Blazing a Trail via Matrix Multiplications: A Faster Algorithm for Non-Shortest Induced Paths

For vertices $u$ and $v$ of an $n$-vertex graph $G$, a $uv$-trail of $G$ is an induced $uv$-path of $G$ that is not a shortest $uv$-path of $G$. Berger, Seymour, and Spirkl [Discrete Mathematics 2021] gave the previously only known polynomial-time algorithm, running in $O(n^{18})$ time, to either output a $uv$-trail of $G$ or ensure that $G$ admits no $uv$-trail. We reduce the complexity to the time required to perform a poly-logarithmic number of multiplications of $n^2\times n^2$ Boolean matrices, leading to a largely improved $O(n^{4.75})$-time algorithm.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, a preliminary version appeared in STACS 202

Finding Large H-Colorable Subgraphs in Hereditary Graph Classes

We study the \textsc{Max Partial $H$-Coloring} problem: given a graph $G$, find the largest induced subgraph of $G$ that admits a homomorphism into $H$, where $H$ is a fixed pattern graph without loops. Note that when $H$ is a complete graph on $k$ vertices, the problem reduces to finding the largest induced $k$-colorable subgraph, which for $k=2$ is equivalent (by complementation) to \textsc{Odd Cycle Transversal}. We prove that for every fixed pattern graph $H$ without loops, \textsc{Max Partial $H$-Coloring} can be solved: $\bullet$ in $\{P_5,F\}$-free graphs in polynomial time, whenever $F$ is a threshold graph; $\bullet$ in $\{P_5,\textrm{bull}\}$-free graphs in polynomial time; $\bullet$ in $P_5$-free graphs in time $n^{\mathcal{O}(\omega(G))}$; $\bullet$ in $\{P_6,\textrm{1-subdivided claw}\}$-free graphs in time $n^{\mathcal{O}(\omega(G)^3)}$. Here, $n$ is the number of vertices of the input graph $G$ and $\omega(G)$ is the maximum size of a clique in~$G$. Furthermore, combining the mentioned algorithms for $P_5$-free and for $\{P_6,\textrm{1-subdivided claw}\}$-free graphs with a simple branching procedure, we obtain subexponential-time algorithms for \textsc{Max Partial $H$-Coloring} in these classes of graphs. Finally, we show that even a restricted variant of \textsc{Max Partial $H$-Coloring} is $\mathsf{NP}$-hard in the considered subclasses of $P_5$-free graphs, if we allow loops on $H$

Structure and coloring of (P7P_7, C5C_5, diamond)-free graphs

We use $P_t$ and $C_t$ to denote a path and a cycle on t vertices, respectively. A diamond consists of two triangles that share exactly one edge, a kite is a graph obtained from a diamond by adding a new vertex adjacent to a vertex of degree 2 of the diamond, a paraglider is the graph that consists of a $C_4$ plus a vertex adjacent to three vertices of the $C_4$, a paw is a graph obtained from a triangle by adding a pendant edge. A comparable pair $(u, v)$ consists of two nonadjacent vertices $u$ and $v$ such that $N(u)\subseteq N(v)$ or $N(v)\subseteq N(u)$. A universal clique is a clique $K$ such that $xy \in E(G)$ for any two vertices $x \in K$ and $y\in V (G)\setminus K$. A blowup of a graph H is a graph obtained by substituting a stable set for each vertex, and correspondingly replacing each edge by a complete bipartite graph. We prove that 1) there is a unique connected imperfect $(P_7, C_5$, kite, paraglider)-free graph G with \delta(G) \geq \omega(G)+ 1 which has no clique cutsets, no comparable pairs, and no universal cliques; 2) if G is a connected imperfect $(P_7, C_5$, diamond)-free graph with \delta(G) \geq max{3, \omega(G)} and without comparable pairs, then G is isomorphic to a graph of a well defined 12 graph families; and 3) each connected imperfect $(P_7, C_5$, paw)-free graph is a blowup of $C_7$. As consequences, we show that \chi(G) \leq \omega(G)+1 if G is (P7, C5, kite, paraglider)-free, and \chi(G) \leq max{3, \omega(G)} if G is $(P_7, C_5$, H)-free with H being a diamond or a paw. We also show that \chi(G) \le

Improved Algorithms for Recognizing Perfect Graphs and Finding Shortest Odd and Even Holes

