Approximating Highly Inapproximable Problems on Graphs of Bounded Twin-Width

For any $\varepsilon > 0$, we give a polynomial-time $n^\varepsilon$-approximation algorithm for Max Independent Set in graphs of bounded twin-width given with an $O(1)$-sequence. This result is derived from the following time-approximation trade-off: We establish an $O(1)^{2^q-1}$-approximation algorithm running in time $\exp(O_q(n^{2^{-q}}))$, for every integer $q \geqslant 0$. Guided by the same framework, we obtain similar approximation algorithms for Min Coloring and Max Induced Matching. In general graphs, all these problems are known to be highly inapproximable: for any $\varepsilon > 0$, a polynomial-time $n^{1-\varepsilon}$-approximation for any of them would imply that P$=$NP [Hastad, FOCS '96; Zuckerman, ToC '07; Chalermsook et al., SODA '13]. We generalize the algorithms for Max Independent Set and Max Induced Matching to the independent (induced) packing of any fixed connected graph $H$. In contrast, we show that such approximation guarantees on graphs of bounded twin-width given with an $O(1)$-sequence are very unlikely for Min Independent Dominating Set, and somewhat unlikely for Longest Path and Longest Induced Path. Regarding the existence of better approximation algorithms, there is a (very) light evidence that the obtained approximation factor of $n^\varepsilon$ for Max Independent Set may be best possible. This is the first in-depth study of the approximability of problems in graphs of bounded twin-width. Prior to this paper, essentially the only such result was a~polynomial-time $O(1)$-approximation algorithm for Min Dominating Set [Bonnet et al., ICALP '21].Comment: 30 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Sparse graphs with bounded induced cycle packing number have logarithmic treewidth

A graph is $O_k$-free if it does not contain $k$ pairwise vertex-disjoint and non-adjacent cycles. We show that Maximum Independent Set and 3-Coloring in $O_k$-free graphs can be solved in quasi-polynomial time. As a main technical result, we establish that "sparse" (here, not containing large complete bipartite graphs as subgraphs) $O_k$-free graphs have treewidth (even, feedback vertex set number) at most logarithmic in the number of vertices. This is proven sharp as there is an infinite family of $O_2$-free graphs without $K_{3,3}$-subgraph and whose treewidth is (at least) logarithmic. Other consequences include that most of the central NP-complete problems (such as Maximum Independent Set, Minimum Vertex Cover, Minimum Dominating Set, Minimum Coloring) can be solved in polynomial time in sparse $O_k$-free graphs, and that deciding the $O_k$-freeness of sparse graphs is polynomial time solvable.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures. v3: improved complexity result

Suite de permutations lors d'une course de n coureurs de vitesses constantes

On considère n coureurs avec des vitesses constantes et diérentes sur une piste circulaire de longueur unitaire. On les numérote de 1 à n ; leur ordre sur la piste forme une permutation.On étudie la suite de ces permutations au cours du temps et plus particulièrement, combien de permutations apparraissent. On utilise le théorème de Kronecker pour montrer qu'avec des vitesses Q linéairement indépendantes, toutes les permutations apparraissent. On montre également que, dans ce cas, les fréquences d'apparition sont les mêmes. Plus généralement on donne une méthode géométrique pour calculer la fréquence dans un cas quelconque

Improved Lower Bounds for the Cyclic Bandwidth Problem

International audienc

Deciding twin-width at most 4 is NP-complete

International audienceWe show that determining if an n-vertex graph has twin-width at most 4 is NP-complete, and requires time 2 Ω(n/ log n) unless the Exponential-Time Hypothesis fails. Along the way, we give an elementary proof that n-vertex graphs subdivided at least 2 log n times have twin-width at most 4. We also show how to encode trigraphs H (2-edge colored graphs involved in the definition of twin-width) into graphs G, in the sense that every d-sequence (sequence of vertex contractions witnessing that the twin-width is at most d) of G inevitably creates H as an induced subtrigraph, whereas there exists a partial d-sequence that actually goes from G to H. We believe that these facts and their proofs can be of independent interest

Sparse graphs with bounded induced cycle packing number have logarithmic treewidth

27 pages, 6 figuresA graph is $O_k$-free if it does not contain $k$ pairwise vertex-disjoint and non-adjacent cycles. We prove that "sparse" (here, not containing large complete bipartite graphs as subgraphs) $O_k$-free graphs have treewidth (even, feedback vertex set number) at most logarithmic in the number of vertices, which is sharp already for $k=2$. As a consequence, most of the central NP-complete problems (such as Maximum Independent Set, Minimum Vertex Cover, Minimum Dominating Set, Minimum Coloring) can be solved in polynomial time in these graphs, and in particular deciding the $O_k$-freeness of sparse graphs is polytime

Sparse graphs with bounded induced cycle packing number have logarithmic treewidth

27 pages, 6 figuresA graph is $O_k$-free if it does not contain $k$ pairwise vertex-disjoint and non-adjacent cycles. We prove that "sparse" (here, not containing large complete bipartite graphs as subgraphs) $O_k$-free graphs have treewidth (even, feedback vertex set number) at most logarithmic in the number of vertices, which is sharp already for $k=2$. As a consequence, most of the central NP-complete problems (such as Maximum Independent Set, Minimum Vertex Cover, Minimum Dominating Set, Minimum Coloring) can be solved in polynomial time in these graphs, and in particular deciding the $O_k$-freeness of sparse graphs is polytime

Sparse graphs with bounded induced cycle packing number have logarithmic treewidth

27 pages, 6 figuresA graph is $O_k$-free if it does not contain $k$ pairwise vertex-disjoint and non-adjacent cycles. We prove that "sparse" (here, not containing large complete bipartite graphs as subgraphs) $O_k$-free graphs have treewidth (even, feedback vertex set number) at most logarithmic in the number of vertices, which is sharp already for $k=2$. As a consequence, most of the central NP-complete problems (such as Maximum Independent Set, Minimum Vertex Cover, Minimum Dominating Set, Minimum Coloring) can be solved in polynomial time in these graphs, and in particular deciding the $O_k$-freeness of sparse graphs is polytime