Parameterized Complexity of Deletion to Scattered Graph Classes

Graph-modification problems, where we add/delete a small number of vertices/edges to make the given graph to belong to a simpler graph class, is a well-studied optimization problem in all algorithmic paradigms including classical, approximation and parameterized complexity. Specifically, graph-deletion problems, where one needs to delete at most k vertices to place it in a given non-trivial hereditary (closed under induced subgraphs) graph class, captures several well-studied problems including Vertex Cover, Feedback Vertex Set, Odd Cycle Transveral, Cluster Vertex Deletion, and Perfect Deletion. Investigation into these problems in parameterized complexity has given rise to powerful tools and techniques. While a precise characterization of the graph classes for which the problem is fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) is elusive, it has long been known that if the graph class is characterized by a finite set of forbidden graphs, then the problem is FPT. In this paper, we initiate a study of a natural variation of the problem of deletion to scattered graph classes where we need to delete at most k vertices so that in the resulting graph, each connected component belongs to one of a constant number of graph classes. A simple hitting set based approach is no longer feasible even if each of the graph classes is characterized by finite forbidden sets. As our main result, we show that this problem (in the case where each graph class has a finite forbidden set) is fixed-parameter tractable by a O^*(2^(k^O(1))) algorithm, using a combination of the well-known techniques in parameterized complexity - iterative compression and important separators. Our approach follows closely that of a related problem in the context of satisfiability [Ganian, Ramanujan, Szeider, TAlg 2017], where one wants to find a small backdoor set so that the resulting CSP (constraint satisfaction problem) instance belongs to one of several easy instances of satisfiability. While we follow the main idea from this work, there are some challenges for our problem which we needed to overcome. When there are two graph classes with finite forbidden sets to get to, and if one of the forbidden sets has a path, then we show that the problem has a (better) singly exponential algorithm and a polynomial sized kernel. We also design an efficient FPT algorithm for a special case when one of the graph classes has an infinite forbidden set. Specifically, we give a O^*(4^k) algorithm to determine whether k vertices can be deleted from a given graph so that in the resulting graph, each connected component is a tree (the sparsest connected graph) or a clique (the densest connected graph)

When Maximum Stable Set Can Be Solved in FPT Time

Maximum Independent Set (MIS for short) is in general graphs the paradigmatic W[1]-hard problem. In stark contrast, polynomial-time algorithms are known when the inputs are restricted to structured graph classes such as, for instance, perfect graphs (which includes bipartite graphs, chordal graphs, co-graphs, etc.) or claw-free graphs. In this paper, we introduce some variants of co-graphs with parameterized noise, that is, graphs that can be made into disjoint unions or complete sums by the removal of a certain number of vertices and the addition/deletion of a certain number of edges per incident vertex, both controlled by the parameter. We give a series of FPT Turing-reductions on these classes and use them to make some progress on the parameterized complexity of MIS in H-free graphs. We show that for every fixed t >=slant 1, MIS is FPT in P(1,t,t,t)-free graphs, where P(1,t,t,t) is the graph obtained by substituting all the vertices of a four-vertex path but one end of the path by cliques of size t. We also provide randomized FPT algorithms in dart-free graphs and in cricket-free graphs. This settles the FPT/W[1]-hard dichotomy for five-vertex graphs H

Hierarchies of Inefficient Kernelizability

The framework of Bodlaender et al. (ICALP 2008) and Fortnow and Santhanam (STOC 2008) allows us to exclude the existence of polynomial kernels for a range of problems under reasonable complexity-theoretical assumptions. However, there are also some issues that are not addressed by this framework, including the existence of Turing kernels such as the "kernelization" of Leaf Out Branching(k) into a disjunction over n instances of size poly(k). Observing that Turing kernels are preserved by polynomial parametric transformations, we define a kernelization hardness hierarchy, akin to the M- and W-hierarchy of ordinary parameterized complexity, by the PPT-closure of problems that seem likely to be fundamentally hard for efficient Turing kernelization. We find that several previously considered problems are complete for our fundamental hardness class, including Min Ones d-SAT(k), Binary NDTM Halting(k), Connected Vertex Cover(k), and Clique(k log n), the clique problem parameterized by k log n

