In multi-criteria optimization problems, several objective functions have to
be optimized. Since the different objective functions are usually in conflict
with each other, one cannot consider only one particular solution as the
optimal solution. Instead, the aim is to compute a so-called Pareto curve of
solutions. Since Pareto curves cannot be computed efficiently in general, we
have to be content with approximations to them.
We design a deterministic polynomial-time algorithm for multi-criteria
g-metric STSP that computes (min{1 +g, 2g^2/(2g^2 -2g +1)} + eps)-approximate
Pareto curves for all 1/2<=g<=1. In particular, we obtain a
(2+eps)-approximation for multi-criteria metric STSP. We also present two
randomized approximation algorithms for multi-criteria g-metric STSP that
achieve approximation ratios of (2g^3 +2g^2)/(3g^2 -2g +1) + eps and (1 +g)/(1
+3g -4g^2) + eps, respectively.
Moreover, we present randomized approximation algorithms for multi-criteria
g-metric ATSP (ratio 1/2 + g^3/(1 -3g^2) + eps) for g < 1/sqrt(3)), STSP with
weights 1 and 2 (ratio 4/3) and ATSP with weights 1 and 2 (ratio 3/2). To do
this, we design randomized approximation schemes for multi-criteria cycle cover
and graph factor problems.Comment: To appear in Algorithmica. A preliminary version has been presented
at the 4th Workshop on Approximation and Online Algorithms (WAOA 2006