On the Parameterized Complexity of Contraction to Generalization of Trees

For a family of graphs F, the F-Contraction problem takes as an input a graph G and an integer k, and the goal is to decide if there exists S subseteq E(G) of size at most k such that G/S belongs to F. Here, G/S is the graph obtained from G by contracting all the edges in S. Heggernes et al.[Algorithmica (2014)] were the first to study edge contraction problems in the realm of Parameterized Complexity. They studied cal F-Contraction when F is a simple family of graphs such as trees and paths. In this paper, we study the F-Contraction problem, where F generalizes the family of trees. In particular, we define this generalization in a "parameterized way". Let T_ell be the family of graphs such that each graph in T_ell can be made into a tree by deleting at most ell edges. Thus, the problem we study is T_ell-Contraction. We design an FPT algorithm for T_ell-Contraction running in time O((ncol)^{O(k + ell)} * n^{O(1)}). Furthermore, we show that the problem does not admit a polynomial kernel when parameterized by k. Inspired by the negative result for the kernelization, we design a lossy kernel for T_ell-Contraction of size O([k(k + 2ell)] ^{(lceil {frac{alpha}{alpha-1}rceil + 1)}})

p-Edge/vertex-connected vertex cover:Parameterized and approximation algorithms

We introduce and study two natural generalizations of the Connected Vertex Cover (VC) problem: the p-Edge-Connected and p-Vertex-Connected VC problem (where p≥2 is a fixed integer). We obtain an 2 O(pk)n O(1)-time algorithm for p-Edge-Connected VC and an 2 O(k 2) n O(1)-time algorithm for p-Vertex-Connected VC. Thus, like Connected VC, both constrained VC problems are FPT. Furthermore, like Connected VC, neither problem admits a polynomial kernel unless NP ⊆ coNP/poly, which is highly unlikely. We prove however that both problems admit time efficient polynomial sized approximate kernelization schemes. Finally, we describe a 2(p+1)-approximation algorithm for the p-Edge-Connected VC. The proofs for the new VC problems require more sophisticated arguments than for Connected VC. In particular, for the approximation algorithm we use Gomory-Hu trees and for the approximate kernels a result on small-size spanning p-vertex/edge-connected subgraphs of a p-vertex/edge-connected graph by Nishizeki and Poljak (1994) [30] and Nagamochi and Ibaraki (1992) [27].</p

p-Edge/vertex-connected vertex cover:Parameterized and approximation algorithms

We introduce and study two natural generalizations of the Connected Vertex Cover (VC) problem: the p-Edge-Connected and p-Vertex-Connected VC problem (where p≥2 is a fixed integer). We obtain an 2 O(pk)n O(1)-time algorithm for p-Edge-Connected VC and an 2 O(k 2) n O(1)-time algorithm for p-Vertex-Connected VC. Thus, like Connected VC, both constrained VC problems are FPT. Furthermore, like Connected VC, neither problem admits a polynomial kernel unless NP ⊆ coNP/poly, which is highly unlikely. We prove however that both problems admit time efficient polynomial sized approximate kernelization schemes. Finally, we describe a 2(p+1)-approximation algorithm for the p-Edge-Connected VC. The proofs for the new VC problems require more sophisticated arguments than for Connected VC. In particular, for the approximation algorithm we use Gomory-Hu trees and for the approximate kernels a result on small-size spanning p-vertex/edge-connected subgraphs of a p-vertex/edge-connected graph by Nishizeki and Poljak (1994) [30] and Nagamochi and Ibaraki (1992) [27].</p