2,113 research outputs found
Matching Is as Easy as the Decision Problem, in the NC Model
Is matching in NC, i.e., is there a deterministic fast parallel algorithm for
it? This has been an outstanding open question in TCS for over three decades,
ever since the discovery of randomized NC matching algorithms [KUW85, MVV87].
Over the last five years, the theoretical computer science community has
launched a relentless attack on this question, leading to the discovery of
several powerful ideas. We give what appears to be the culmination of this line
of work: An NC algorithm for finding a minimum-weight perfect matching in a
general graph with polynomially bounded edge weights, provided it is given an
oracle for the decision problem. Consequently, for settling the main open
problem, it suffices to obtain an NC algorithm for the decision problem. We
believe this new fact has qualitatively changed the nature of this open
problem.
All known efficient matching algorithms for general graphs follow one of two
approaches: given by Edmonds [Edm65] and Lov\'asz [Lov79]. Our oracle-based
algorithm follows a new approach and uses many of the ideas discovered in the
last five years.
The difficulty of obtaining an NC perfect matching algorithm led researchers
to study matching vis-a-vis clever relaxations of the class NC. In this vein,
recently Goldwasser and Grossman [GG15] gave a pseudo-deterministic RNC
algorithm for finding a perfect matching in a bipartite graph, i.e., an RNC
algorithm with the additional requirement that on the same graph, it should
return the same (i.e., unique) perfect matching for almost all choices of
random bits. A corollary of our reduction is an analogous algorithm for general
graphs.Comment: Appeared in ITCS 202
Spanning trees of 3-uniform hypergraphs
Masbaum and Vaintrob's "Pfaffian matrix tree theorem" implies that counting
spanning trees of a 3-uniform hypergraph (abbreviated to 3-graph) can be done
in polynomial time for a class of "3-Pfaffian" 3-graphs, comparable to and
related to the class of Pfaffian graphs. We prove a complexity result for
recognizing a 3-Pfaffian 3-graph and describe two large classes of 3-Pfaffian
3-graphs -- one of these is given by a forbidden subgraph characterization
analogous to Little's for bipartite Pfaffian graphs, and the other consists of
a class of partial Steiner triple systems for which the property of being
3-Pfaffian can be reduced to the property of an associated graph being
Pfaffian. We exhibit an infinite set of partial Steiner triple systems that are
not 3-Pfaffian, none of which can be reduced to any other by deletion or
contraction of triples.
We also find some necessary or sufficient conditions for the existence of a
spanning tree of a 3-graph (much more succinct than can be obtained by the
currently fastest polynomial-time algorithm of Gabow and Stallmann for finding
a spanning tree) and a superexponential lower bound on the number of spanning
trees of a Steiner triple system.Comment: 34 pages, 9 figure
Separating path systems
We study separating systems of the edges of a graph where each member of the
separating system is a path. We conjecture that every -vertex graph admits a
separating path system of size and prove this in certain interesting
special cases. In particular, we establish this conjecture for random graphs
and graphs with linear minimum degree. We also obtain tight bounds on the size
of a minimal separating path system in the case of trees.Comment: 21 pages, fixed misprints, Journal of Combinatoric
Lower matching conjecture, and a new proof of Schrijver's and Gurvits's theorems
Friedland's Lower Matching Conjecture asserts that if is a --regular
bipartite graph on vertices, and denotes the number of
matchings of size , then where . When
, this conjecture reduces to a theorem of Schrijver which says that a
--regular bipartite graph on vertices has at least
perfect matchings. L. Gurvits
proved an asymptotic version of the Lower Matching Conjecture, namely he proved
that
In this paper, we prove the Lower Matching Conjecture. In fact, we will prove
a slightly stronger statement which gives an extra factor
compared to the conjecture if is separated away from and , and is
tight up to a constant factor if is separated away from . We will also
give a new proof of Gurvits's and Schrijver's theorems, and we extend these
theorems to --biregular bipartite graphs
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