Subexponential algorithms for partial cover problems

Partial Cover problems are optimization versions of fundamental and well-studied problems like Vertex Cover and Dominating Set. Here one is interested in covering (or dominating) the maximum number of edges (or vertices) using a given number k of vertices, rather than covering all edges (or vertices). In general graphs, these problems are hard for parameterized complexity classes when parameterized by k. It was recently shown by Amini et al. (2008) [1] that Partial Vertex Cover and Partial Dominating Set are fixed parameter tractable on large classes of sparse graphs, namely H-minor-free graphs, which include planar graphs and graphs of bounded genus. In particular, it was shown that on planar graphs both problems can be solved in time ²O(k)nO(1).During the last decade there has been an extensive study on parameterized subexponential algorithms. In particular, it was shown that the classical Vertex Cover and Dominating Set problems can be solved in subexponential time on H-minor-free graphs. The techniques developed to obtain subexponential algorithms for classical problems do not apply to partial cover problems. It was left as an open problem by Amini et al. (2008) [1] whether there is a subexponential algorithm for Partial Vertex Cover and Partial Dominating Set. In this paper, we answer the question affirmatively by solving both problems in time not only on planar graphs but also on much larger classes of graphs, namely, apex-minor-free graphs. Compared to previously known algorithms for these problems our algorithms are significantly faster and simpler.     

A linear kernel for a planar connected dominating set

We provide polynomial time data reduction rules for Connected Dominating Set on planar graphs and analyze these to obtain a linear kernel for the planar Connected Dominating Set problem. To obtain the desired kernel we introduce a method that we call reduce or refine. Our kernelization algorithm analyzes the input graph and either finds an appropriate reduction rule that can be applied, or zooms in on a region of the graph which is more amenable to reduction. We find this method of independent interest and believe that it will be useful for obtaining linear kernels for other problems on planar graphs.     

Exponential Speedup of Fixed-Parameter Algorithms for Classes of Graphs Excluding Single-Crossing Graphs as Minors

We present a fixed-parameter algorithm that constructively solves the $k$-dominating set problem on any class of graphs excluding a single-crossing graph (a graph that can be drawn in the plane with at most one crossing) as a minor in $O(4^{9.55\sqrt{k}}n^{O(1)})$ time. Examples of such graph classes are the $K_{3,3}$-minor-free graphs and the $K_{5}$-minor-free graphs. As a consequence, we extend our results to several other problems such as vertex cover, edge dominating set, independent set, clique-transversal set, kernels in digraphs, feedback vertex set, and a collection of vertex-removal problems. Our work generalizes and extends the recent results of exponential speedup in designing fixed-parameter algorithms on planar graphs due to Alber et al. to other (nonplanar) classes of graphs.     

Sparse Covers for Planar Graphs and Graphs that Exclude a Fixed Minor

We consider the construction of sparse covers for planar graphs and other graphs that exclude a fixed minor. We present an algorithm that gives a cover for the γ-neighborhood of each node. For planar graphs, the cover has radius less than 16γ and degree no more than 18. For every n node graph that excludes a minor of a fixed size, we present an algorithm that yields a cover with radius no more than 4γ and degree O(logn). This is a significant improvement over previous results for planar graphs and for graphs excluding a fixed minor; in order to obtain clusters with radius O(γ), it was required to have the degree polynomial in n. Our algorithms are based on a recursive application of a basic routine called shortest-path clustering, which seems to be a novel approach to the construction of sparse covers. Since sparse covers have many applications in distributed computing, including compact routing, distributed directories, synchronizers, and Universal TSP, our improved cover construction results in improved algorithms for all these problems, for the class of graphs that exclude a fixed minor.     

