separator based approach, and Baker's approach. Demaine and
Hajiaghayi strengthened both approaches using bidimensionality and obtained
EPTASs for a multitude of problems. We unify the two strenghtened approaches to
combine the best of both worlds. At the heart of our framework is a
decomposition lemma which states that for "most" bidimensional problems, there
is a polynomial time algorithm which given an H-minor-free graph G as input and
an e > 0 outputs a vertex set X of size e * OPT such that the treewidth of G n
X is f(e). Here, OPT is the objective function value of the problem in question
and f is a function depending only on e. This allows us to obtain EPTASs on
(apex)-minor-free graphs for all problems covered by the previous framework, as
well as for a wide range of packing problems, partial covering problems and
problems that are neither closed under taking minors, nor contractions. To the
best of our knowledge for many of these problems including cycle packing,
vertex-h-packing, maximum leaf spanning tree, and partial r-dominating set no
EPTASs on planar graphs were previously known
Randomly removing g handles at once
AbstractIndyk and Sidiropoulos (2007) proved that any orientable graph of genus g can be probabilistically embedded into a graph of genus g−1 with constant distortion. Viewing a graph of genus g as embedded on the surface of a sphere with g handles attached, Indyk and Sidiropoulos' method gives an embedding into a distribution over planar graphs with distortion 2O(g), by iteratively removing the handles. By removing all g handles at once, we present a probabilistic embedding with distortion O(g2) for both orientable and non-orientable graphs. Our result is obtained by showing that the minimum-cut graph of Erickson and Har-Peled (2004) has low dilation, and then randomly cutting this graph out of the surface using the Peeling Lemma of Lee and Sidiropoulos (2009)
Regularity of Edge Ideals and Their Powers
We survey recent studies on the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of edge ideals
of graphs and their powers. Our focus is on bounds and exact values of and the asymptotic linear function , for in terms of combinatorial data of the given graph Comment: 31 pages, 15 figure
A Henneberg-based algorithm for generating tree-decomposable minimally rigid graphs
In this work we describe an algorithm to generate tree-decomposable minimally rigid graphs on a given set of vertices V . The main idea is based on the well-known fact that all minimally rigid graphs, also known as Laman graphs, can be generated via Henneberg sequences. Given that not each minimally rigid graph is tree-decomposable, we identify a set of conditions on the way Henneberg steps are applied so that the resulting graph is tree-decomposable. We show that the worst case running time of the algorithm is O(|V|3).Postprint (author's final draft
Pixel and Voxel Representations of Graphs
We study contact representations for graphs, which we call pixel
representations in 2D and voxel representations in 3D. Our representations are
based on the unit square grid whose cells we call pixels in 2D and voxels in
3D. Two pixels are adjacent if they share an edge, two voxels if they share a
face. We call a connected set of pixels or voxels a blob. Given a graph, we
represent its vertices by disjoint blobs such that two blobs contain adjacent
pixels or voxels if and only if the corresponding vertices are adjacent. We are
interested in the size of a representation, which is the number of pixels or
voxels it consists of.
We first show that finding minimum-size representations is NP-complete. Then,
we bound representation sizes needed for certain graph classes. In 2D, we show
that, for -outerplanar graphs with vertices, pixels are
always sufficient and sometimes necessary. In particular, outerplanar graphs
can be represented with a linear number of pixels, whereas general planar
graphs sometimes need a quadratic number. In 3D, voxels are
always sufficient and sometimes necessary for any -vertex graph. We improve
this bound to for graphs of treewidth and to
for graphs of genus . In particular, planar graphs
admit representations with voxels
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