Graph sparsification for derandomizing massively parallel computation with low space

Massively Parallel Computation (MPC) is an emerging model which distills core aspects of distributed and parallel computation. It was developed as a tool to solve (typically graph) problems in systems where input is distributed over many machines with limited space. Recent work has focused on the regime in which machines have sublinear (in n, number of nodes in the input graph) space, with randomized algorithms presented for the fundamental problems of Maximal Matching and Maximal Independent Set. There are, however, no prior corresponding deterministic algorithms. A major challenge in the sublinear space setting is that the local space of each machine may be too small to store all the edges incident to a single node. To overcome this barrier we introduce a new graph sparsification technique that deterministically computes a low-degree subgraph with additional desired properties: degrees in the subgraph are sufficiently small that nodes’ neighborhoods can be stored on single machines, and solving the problem on the subgraph provides significant global progress towards solving the problem for the original input graph. Using this framework to derandomize the well-known randomized algorithm of Luby [SICOMP’86], we obtain O(log(\Delta) + loglog(n))- round deterministic MPC algorithms for solving the fundamental problems of Maximal Matching and Maximal Independent Set with O(n epsilon) space on each machine for any constant epsilon > 0. Based on the recent work of Ghaffari et al. [FOCS’18], this additive O(loglog(n)) factor is conditionally essential. These algorithms can also be shown to run in O(log(\Delta)) rounds in the closely related model of CONGESTED CLIQUE, improving upon the state-of-the-art bound of O(log^2(\Delta)) rounds by Censor-Hillel et al. [DISC’17]

Improved deterministic (Δ + 1)-coloring in low-space MPC

We present a deterministic O(log log log n)-round low-space Massively Parallel Computation (MPC) algorithm for the classical problem of (Δ + 1)-coloring on n-vertex graphs. In this model, every machine has sublinear local space of size n^b for any arbitrary constant b ∈ (0, 1). Our algorithm works under the relaxed setting where each machine is allowed to perform exponential local computations, while respecting the n^b space and bandwidth limitations. Our key technical contribution is a novel derandomization of the ingenious (Δ + 1)-coloring local algorithm by Chang-Li-Pettie (STOC 2018, SIAM J. Comput. 2020). The Chang-Li-Pettie algorithm runs in T(n) = poly(log log n) rounds, which sets the state-of-the-art randomized round complexity for the problem in the local model. Our derandomization employs a combination of tools, notably pseudorandom generators (PRG) and bounded-independence hash functions. The achieved round complexity of O(log log log n) rounds matches the bound of log(T(n)), which currently serves an upper bound barrier for all known randomized algorithms for locally-checkable problems in this model. Furthermore, no deterministic sublogarithmic low-space MPC algorithms for the (Δ + 1)-coloring problem have been known before