Parameterized Complexity of Edge Interdiction Problems

We study the parameterized complexity of interdiction problems in graphs. For an optimization problem on graphs, one can formulate an interdiction problem as a game consisting of two players, namely, an interdictor and an evader, who compete on an objective with opposing interests. In edge interdiction problems, every edge of the input graph has an interdiction cost associated with it and the interdictor interdicts the graph by modifying the edges in the graph, and the number of such modifications is constrained by the interdictor's budget. The evader then solves the given optimization problem on the modified graph. The action of the interdictor must impede the evader as much as possible. We focus on edge interdiction problems related to minimum spanning tree, maximum matching and shortest paths. These problems arise in different real world scenarios. We derive several fixed-parameter tractability and W[1]-hardness results for these interdiction problems with respect to various parameters. Next, we show close relation between interdiction problems and partial cover problems on bipartite graphs where the goal is not to cover all elements but to minimize/maximize the number of covered elements with specific number of sets. Hereby, we investigate the parameterized complexity of several partial cover problems on bipartite graphs

Locating-total dominating sets in twin-free graphs: a conjecture

A total dominating set of a graph $G$ is a set $D$ of vertices of $G$ such that every vertex of $G$ has a neighbor in $D$. A locating-total dominating set of $G$ is a total dominating set $D$ of $G$ with the additional property that every two distinct vertices outside $D$ have distinct neighbors in $D$; that is, for distinct vertices $u$ and $v$ outside $D$, $N(u) \cap D \ne N(v) \cap D$ where $N(u)$ denotes the open neighborhood of $u$. A graph is twin-free if every two distinct vertices have distinct open and closed neighborhoods. The location-total domination number of $G$, denoted $LT(G)$, is the minimum cardinality of a locating-total dominating set in $G$. It is well-known that every connected graph of order $n \geq 3$ has a total dominating set of size at most $\frac{2}{3}n$. We conjecture that if $G$ is a twin-free graph of order $n$ with no isolated vertex, then $LT(G) \leq \frac{2}{3}n$. We prove the conjecture for graphs without $4$-cycles as a subgraph. We also prove that if $G$ is a twin-free graph of order $n$, then $LT(G) \le \frac{3}{4}n$.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figur