3,668 research outputs found
Lossy Kernelization
In this paper we propose a new framework for analyzing the performance of
preprocessing algorithms. Our framework builds on the notion of kernelization
from parameterized complexity. However, as opposed to the original notion of
kernelization, our definitions combine well with approximation algorithms and
heuristics. The key new definition is that of a polynomial size
-approximate kernel. Loosely speaking, a polynomial size
-approximate kernel is a polynomial time pre-processing algorithm that
takes as input an instance to a parameterized problem, and outputs
another instance to the same problem, such that . Additionally, for every , a -approximate solution
to the pre-processed instance can be turned in polynomial time into a
-approximate solution to the original instance .
Our main technical contribution are -approximate kernels of
polynomial size for three problems, namely Connected Vertex Cover, Disjoint
Cycle Packing and Disjoint Factors. These problems are known not to admit any
polynomial size kernels unless . Our approximate
kernels simultaneously beat both the lower bounds on the (normal) kernel size,
and the hardness of approximation lower bounds for all three problems. On the
negative side we prove that Longest Path parameterized by the length of the
path and Set Cover parameterized by the universe size do not admit even an
-approximate kernel of polynomial size, for any , unless
. In order to prove this lower bound we need to combine
in a non-trivial way the techniques used for showing kernelization lower bounds
with the methods for showing hardness of approximationComment: 58 pages. Version 2 contain new results: PSAKS for Cycle Packing and
approximate kernel lower bounds for Set Cover and Hitting Set parameterized
by universe siz
Parameterized Edge Hamiltonicity
We study the parameterized complexity of the classical Edge Hamiltonian Path
problem and give several fixed-parameter tractability results. First, we settle
an open question of Demaine et al. by showing that Edge Hamiltonian Path is FPT
parameterized by vertex cover, and that it also admits a cubic kernel. We then
show fixed-parameter tractability even for a generalization of the problem to
arbitrary hypergraphs, parameterized by the size of a (supplied) hitting set.
We also consider the problem parameterized by treewidth or clique-width.
Surprisingly, we show that the problem is FPT for both of these standard
parameters, in contrast to its vertex version, which is W-hard for
clique-width. Our technique, which may be of independent interest, relies on a
structural characterization of clique-width in terms of treewidth and complete
bipartite subgraphs due to Gurski and Wanke
Thresholds in Random Motif Graphs
We introduce a natural generalization of the Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi random graph
model in which random instances of a fixed motif are added independently. The
binomial random motif graph is the random (multi)graph obtained by
adding an instance of a fixed graph on each of the copies of in the
complete graph on vertices, independently with probability . We
establish that every monotone property has a threshold in this model, and
determine the thresholds for connectivity, Hamiltonicity, the existence of a
perfect matching, and subgraph appearance. Moreover, in the first three cases
we give the analogous hitting time results; with high probability, the first
graph in the random motif graph process that has minimum degree one (or two) is
connected and contains a perfect matching (or Hamiltonian respectively).Comment: 19 page
Approximation Algorithms for Polynomial-Expansion and Low-Density Graphs
We study the family of intersection graphs of low density objects in low
dimensional Euclidean space. This family is quite general, and includes planar
graphs. We prove that such graphs have small separators. Next, we present
efficient -approximation algorithms for these graphs, for
Independent Set, Set Cover, and Dominating Set problems, among others. We also
prove corresponding hardness of approximation for some of these optimization
problems, providing a characterization of their intractability in terms of
density
The Graph Motif problem parameterized by the structure of the input graph
The Graph Motif problem was introduced in 2006 in the context of biological
networks. It consists of deciding whether or not a multiset of colors occurs in
a connected subgraph of a vertex-colored graph. Graph Motif has been mostly
analyzed from the standpoint of parameterized complexity. The main parameters
which came into consideration were the size of the multiset and the number of
colors. Though, in the many applications of Graph Motif, the input graph
originates from real-life and has structure. Motivated by this prosaic
observation, we systematically study its complexity relatively to graph
structural parameters. For a wide range of parameters, we give new or improved
FPT algorithms, or show that the problem remains intractable. For the FPT
cases, we also give some kernelization lower bounds as well as some ETH-based
lower bounds on the worst case running time. Interestingly, we establish that
Graph Motif is W[1]-hard (while in W[P]) for parameter max leaf number, which
is, to the best of our knowledge, the first problem to behave this way.Comment: 24 pages, accepted in DAM, conference version in IPEC 201
An FPT algorithm and a polynomial kernel for Linear Rankwidth-1 Vertex Deletion
Linear rankwidth is a linearized variant of rankwidth, introduced by Oum and
Seymour [Approximating clique-width and branch-width. J. Combin. Theory Ser. B,
96(4):514--528, 2006]. Motivated from recent development on graph modification
problems regarding classes of graphs of bounded treewidth or pathwidth, we
study the Linear Rankwidth-1 Vertex Deletion problem (shortly, LRW1-Vertex
Deletion). In the LRW1-Vertex Deletion problem, given an -vertex graph
and a positive integer , we want to decide whether there is a set of at most
vertices whose removal turns into a graph of linear rankwidth at most
and find such a vertex set if one exists. While the meta-theorem of
Courcelle, Makowsky, and Rotics implies that LRW1-Vertex Deletion can be solved
in time for some function , it is not clear whether this
problem allows a running time with a modest exponential function.
We first establish that LRW1-Vertex Deletion can be solved in time . The major obstacle to this end is how to handle a long
induced cycle as an obstruction. To fix this issue, we define necklace graphs
and investigate their structural properties. Later, we reduce the polynomial
factor by refining the trivial branching step based on a cliquewidth expression
of a graph, and obtain an algorithm that runs in time . We also prove that the running time cannot be improved to under the Exponential Time Hypothesis assumption. Lastly,
we show that the LRW1-Vertex Deletion problem admits a polynomial kernel.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures, An extended abstract appeared in IPEC201
The Best Mixing Time for Random Walks on Trees
We characterize the extremal structures for mixing walks on trees that start
from the most advantageous vertex. Let be a tree with stationary
distribution . For a vertex , let denote the expected
length of an optimal stopping rule from to . The \emph{best mixing
time} for is . We show that among all trees with
, the best mixing time is minimized uniquely by the star. For even ,
the best mixing time is maximized by the uniquely path. Surprising, for odd
, the best mixing time is maximized uniquely by a path of length with
a single leaf adjacent to one central vertex.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, 3 table
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