Zig-zag Sort: A Simple Deterministic Data-Oblivious Sorting Algorithm Running in O(n log n) Time

We describe and analyze Zig-zag Sort--a deterministic data-oblivious sorting algorithm running in O(n log n) time that is arguably simpler than previously known algorithms with similar properties, which are based on the AKS sorting network. Because it is data-oblivious and deterministic, Zig-zag Sort can be implemented as a simple O(n log n)-size sorting network, thereby providing a solution to an open problem posed by Incerpi and Sedgewick in 1985. In addition, Zig-zag Sort is a variant of Shellsort, and is, in fact, the first deterministic Shellsort variant running in O(n log n) time. The existence of such an algorithm was posed as an open problem by Plaxton et al. in 1992 and also by Sedgewick in 1996. More relevant for today, however, is the fact that the existence of a simple data-oblivious deterministic sorting algorithm running in O(n log n) time simplifies the inner-loop computation in several proposed oblivious-RAM simulation methods (which utilize AKS sorting networks), and this, in turn, implies simplified mechanisms for privacy-preserving data outsourcing in several cloud computing applications. We provide both constructive and non-constructive implementations of Zig-zag Sort, based on the existence of a circuit known as an epsilon-halver, such that the constant factors in our constructive implementations are orders of magnitude smaller than those for constructive variants of the AKS sorting network, which are also based on the use of epsilon-halvers.Comment: Appearing in ACM Symp. on Theory of Computing (STOC) 201

Closed classes of functions, generalized constraints and clusters

Classes of functions of several variables on arbitrary non-empty domains that are closed under permutation of variables and addition of dummy variables are characterized in terms of generalized constraints, and hereby Hellerstein's Galois theory of functions and generalized constraints is extended to infinite domains. Furthermore, classes of operations on arbitrary non-empty domains that are closed under permutation of variables, addition of dummy variables and composition are characterized in terms of clusters, and a Galois connection is established between operations and clusters.Comment: 21 page

Redundancy and error resilience in Boolean Networks

We consider the effect of noise in sparse Boolean Networks with redundant functions. We show that they always exhibit a non-zero error level, and the dynamics undergoes a phase transition from non-ergodicity to ergodicity, as a function of noise, after which the system is no longer capable of preserving a memory if its initial state. We obtain upper-bounds on the critical value of noise for networks of different sparsity.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Effective Theories for Circuits and Automata

Abstracting an effective theory from a complicated process is central to the study of complexity. Even when the underlying mechanisms are understood, or at least measurable, the presence of dissipation and irreversibility in biological, computational and social systems makes the problem harder. Here we demonstrate the construction of effective theories in the presence of both irreversibility and noise, in a dynamical model with underlying feedback. We use the Krohn-Rhodes theorem to show how the composition of underlying mechanisms can lead to innovations in the emergent effective theory. We show how dissipation and irreversibility fundamentally limit the lifetimes of these emergent structures, even though, on short timescales, the group properties may be enriched compared to their noiseless counterparts.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure

Computing with and without arbitrary large numbers

In the study of random access machines (RAMs) it has been shown that the availability of an extra input integer, having no special properties other than being sufficiently large, is enough to reduce the computational complexity of some problems. However, this has only been shown so far for specific problems. We provide a characterization of the power of such extra inputs for general problems. To do so, we first correct a classical result by Simon and Szegedy (1992) as well as one by Simon (1981). In the former we show mistakes in the proof and correct these by an entirely new construction, with no great change to the results. In the latter, the original proof direction stands with only minor modifications, but the new results are far stronger than those of Simon (1981). In both cases, the new constructions provide the theoretical tools required to characterize the power of arbitrary large numbers.Comment: 12 pages (main text) + 30 pages (appendices), 1 figure. Extended abstract. The full paper was presented at TAMC 2013. (Reference given is for the paper version, as it appears in the proceedings.

Large random simplicial complexes, I

In this paper we introduce a new model of random simplicial complexes depending on multiple probability parameters. This model includes the well-known Linial - Meshulam random simplicial complexes and random clique complexes as special cases. Topological and geometric properties of a multi-parameter random simplicial complex depend on the whole combination of the probability parameters and the thresholds for topological properties are convex sets rather than numbers (as in all previously known models). We discuss the containment properties, density domains and dimension of the random simplicial complexes.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure

Random geometric complexes

We study the expected topological properties of Cech and Vietoris-Rips complexes built on i.i.d. random points in R^d. We find higher dimensional analogues of known results for connectivity and component counts for random geometric graphs. However, higher homology H_k is not monotone when k > 0. In particular for every k > 0 we exhibit two thresholds, one where homology passes from vanishing to nonvanishing, and another where it passes back to vanishing. We give asymptotic formulas for the expectation of the Betti numbers in the sparser regimes, and bounds in the denser regimes. The main technical contribution of the article is in the application of discrete Morse theory in geometric probability.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, final revisions, to appear in Discrete & Computational Geometr

All Inequalities for the Relative Entropy

The relative entropy of two n-party quantum states is an important quantity exhibiting, for example, the extent to which the two states are different. The relative entropy of the states formed by reducing two n-party to a smaller number $m$ of parties is always less than or equal to the relative entropy of the two original n-party states. This is the monotonicity of relative entropy. Using techniques from convex geometry, we prove that monotonicity under restrictions is the only general inequality satisfied by relative entropies. In doing so we make a connection to secret sharing schemes with general access structures. A suprising outcome is that the structure of allowed relative entropy values of subsets of multiparty states is much simpler than the structure of allowed entropy values. And the structure of allowed relative entropy values (unlike that of entropies) is the same for classical probability distributions and quantum states.Comment: 15 pages, 3 embedded eps figure

Parametrised Complexity of Model Checking and Satisfiability in Propositional Dependence Logic

In this paper, we initiate a systematic study of the parametrised complexity in the field of Dependence Logics which finds its origin in the Dependence Logic of V\"a\"an\"anen from 2007. We study a propositional variant of this logic (PDL) and investigate a variety of parametrisations with respect to the central decision problems. The model checking problem (MC) of PDL is NP-complete. The subject of this research is to identify a list of parametrisations (formula-size, treewidth, treedepth, team-size, number of variables) under which MC becomes fixed-parameter tractable. Furthermore, we show that the number of disjunctions or the arity of dependence atoms (dep-arity) as a parameter both yield a paraNP-completeness result. Then, we consider the satisfiability problem (SAT) showing a different picture: under team-size, or dep-arity SAT is paraNP-complete whereas under all other mentioned parameters the problem is in FPT. Finally, we introduce a variant of the satisfiability problem, asking for teams of a given size, and show for this problem an almost complete picture.Comment: Update includes refined result