Various classes of induced subgraphs are involved in the deepest results of graph theory and graph algorithms. A prominent example concerns the {\em perfection} of $G$ that the chromatic number of each induced subgraph $H$ of $G$ equals the clique number of $H$. The seminal Strong Perfect Graph Theorem confirms that the perfection of $G$ can be determined by detecting odd holes in $G$ and its complement. Chudnovsky et al. show in 2005 an $O(n^9)$ algorithm for recognizing perfect graphs, which can be implemented to run in $O(n^{6+\omega})$ time for the exponent $\omega<2.373$ of square-matrix multiplication. We show the following improved algorithms. 1. The tractability of detecting odd holes was open for decades until the major breakthrough of Chudnovsky et al. in 2020. Their $O(n^9)$ algorithm is later implemented by Lai et al. to run in $O(n^8)$ time, leading to the best formerly known algorithm for recognizing perfect graphs. Our first result is an $O(n^7)$ algorithm for detecting odd holes, implying an $O(n^7)$ algorithm for recognizing perfect graphs. 2. Chudnovsky et al. extend in 2021 the $O(n^9)$ algorithms for detecting odd holes (2020) and recognizing perfect graphs (2005) into the first polynomial algorithm for obtaining a shortest odd hole, which runs in $O(n^{14})$ time. We reduce the time for finding a shortest odd hole to $O(n^{13})$. 3. Conforti et al. show in 1997 the first polynomial algorithm for detecting even holes, running in about $O(n^{40})$ time. It then takes a line of intensive efforts in the literature to bring down the complexity to $O(n^{31})$, $O(n^{19})$, $O(n^{11})$, and finally $O(n^9)$. On the other hand, the tractability of finding a shortest even hole has been open for 16 years until the very recent $O(n^{31})$ algorithm of Cheong and Lu in 2022. We improve the time of finding a shortest even hole to $O(n^{23})$.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figure

Finding Large H-Colorable Subgraphs in Hereditary Graph Classes

“First Published in SIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics in 35, 4, 2021, published by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)” and the copyright notice as stated in the article itself (e.g., “Copyright © by SIAM. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.”')We study the Max Partial H-Coloring problem: given a graph G, find the largest induced subgraph of G that admits a homomorphism into H, where H is a fixed pattern graph without loops. Note that when H is a complete graph on k vertices, the problem reduces to finding the largest induced k-colorable subgraph, which for k=2 is equivalent (by complementation) to Odd Cycle Transversal. We prove that for every fixed pattern graph H without loops, Max Partial H-Coloring can be solved in {P5,F}-free graphs in polynomial time, whenever F is a threshold graph; in {P5,bull}-free graphs in polynomial time; in P5-free graphs in time nO(ω(G)); and in {P6,1−subdividedclaw}-free graphs in time nO(ω(G)3). Here, n is the number of vertices of the input graph G and ω(G) is the maximum size of a clique in G. Furthermore, by combining the mentioned algorithms for P5-free and for {P6,1−subdividedclaw}-free graphs with a simple branching procedure, we obtain subexponential-time algorithms for Max Partial H-Coloring in these classes of graphs. Finally, we show that even a restricted variant of Max Partial H-Coloring is NP-hard in the considered subclasses of P5-free graphs if we allow loops on H.The first author’s material is based upon work supported in part by the U.S. ArmyResearch Office under grant W911NF-16-1-0404 and by NSF grant DMS-1763817. The third author’swork is a part of project TOTAL that has received funding from the European Research Council(ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant 677651).The fourth author was supported by Polish National Science Centre grant 2018/31/D/ST6/00062.The fifth author’s material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation underaward DMS-1802201

Three-in-a-Tree in Near Linear Time

The three-in-a-tree problem is to determine if a simple undirected graph contains an induced subgraph which is a tree connecting three given vertices. Based on a beautiful characterization that is proved in more than twenty pages, Chudnovsky and Seymour [Combinatorica 2010] gave the previously only known polynomial-time algorithm, running in $O(mn^2)$ time, to solve the three-in-a-tree problem on an $n$-vertex $m$-edge graph. Their three-in-a-tree algorithm has become a critical subroutine in several state-of-the-art graph recognition and detection algorithms. In this paper we solve the three-in-a-tree problem in $\tilde{O}(m)$ time, leading to improved algorithms for recognizing perfect graphs and detecting thetas, pyramids, beetles, and odd and even holes. Our result is based on a new and more constructive characterization than that of Chudnovsky and Seymour. Our new characterization is stronger than the original, and our proof implies a new simpler proof for the original characterization. The improved characterization gains the first factor $n$ in speed. The remaining improvement is based on dynamic graph algorithms.Comment: 46 pages, 12 figures, accepted to STOC 202