Drawing Planar Graphs Symmetrically, III: Oneconnected Planar Graphs

Symmetry is one of the most important aesthetic criteria in graph drawing because it reveals structure in the graph. This paper discusses symmetric drawings of oneconnected planar graphs. More specifically, we discuss planar (geometric) automorphisms, that is, automorphisms of a graph G that can be represented as symmetries of a planar drawing of G. Finding planar automorphisms is the first and most difficult step in constructing planar symmetric drawings of graphs. The problem of determining whether a given graph has a nontrivial geometric automorphism is NP-complete for general graphs. The two previous papers in this series have discussed the problem of drawing planar graphs with a maximum number of symmetries, for the restricted cases where the graph is triconnected and biconnected. This paper extends the previous results to cover planar graphs that are oneconnected. We present a linear time algorithm for drawing oneconnected planar graphs with a maximum number of symmetries.     

Algorithmic Graph Minor Theory: Improved Grid Minor Bounds and Wagner’s Contraction

We explore three important avenues of research in algorithmic graph-minor theory, which all stem from a key min-max relation between the treewidth of a graph and its largest grid minor. This min-max relation is a keystone of the Graph Minor Theory of Robertson and Seymour, which ultimately proves Wagner’s Conjecture about the structure of minor-closed graph properties. First, we obtain the only known polynomial min-max relation for graphs that do not exclude any fixed minor, namely, map graphs and power graphs. Second, we obtain explicit (and improved) bounds on the min-max relation for an important class of graphs excluding a minor, namely, K _3,k -minor-free graphs, using new techniques that do not rely on Graph Minor Theory. These two avenues lead to faster fixed-parameter algorithms for two families of graph problems, called minor-bidimensional and contraction-bidimensional parameters, which include feedback vertex set, vertex cover, minimum maximal matching, face cover, a series of vertex-removal parameters, dominating set, edge dominating set, R-dominating set, connected dominating set, connected edge dominating set, connected R-dominating set, and unweighted TSP tour. Third, we disprove a variation of Wagner’s Conjecture for the case of graph contractions in general graphs, and in a sense characterize which graphs satisfy the variation. This result demonstrates the limitations of a general theory of algorithms for the family of contraction-closed problems (which includes, for example, the celebrated dominating-set problem). If this conjecture had been true, we would have had an extremely powerful tool for proving the existence of efficient algorithms for any contraction-closed problem, like we do for minor-closed problems via Graph Minor Theory.     

On the induced matching problem

We study extremal questions on induced matchings in certain natural graph classes. We argue that these questions should be asked for twinless graphs, that is graphs not containing two vertices with the same neighborhood. We show that planar twinless graphs always contain an induced matching of size at least n/40 while there are planar twinless graphs that do not contain an induced matching of size (n+10)/27. We derive similar results for outerplanar graphs and graphs of bounded genus. These extremal results can be applied to the area of parameterized computation. For example, we show that the induced matching problem on planar graphs has a kernel of size at most 40k that is computable in linear time; this significantly improves the results of Moser and Sikdar (2007). We also show that we can decide in time O(k⁹¹+n) whether a planar graph contains an induced matching of size at least k.     

Dominating set is fixed parameter tractable in claw-free graphs

We show that the Dominating Set problem parameterized by solution size is fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) in graphs that do not contain the claw (K_1,3, the complete bipartite graph on four vertices where the two parts have one and three vertices, respectively) as an induced subgraph. We present an algorithm that uses 2^O(k2)n^O(1) time and polynomial space to decide whether a claw-free graph on n vertices has a dominating set of size at most k. Note that this parameterization of Dominating Set is W[2]-hard on the set of all graphs, and thus is unlikely to have an FPT algorithm for graphs in general.The most general class of graphs for which an FPT algorithm was previously known for this parameterization of Dominating Set is the class of K_i,j-free graphs, which exclude, for some fixed i,j∈N, the complete bipartite graph K_i,j as a subgraph. For i,j≥2, the class of claw-free graphs and any class of K_i,j-free graphs are not comparable with respect to set inclusion. We thus extend the range of graphs over which this parameterization of Dominating Set is known to be fixed-parameter tractable.We also show that, in some sense, it is the presence of the claw that makes this parameterization of the Dominating Set problem hard. More precisely, we show that for any t≥4, the Dominating Set problem parameterized by the solution size is W[2]-hard in graphs that exclude the t-claw K_1,t as an induced subgraph. Our arguments also imply that the related Connected Dominating Set and Dominating Clique problems are W[2]-hard in these graph classes.Finally, we show that for any t∈N, the Clique problem parameterized by solution size, which is W[1]-hard on general graphs, is FPT in t-claw-free graphs. Our results add to the small and growing collection of FPT results for graph classes defined by excluded subgraphs, rather than by excluded minors.     

