Range Queries on Uncertain Data

Given a set $P$ of $n$ uncertain points on the real line, each represented by its one-dimensional probability density function, we consider the problem of building data structures on $P$ to answer range queries of the following three types for any query interval $I$: (1) top-$1$ query: find the point in $P$ that lies in $I$ with the highest probability, (2) top-$k$ query: given any integer $k\leq n$ as part of the query, return the $k$ points in $P$ that lie in $I$ with the highest probabilities, and (3) threshold query: given any threshold $\tau$ as part of the query, return all points of $P$ that lie in $I$ with probabilities at least $\tau$. We present data structures for these range queries with linear or nearly linear space and efficient query time.Comment: 26 pages. A preliminary version of this paper appeared in ISAAC 2014. In this full version, we also present solutions to the most general case of the problem (i.e., the histogram bounded case), which were left as open problems in the preliminary versio

The Total s-Energy of a Multiagent System

We introduce the "total s-energy" of a multiagent system with time-dependent links. This provides a new analytical lens on bidirectional agreement dynamics, which we use to bound the convergence rates of dynamical systems for synchronization, flocking, opinion dynamics, and social epistemology

Finding Pairwise Intersections Inside a Query Range

We study the following problem: preprocess a set O of objects into a data structure that allows us to efficiently report all pairs of objects from O that intersect inside an axis-aligned query range Q. We present data structures of size $O(n({\rm polylog} n))$ and with query time $O((k+1)({\rm polylog} n))$ time, where k is the number of reported pairs, for two classes of objects in the plane: axis-aligned rectangles and objects with small union complexity. For the 3-dimensional case where the objects and the query range are axis-aligned boxes in R^3, we present a data structures of size $O(n\sqrt{n}({\rm polylog} n))$ and query time $O((\sqrt{n}+k)({\rm polylog} n))$. When the objects and query are fat, we obtain $O((k+1)({\rm polylog} n))$ query time using $O(n({\rm polylog} n))$ storage

Inertial Hegselmann-Krause Systems

We derive an energy bound for inertial Hegselmann-Krause (HK) systems, which we define as a variant of the classic HK model in which the agents can change their weights arbitrarily at each step. We use the bound to prove the convergence of HK systems with closed-minded agents, which settles a conjecture of long standing. This paper also introduces anchored HK systems and show their equivalence to the symmetric heterogeneous model

Orthogonal Range Reporting and Rectangle Stabbing for Fat Rectangles

In this paper we study two geometric data structure problems in the special case when input objects or queries are fat rectangles. We show that in this case a significant improvement compared to the general case can be achieved. We describe data structures that answer two- and three-dimensional orthogonal range reporting queries in the case when the query range is a \emph{fat} rectangle. Our two-dimensional data structure uses $O(n)$ words and supports queries in $O(\log\log U +k)$ time, where $n$ is the number of points in the data structure, $U$ is the size of the universe and $k$ is the number of points in the query range. Our three-dimensional data structure needs $O(n\log^{\varepsilon}U)$ words of space and answers queries in $O(\log \log U + k)$ time. We also consider the rectangle stabbing problem on a set of three-dimensional fat rectangles. Our data structure uses $O(n)$ space and answers stabbing queries in $O(\log U\log\log U +k)$ time.Comment: extended version of a WADS'19 pape

Toward a Theory of Markov Influence Systems and their Renormalization

Nonlinear Markov chains are probabilistic models commonly used in physics, biology, and the social sciences. In "Markov influence systems" (MIS), the transition probabilities of the chains change as a function of the current state distribution. This work introduces a renormalization framework for analyzing the dynamics of MIS. It comes in two independent parts: first, we generalize the standard classification of Markov chain states to the dynamic case by showing how to "parse" graph sequences. We then use this framework to carry out the bifurcation analysis of a few important MIS families. In particular, we show that irreducible MIS are almost always asymptotically periodic. We also give an example of "hyper-torpid" mixing, where a stationary distribution is reached in super-exponential time, a timescale that cannot be achieved by any Markov chain

A Sharp Bound on the ss-Energy and Its Applications to Averaging Systems

The {\em $s$-energy} is a generating function of wide applicability in network-based dynamics. We derive an (essentially) optimal bound of $(3/\rho s)^{n-1}$ on the $s$-energy of an $n$-agent symmetric averaging system, for any positive real $s\leq 1$, where~$\rho$ is a lower bound on the nonzero weights. This is done by introducing the new dynamics of {\em twist systems}. We show how to use the new bound on the $s$-energy to tighten the convergence rate of systems in opinion dynamics, flocking, and synchronization