16,673 research outputs found
Bi-Criteria and Approximation Algorithms for Restricted Matchings
In this work we study approximation algorithms for the \textit{Bounded Color
Matching} problem (a.k.a. Restricted Matching problem) which is defined as
follows: given a graph in which each edge has a color and a profit
, we want to compute a maximum (cardinality or profit)
matching in which no more than edges of color are
present. This kind of problems, beside the theoretical interest on its own
right, emerges in multi-fiber optical networking systems, where we interpret
each unique wavelength that can travel through the fiber as a color class and
we would like to establish communication between pairs of systems. We study
approximation and bi-criteria algorithms for this problem which are based on
linear programming techniques and, in particular, on polyhedral
characterizations of the natural linear formulation of the problem. In our
setting, we allow violations of the bounds and we model our problem as a
bi-criteria problem: we have two objectives to optimize namely (a) to maximize
the profit (maximum matching) while (b) minimizing the violation of the color
bounds. We prove how we can "beat" the integrality gap of the natural linear
programming formulation of the problem by allowing only a slight violation of
the color bounds. In particular, our main result is \textit{constant}
approximation bounds for both criteria of the corresponding bi-criteria
optimization problem
Graph Pricing Problem on Bounded Treewidth, Bounded Genus and k-partite graphs
Consider the following problem. A seller has infinite copies of products
represented by nodes in a graph. There are consumers, each has a budget and
wants to buy two products. Consumers are represented by weighted edges. Given
the prices of products, each consumer will buy both products she wants, at the
given price, if she can afford to. Our objective is to help the seller price
the products to maximize her profit.
This problem is called {\em graph vertex pricing} ({\sf GVP}) problem and has
resisted several recent attempts despite its current simple solution. This
motivates the study of this problem on special classes of graphs. In this
paper, we study this problem on a large class of graphs such as graphs with
bounded treewidth, bounded genus and -partite graphs.
We show that there exists an {\sf FPTAS} for {\sf GVP} on graphs with bounded
treewidth. This result is also extended to an {\sf FPTAS} for the more general
{\em single-minded pricing} problem. On bounded genus graphs we present a {\sf
PTAS} and show that {\sf GVP} is {\sf NP}-hard even on planar graphs.
We study the Sherali-Adams hierarchy applied to a natural Integer Program
formulation that -approximates the optimal solution of {\sf GVP}.
Sherali-Adams hierarchy has gained much interest recently as a possible
approach to develop new approximation algorithms. We show that, when the input
graph has bounded treewidth or bounded genus, applying a constant number of
rounds of Sherali-Adams hierarchy makes the integrality gap of this natural
{\sf LP} arbitrarily small, thus giving a -approximate solution
to the original {\sf GVP} instance.
On -partite graphs, we present a constant-factor approximation algorithm.
We further improve the approximation factors for paths, cycles and graphs with
degree at most three.Comment: Preprint of the paper to appear in Chicago Journal of Theoretical
Computer Scienc
Multicast Multigroup Precoding and User Scheduling for Frame-Based Satellite Communications
The present work focuses on the forward link of a broadband multibeam
satellite system that aggressively reuses the user link frequency resources.
Two fundamental practical challenges, namely the need to frame multiple users
per transmission and the per-antenna transmit power limitations, are addressed.
To this end, the so-called frame-based precoding problem is optimally solved
using the principles of physical layer multicasting to multiple co-channel
groups under per-antenna constraints. In this context, a novel optimization
problem that aims at maximizing the system sum rate under individual power
constraints is proposed. Added to that, the formulation is further extended to
include availability constraints. As a result, the high gains of the sum rate
optimal design are traded off to satisfy the stringent availability
requirements of satellite systems. Moreover, the throughput maximization with a
granular spectral efficiency versus SINR function, is formulated and solved.
Finally, a multicast-aware user scheduling policy, based on the channel state
information, is developed. Thus, substantial multiuser diversity gains are
gleaned. Numerical results over a realistic simulation environment exhibit as
much as 30% gains over conventional systems, even for 7 users per frame,
without modifying the framing structure of legacy communication standards.Comment: Accepted for publication to the IEEE Transactions on Wireless
Communications, 201
Traffic Control for Network Protection Against Spreading Processes
Epidemic outbreaks in human populations are facilitated by the underlying
transportation network. We consider strategies for containing a viral spreading
process by optimally allocating a limited budget to three types of protection
resources: (i) Traffic control resources, (ii), preventative resources and
(iii) corrective resources. Traffic control resources are employed to impose
restrictions on the traffic flowing across directed edges in the transportation
network. Preventative resources are allocated to nodes to reduce the
probability of infection at that node (e.g. vaccines), and corrective resources
are allocated to nodes to increase the recovery rate at that node (e.g.
antidotes). We assume these resources have monetary costs associated with them,
from which we formalize an optimal budget allocation problem which maximizes
containment of the infection. We present a polynomial time solution to the
optimal budget allocation problem using Geometric Programming (GP) for an
arbitrary weighted and directed contact network and a large class of resource
cost functions. We illustrate our approach by designing optimal traffic control
strategies to contain an epidemic outbreak that propagates through a real-world
air transportation network.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1309.627
From the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm to a Quantum Alternating Operator Ansatz
The next few years will be exciting as prototype universal quantum processors
emerge, enabling implementation of a wider variety of algorithms. Of particular
interest are quantum heuristics, which require experimentation on quantum
hardware for their evaluation, and which have the potential to significantly
expand the breadth of quantum computing applications. A leading candidate is
Farhi et al.'s Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm, which alternates
between applying a cost-function-based Hamiltonian and a mixing Hamiltonian.
Here, we extend this framework to allow alternation between more general
families of operators. The essence of this extension, the Quantum Alternating
Operator Ansatz, is the consideration of general parametrized families of
unitaries rather than only those corresponding to the time-evolution under a
fixed local Hamiltonian for a time specified by the parameter. This ansatz
supports the representation of a larger, and potentially more useful, set of
states than the original formulation, with potential long-term impact on a
broad array of application areas. For cases that call for mixing only within a
desired subspace, refocusing on unitaries rather than Hamiltonians enables more
efficiently implementable mixers than was possible in the original framework.
Such mixers are particularly useful for optimization problems with hard
constraints that must always be satisfied, defining a feasible subspace, and
soft constraints whose violation we wish to minimize. More efficient
implementation enables earlier experimental exploration of an alternating
operator approach to a wide variety of approximate optimization, exact
optimization, and sampling problems. Here, we introduce the Quantum Alternating
Operator Ansatz, lay out design criteria for mixing operators, detail mappings
for eight problems, and provide brief descriptions of mappings for diverse
problems.Comment: 51 pages, 2 figures. Revised to match journal pape
- …