Exploring Subexponential Parameterized Complexity of Completion Problems

Let ${\cal F}$ be a family of graphs. In the ${\cal F}$-Completion problem, we are given a graph $G$ and an integer $k$ as input, and asked whether at most $k$ edges can be added to $G$ so that the resulting graph does not contain a graph from ${\cal F}$ as an induced subgraph. It appeared recently that special cases of ${\cal F}$-Completion, the problem of completing into a chordal graph known as Minimum Fill-in, corresponding to the case of ${\cal F}=\{C_4,C_5,C_6,\ldots\}$, and the problem of completing into a split graph, i.e., the case of ${\cal F}=\{C_4, 2K_2, C_5\}$, are solvable in parameterized subexponential time $2^{O(\sqrt{k}\log{k})}n^{O(1)}$. The exploration of this phenomenon is the main motivation for our research on ${\cal F}$-Completion. In this paper we prove that completions into several well studied classes of graphs without long induced cycles also admit parameterized subexponential time algorithms by showing that: - The problem Trivially Perfect Completion is solvable in parameterized subexponential time $2^{O(\sqrt{k}\log{k})}n^{O(1)}$, that is ${\cal F}$-Completion for ${\cal F} =\{C_4, P_4\}$, a cycle and a path on four vertices. - The problems known in the literature as Pseudosplit Completion, the case where ${\cal F} = \{2K_2, C_4\}$, and Threshold Completion, where ${\cal F} = \{2K_2, P_4, C_4\}$, are also solvable in time $2^{O(\sqrt{k}\log{k})} n^{O(1)}$. We complement our algorithms for ${\cal F}$-Completion with the following lower bounds: - For ${\cal F} = \{2K_2\}$, ${\cal F} = \{C_4\}$, ${\cal F} = \{P_4\}$, and ${\cal F} = \{2K_2, P_4\}$, ${\cal F}$-Completion cannot be solved in time $2^{o(k)} n^{O(1)}$ unless the Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH) fails. Our upper and lower bounds provide a complete picture of the subexponential parameterized complexity of ${\cal F}$-Completion problems for ${\cal F}\subseteq\{2K_2, C_4, P_4\}$.Comment: 32 pages, 16 figures, A preliminary version of this paper appeared in the proceedings of STACS'1

Fast Biclustering by Dual Parameterization

We study two clustering problems, Starforest Editing, the problem of adding and deleting edges to obtain a disjoint union of stars, and the generalization Bicluster Editing. We show that, in addition to being NP-hard, none of the problems can be solved in subexponential time unless the exponential time hypothesis fails. Misra, Panolan, and Saurabh (MFCS 2013) argue that introducing a bound on the number of connected components in the solution should not make the problem easier: In particular, they argue that the subexponential time algorithm for editing to a fixed number of clusters (p-Cluster Editing) by Fomin et al. (J. Comput. Syst. Sci., 80(7) 2014) is an exception rather than the rule. Here, p is a secondary parameter, bounding the number of components in the solution. However, upon bounding the number of stars or bicliques in the solution, we obtain algorithms which run in time $2^{5 \sqrt{pk}} + O(n+m)$ for p-Starforest Editing and $2^{O(p \sqrt{k} \log(pk))} + O(n+m)$ for p-Bicluster Editing. We obtain a similar result for the more general case of t-Partite p-Cluster Editing. This is subexponential in k for fixed number of clusters, since p is then considered a constant. Our results even out the number of multivariate subexponential time algorithms and give reasons to believe that this area warrants further study.Comment: Accepted for presentation at IPEC 201