412 research outputs found
Parameterized Inapproximability of Independent Set in -Free Graphs
We study the Independent Set (IS) problem in -free graphs, i.e., graphs
excluding some fixed graph as an induced subgraph. We prove several
inapproximability results both for polynomial-time and parameterized
algorithms.
Halld\'orsson [SODA 1995] showed that for every IS has a
polynomial-time -approximation in -free
graphs. We extend this result by showing that -free graphs admit a
polynomial-time -approximation, where is the
size of a maximum independent set in . Furthermore, we complement the result
of Halld\'orsson by showing that for some there is
no polynomial-time -approximation for these graphs, unless NP = ZPP.
Bonnet et al. [IPEC 2018] showed that IS parameterized by the size of the
independent set is W[1]-hard on graphs which do not contain (1) a cycle of
constant length at least , (2) the star , and (3) any tree with two
vertices of degree at least at constant distance.
We strengthen this result by proving three inapproximability results under
different complexity assumptions for almost the same class of graphs (we weaken
condition (2) that does not contain ). First, under the ETH, there
is no algorithm for any computable function .
Then, under the deterministic Gap-ETH, there is a constant such that
no -approximation can be computed in time. Also,
under the stronger randomized Gap-ETH there is no such approximation algorithm
with runtime .
Finally, we consider the parameterization by the excluded graph , and show
that under the ETH, IS has no algorithm in -free graphs
and under Gap-ETH there is no -approximation for -free
graphs with runtime .Comment: Preliminary version of the paper in WG 2020 proceeding
From Gap-ETH to FPT-Inapproximability: Clique, Dominating Set, and More
We consider questions that arise from the intersection between the areas of
polynomial-time approximation algorithms, subexponential-time algorithms, and
fixed-parameter tractable algorithms. The questions, which have been asked
several times (e.g., [Marx08, FGMS12, DF13]), are whether there is a
non-trivial FPT-approximation algorithm for the Maximum Clique (Clique) and
Minimum Dominating Set (DomSet) problems parameterized by the size of the
optimal solution. In particular, letting be the optimum and be
the size of the input, is there an algorithm that runs in
time and outputs a solution of size
, for any functions and that are independent of (for
Clique, we want )?
In this paper, we show that both Clique and DomSet admit no non-trivial
FPT-approximation algorithm, i.e., there is no
-FPT-approximation algorithm for Clique and no
-FPT-approximation algorithm for DomSet, for any function
(e.g., this holds even if is the Ackermann function). In fact, our results
imply something even stronger: The best way to solve Clique and DomSet, even
approximately, is to essentially enumerate all possibilities. Our results hold
under the Gap Exponential Time Hypothesis (Gap-ETH) [Dinur16, MR16], which
states that no -time algorithm can distinguish between a satisfiable
3SAT formula and one which is not even -satisfiable for some
constant .
Besides Clique and DomSet, we also rule out non-trivial FPT-approximation for
Maximum Balanced Biclique, Maximum Subgraphs with Hereditary Properties, and
Maximum Induced Matching in bipartite graphs. Additionally, we rule out
-FPT-approximation algorithm for Densest -Subgraph although this
ratio does not yet match the trivial -approximation algorithm.Comment: 43 pages. To appear in FOCS'1
Structural Rounding: Approximation Algorithms for Graphs Near an Algorithmically Tractable Class
We develop a framework for generalizing approximation algorithms from the structural graph algorithm literature so that they apply to graphs somewhat close to that class (a scenario we expect is common when working with real-world networks) while still guaranteeing approximation ratios. The idea is to edit a given graph via vertex- or edge-deletions to put the graph into an algorithmically tractable class, apply known approximation algorithms for that class, and then lift the solution to apply to the original graph. We give a general characterization of when an optimization problem is amenable to this approach, and show that it includes many well-studied graph problems, such as Independent Set, Vertex Cover, Feedback Vertex Set, Minimum Maximal Matching, Chromatic Number, (l-)Dominating Set, Edge (l-)Dominating Set, and Connected Dominating Set.
