On k-Column Sparse Packing Programs

We consider the class of packing integer programs (PIPs) that are column sparse, i.e. there is a specified upper bound k on the number of constraints that each variable appears in. We give an (ek+o(k))-approximation algorithm for k-column sparse PIPs, improving on recent results of $k^2\cdot 2^k$ and $O(k^2)$. We also show that the integrality gap of our linear programming relaxation is at least 2k-1; it is known that k-column sparse PIPs are $\Omega(k/ \log k)$-hard to approximate. We also extend our result (at the loss of a small constant factor) to the more general case of maximizing a submodular objective over k-column sparse packing constraints.Comment: 19 pages, v3: additional detail

An asymptotic existence result on compressed sensing matrices

For any rational number $h$ and all sufficiently large $n$ we give a deterministic construction for an $n\times \lfloor hn\rfloor$ compressed sensing matrix with $(\ell_1,t)$-recoverability where $t=O(\sqrt{n})$. Our method uses pairwise balanced designs and complex Hadamard matrices in the construction of $\epsilon$-equiangular frames, which we introduce as a generalisation of equiangular tight frames. The method is general and produces good compressed sensing matrices from any appropriately chosen pairwise balanced design. The $(\ell_1,t)$-recoverability performance is specified as a simple function of the parameters of the design. To obtain our asymptotic existence result we prove new results on the existence of pairwise balanced designs in which the numbers of blocks of each size are specified.Comment: 15 pages, no figures. Minor improvements and updates in February 201

A list version of graph packing

We consider the following generalization of graph packing. Let $G_{1} = (V_{1}, E_{1})$ and $G_{2} = (V_{2}, E_{2})$ be graphs of order $n$ and $G_{3} = (V_{1} \cup V_{2}, E_{3})$ a bipartite graph. A bijection $f$ from $V_{1}$ onto $V_{2}$ is a list packing of the triple $(G_{1}, G_{2}, G_{3})$ if $uv \in E_{2}$ implies $f(u)f(v) \notin E_{2}$ and $vf(v) \notin E_{3}$ for all $v \in V_{1}$. We extend the classical results of Sauer and Spencer and Bollob\'{a}s and Eldridge on packing of graphs with small sizes or maximum degrees to the setting of list packing. In particular, we extend the well-known Bollob\'{a}s--Eldridge Theorem, proving that if $\Delta (G_{1}) \leq n-2, \Delta(G_{2}) \leq n-2, \Delta(G_{3}) \leq n-1$, and $|E_1| + |E_2| + |E_3| \leq 2n-3$, then either $(G_{1}, G_{2}, G_{3})$ packs or is one of 7 possible exceptions. Hopefully, the concept of list packing will help to solve some problems on ordinary graph packing, as the concept of list coloring did for ordinary coloring.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Invaded cluster algorithm for critical properties of periodic and aperiodic planar Ising models

We demonstrate that the invaded cluster algorithm, recently introduced by Machta et al, is a fast and reliable tool for determining the critical temperature and the magnetic critical exponent of periodic and aperiodic ferromagnetic Ising models in two dimensions. The algorithm is shown to reproduce the known values of the critical temperature on various periodic and quasiperiodic graphs with an accuracy of more than three significant digits. On two quasiperiodic graphs which were not investigated in this respect before, the twelvefold symmetric square-triangle tiling and the tenfold symmetric T\"ubingen triangle tiling, we determine the critical temperature. Furthermore, a generalization of the algorithm to non-identical coupling strengths is presented and applied to a class of Ising models on the Labyrinth tiling. For generic cases in which the heuristic Harris-Luck criterion predicts deviations from the Onsager universality class, we find a magnetic critical exponent different from the Onsager value. But also notable exceptions to the criterion are found which consist not only of the exactly solvable cases, in agreement with a recent exact result, but also of the self-dual ones and maybe more.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures; v2: Fig. 5b replaced, minor change

Improving bounds on packing densities of 4-point permutations

We consolidate what is currently known about packing densities of 4-point permutations and in the process improve the lower bounds for the packing densities of 1324 and 1342. We also provide rigorous upper bounds for the packing densities of 1324, 1342, and 2413. All our bounds are within $10^{-4}$ of the true packing densities. Together with the known bounds, this gives us a fairly complete picture of all 4-point packing densities. We also provide new upper bounds for several small permutations of length at least five. Our main tool for the upper bounds is the framework of flag algebras introduced by Razborov in 2007.Comment: journal style, 18 page