66 research outputs found
The complexity of approximating conservative counting CSPs
We study the complexity of approximately solving the weighted counting
constraint satisfaction problem #CSP(F). In the conservative case, where F
contains all unary functions, there is a classification known for the case in
which the domain of functions in F is Boolean. In this paper, we give a
classification for the more general problem where functions in F have an
arbitrary finite domain. We define the notions of weak log-modularity and weak
log-supermodularity. We show that if F is weakly log-modular, then #CSP(F)is in
FP. Otherwise, it is at least as difficult to approximate as #BIS, the problem
of counting independent sets in bipartite graphs. #BIS is complete with respect
to approximation-preserving reductions for a logically-defined complexity class
#RHPi1, and is believed to be intractable. We further sub-divide the #BIS-hard
case. If F is weakly log-supermodular, then we show that #CSP(F) is as easy as
a (Boolean) log-supermodular weighted #CSP. Otherwise, we show that it is
NP-hard to approximate. Finally, we give a full trichotomy for the arity-2
case, where #CSP(F) is in FP, or is #BIS-equivalent, or is equivalent in
difficulty to #SAT, the problem of approximately counting the satisfying
assignments of a Boolean formula in conjunctive normal form. We also discuss
the algorithmic aspects of our classification.Comment: Minor revisio
Galois correspondence for counting quantifiers
We introduce a new type of closure operator on the set of relations,
max-implementation, and its weaker analog max-quantification. Then we show that
approximation preserving reductions between counting constraint satisfaction
problems (#CSPs) are preserved by these two types of closure operators.
Together with some previous results this means that the approximation
complexity of counting CSPs is determined by partial clones of relations that
additionally closed under these new types of closure operators. Galois
correspondence of various kind have proved to be quite helpful in the study of
the complexity of the CSP. While we were unable to identify a Galois
correspondence for partial clones closed under max-implementation and
max-quantification, we obtain such results for slightly different type of
closure operators, k-existential quantification. This type of quantifiers are
known as counting quantifiers in model theory, and often used to enhance first
order logic languages. We characterize partial clones of relations closed under
k-existential quantification as sets of relations invariant under a set of
partial functions that satisfy the condition of k-subset surjectivity. Finally,
we give a description of Boolean max-co-clones, that is, sets of relations on
{0,1} closed under max-implementations.Comment: 28 pages, 2 figure
Counting Constraint Satisfaction Problems
This chapter surveys counting Constraint Satisfaction Problems (counting CSPs, or #CSPs) and their computational complexity. It aims to provide an introduction to the main concepts and techniques, and present a representative selection of results and open problems. It does not cover holants, which are the subject of a separate chapter
Zero-Temperature Limit of a Convergent Algorithm to Minimize the Bethe Free Energy
After the discovery that fixed points of loopy belief propagation coincide
with stationary points of the Bethe free energy, several researchers proposed
provably convergent algorithms to directly minimize the Bethe free energy.
These algorithms were formulated only for non-zero temperature (thus finding
fixed points of the sum-product algorithm) and their possible extension to zero
temperature is not obvious. We present the zero-temperature limit of the
double-loop algorithm by Heskes, which converges a max-product fixed point. The
inner loop of this algorithm is max-sum diffusion. Under certain conditions,
the algorithm combines the complementary advantages of the max-product belief
propagation and max-sum diffusion (LP relaxation): it yields good approximation
of both ground states and max-marginals.Comment: Research Repor
Revisiting the Linear Programming Relaxation Approach to Gibbs Energy Minimization and Weighted Constraint Satisfaction
We present a number of contributions to the LP relaxation approach to weighted constraint satisfaction (= Gibbs energy minimization). We link this approach to many works from constraint programming, which relation has so far been ignored in machine vision and learning. While the approach has been mostly considered only for binary constraints, we generalize it to n-ary constraints in a simple and natural way. This includes a simple algorithm to minimize the LP-based upper bound, n-ary max-sum diffusion – however, we consider using other bound-optimizing algorithms as well. The diffusion iteration is tractable for a certain class of higharity constraints represented as a black-box, which is analogical to propagators for global constraints CSP. Diffusion exactly solves permuted n-ary supermodular problems. A hierarchy of gradually tighter LP relaxations is obtained simply by adding various zero constraints and coupling them in various ways to existing constraints. Zero constraints can be added incrementally, which leads to a cutting plane algorithm. The separation problem is formulated as finding an unsatisfiable subproblem of a CSP
The Complexity of Valued Constraint Satisfaction Problems in a Nutshell
National audienceThe valued constraint satisfaction problem was introduced by Schiex et al. [23] as a unifying framework for studying constraint programming with soft constraints. A systematic worst-case complexity theoretical investigation of this problem was initiated by Cohen et al. [4], building on ideas from the successful classi cation programme for the ordinary constraint satisfaction problem. In addition to the decision problem for constraint satisfaction, this framework also captures problems as varied as Max CSP and integer programming with bounded domains. This paper is intended to give a quick introduction to the questions, the main results, and the current state of the complexity classi cation of valued constraint satisfaction problems. Two special cases are looked at in some detail : the classi cation for the Boolean domain and the less well-understood case of Max CSP. Some recent results for general constraint languages are also reviewed, as well as the connection to the very active study of approximation algorithms for Max CSP
The Power of Linear Programming for Valued CSPs
A class of valued constraint satisfaction problems (VCSPs) is characterised
by a valued constraint language, a fixed set of cost functions on a finite
domain. An instance of the problem is specified by a sum of cost functions from
the language with the goal to minimise the sum. This framework includes and
generalises well-studied constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) and maximum
constraint satisfaction problems (Max-CSPs).
Our main result is a precise algebraic characterisation of valued constraint
languages whose instances can be solved exactly by the basic linear programming
relaxation. Using this result, we obtain tractability of several novel and
previously widely-open classes of VCSPs, including problems over valued
constraint languages that are: (1) submodular on arbitrary lattices; (2)
bisubmodular (also known as k-submodular) on arbitrary finite domains; (3)
weakly (and hence strongly) tree-submodular on arbitrary trees.Comment: Corrected a few typo
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