To enable this framework, we develop new editing algorithms that find the approximately-fewest edits required to bring a given graph into one of a few important graph classes (in some cases these are bicriteria algorithms which simultaneously approximate both the number of editing operations and the target parameter of the family). For bounded degeneracy, we obtain an O(r log{n})-approximation and a bicriteria (4,4)-approximation which also extends to a smoother bicriteria trade-off. For bounded treewidth, we obtain a bicriteria (O(log^{1.5} n), O(sqrt{log w}))-approximation, and for bounded pathwidth, we obtain a bicriteria (O(log^{1.5} n), O(sqrt{log w} * log n))-approximation. For treedepth 2 (related to bounded expansion), we obtain a 4-approximation. We also prove complementary hardness-of-approximation results assuming P != NP: in particular, these problems are all log-factor inapproximable, except the last which is not approximable below some constant factor 2 (assuming UGC)
Parameterized Approximation Algorithms for Bidirected Steiner Network Problems
The Directed Steiner Network (DSN) problem takes as input a directed
edge-weighted graph and a set of
demand pairs. The aim is to compute the cheapest network for
which there is an path for each . It is known
that this problem is notoriously hard as there is no
-approximation algorithm under Gap-ETH, even when parametrizing
the runtime by [Dinur & Manurangsi, ITCS 2018]. In light of this, we
systematically study several special cases of DSN and determine their
parameterized approximability for the parameter .
For the bi-DSN problem, the aim is to compute a planar
optimum solution in a bidirected graph , i.e., for every edge
of the reverse edge exists and has the same weight. This problem
is a generalization of several well-studied special cases. Our main result is
that this problem admits a parameterized approximation scheme (PAS) for . We
also prove that our result is tight in the sense that (a) the runtime of our
PAS cannot be significantly improved, and (b) it is unlikely that a PAS exists
for any generalization of bi-DSN, unless FPT=W[1].
One important special case of DSN is the Strongly Connected Steiner Subgraph
(SCSS) problem, for which the solution network needs to strongly
connect a given set of terminals. It has been observed before that for SCSS
a parameterized -approximation exists when parameterized by [Chitnis et
al., IPEC 2013]. We give a tight inapproximability result by showing that for
no parameterized -approximation algorithm exists under
Gap-ETH. Additionally we show that when restricting the input of SCSS to
bidirected graphs, the problem remains NP-hard but becomes FPT for
Independent Set, Induced Matching, and Pricing: Connections and Tight (Subexponential Time) Approximation Hardnesses
We present a series of almost settled inapproximability results for three
fundamental problems. The first in our series is the subexponential-time
inapproximability of the maximum independent set problem, a question studied in
the area of parameterized complexity. The second is the hardness of
approximating the maximum induced matching problem on bounded-degree bipartite
graphs. The last in our series is the tight hardness of approximating the
k-hypergraph pricing problem, a fundamental problem arising from the area of
algorithmic game theory. In particular, assuming the Exponential Time
Hypothesis, our two main results are:
- For any r larger than some constant, any r-approximation algorithm for the
maximum independent set problem must run in at least
2^{n^{1-\epsilon}/r^{1+\epsilon}} time. This nearly matches the upper bound of
2^{n/r} (Cygan et al., 2008). It also improves some hardness results in the
domain of parameterized complexity (e.g., Escoffier et al., 2012 and Chitnis et
al., 2013)
- For any k larger than some constant, there is no polynomial time min
(k^{1-\epsilon}, n^{1/2-\epsilon})-approximation algorithm for the k-hypergraph
pricing problem, where n is the number of vertices in an input graph. This
almost matches the upper bound of min (O(k), \tilde O(\sqrt{n})) (by Balcan and
Blum, 2007 and an algorithm in this paper).
We note an interesting fact that, in contrast to n^{1/2-\epsilon} hardness
for polynomial-time algorithms, the k-hypergraph pricing problem admits
n^{\delta} approximation for any \delta >0 in quasi-polynomial time. This puts
this problem in a rare approximability class in which approximability
thresholds can be improved significantly by allowing algorithms to run in
quasi-polynomial time.Comment: The full version of FOCS 201
Some results on more flexible versions of Graph Motif
The problems studied in this paper originate from Graph Motif, a problem
introduced in 2006 in the context of biological networks. Informally speaking,
it consists in deciding if a multiset of colors occurs in a connected subgraph
of a vertex-colored graph. Due to the high rate of noise in the biological
data, more flexible definitions of the problem have been outlined. We present
in this paper two inapproximability results for two different optimization
variants of Graph Motif: one where the size of the solution is maximized, the
other when the number of substitutions of colors to obtain the motif from the
solution is minimized. We also study a decision version of Graph Motif where
the connectivity constraint is replaced by the well known notion of graph
modularity. While the problem remains NP-complete, it allows algorithms in FPT
for biologically relevant parameterizations
A Survey on Approximation in Parameterized Complexity: Hardness and Algorithms
Parameterization and approximation are two popular ways of coping with
NP-hard problems. More recently, the two have also been combined to derive many
interesting results. We survey developments in the area both from the
algorithmic and hardness perspectives, with emphasis on new techniques and
potential future research directions
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