17,528 research outputs found
Improved Approximation Algorithms for Computing k Disjoint Paths Subject to Two Constraints
For a given graph with positive integral cost and delay on edges,
distinct vertices and , cost bound and delay bound , the bi-constraint path (BCP) problem is to compute disjoint
-paths subject to and . This problem is known NP-hard, even when
\cite{garey1979computers}. This paper first gives a simple approximation
algorithm with factor-, i.e. the algorithm computes a solution with
delay and cost bounded by and respectively. Later, a novel improved
approximation algorithm with ratio
is developed by constructing
interesting auxiliary graphs and employing the cycle cancellation method. As a
consequence, we can obtain a factor- approximation algorithm by
setting and a factor- algorithm by
setting . Besides, by setting , an
approximation algorithm with ratio , i.e. an algorithm with
only a single factor ratio on cost, can be immediately obtained. To
the best of our knowledge, this is the first non-trivial approximation
algorithm for the BCP problem that strictly obeys the delay constraint.Comment: 12 page
Maximum Skew-Symmetric Flows and Matchings
The maximum integer skew-symmetric flow problem (MSFP) generalizes both the
maximum flow and maximum matching problems. It was introduced by Tutte in terms
of self-conjugate flows in antisymmetrical digraphs. He showed that for these
objects there are natural analogs of classical theoretical results on usual
network flows, such as the flow decomposition, augmenting path, and max-flow
min-cut theorems. We give unified and shorter proofs for those theoretical
results.
We then extend to MSFP the shortest augmenting path method of Edmonds and
Karp and the blocking flow method of Dinits, obtaining algorithms with similar
time bounds in general case. Moreover, in the cases of unit arc capacities and
unit ``node capacities'' the blocking skew-symmetric flow algorithm has time
bounds similar to those established in Even and Tarjan (1975) and Karzanov
(1973) for Dinits' algorithm. In particular, this implies an algorithm for
finding a maximum matching in a nonbipartite graph in time,
which matches the time bound for the algorithm of Micali and Vazirani. Finally,
extending a clique compression technique of Feder and Motwani to particular
skew-symmetric graphs, we speed up the implied maximum matching algorithm to
run in time, improving the best known bound
for dense nonbipartite graphs.
Also other theoretical and algorithmic results on skew-symmetric flows and
their applications are presented.Comment: 35 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Mathematical Programming, minor
stylistic corrections and shortenings to the original versio
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