Set Cover和Hitting Set问题的研究进展

Set Cover和Hitting Set问题是两个重要的W[2]完全问题。Set Cover问题在大规模集成电路设备的测试和人员调度等领域有着广泛的应用,Hitting Set问题在生物计算等领域有着重要的应用。在引入参数计算和复杂性理论后,Set Cover和Hitting Set问题再次成为研究的热点。首先介绍Set Cover和Hitting Set的各种分类问题及其定义,并对各种分类问题的计算复杂性和相关算法的研究进展加以分析总结,给出(k,h)-Set Cover和(k,d)-Set Cover问题的复杂性证明。最后总结全文并提出进一步研究的方向。     

Parameterized Complexity of the Spanning Tree Congestion Problem

We study the problem of determining the spanning tree congestion of a?graph. We present some sharp contrasts in the parameterized complexity of this problem. First, we show that on apex-minor-free graphs, a general class of graphs containing planar graphs, graphs of bounded treewidth, and graphs of bounded genus, the problem to determine whether a given graph has spanning tree congestion at most k can be solved in linear time for every fixed k. We also show that for every fixed k and d the problem is solvable in linear time for graphs of degree at most d. In contrast, if we allow only one vertex of unbounded degree, the problem immediately becomes NP-complete for any fixed k??8. Moreover, the hardness result holds for graphs excluding the complete graph on 6 vertices as a minor. We also observe that for k??3 the problem becomes polynomially time solvable.     

Using an interval graph approach to efficiently solve the housing benefit data retrieval problem

Rappos and Thompson use a set covering formulation and a commercial software package to solve the problem of trying to minimize the number of data sets that have to be read in retrieving all new housing benefit (HB) data entries for a fixed period of time. In this paper, we show that determining the minimum number of data sets that have to be read in retrieving all new HB data entries for a fixed period of time can be solved by finding a minimum size clique cover for an interval graph. Since it is well‐known that a greedy algorithm finds a guaranteed minimum size clique cover for an interval graph, this approach will be more efficient than a set covering approach. Finally, it is obvious that this interval graph formulation and greedy algorithm solution approach is applicable to other data retrieval problems.     

Approximating Rooted Connectivity Augmentation Problems

A graph is called {\em $\el$-connected from $U$ to $r$} if there are $\el$ internally disjoint paths from every node $u \in U$ to $r$. The {\em Rooted Subset Connectivity Augmentation Problem} ({\em RSCAP}) is as follows: given a graph $G=(V+r,E)$, a node subset $U \subseteq V$, and an integer $k$, find a smallest set $F$ of new edges such that $G+F$ is $k$-connected from $U$ to $r$. In this paper we consider mainly a restricted version of RSCAP in which the input graph $G$ is already $(k-1)$-connected from $U$ to $r$. For this version we give an $O(\ln\! |U|)$-approximation algorithm, and show that the problem cannot achieve a better approximation guarantee than the Set Cover Problem (SCP) on $|U|$ elements and with $|V|-|U|$ sets. For the general version of RSCAP we give an $O(\ln k \ln\!|U|)$-approximation algorithm. For $U=V$ we get the {\em Rooted Connectivity Augmentation Problem} ({\em RCAP}). For directed graphs RCAP is polynomially solvable, but for undirected graphs its complexity status is not known: no polynomial algorithm is known, and it is also not known to be NP-hard. For undirected graphs with the input graph $G$ being $(k-1)$-connected from $V$ to $r$, we give an algorithm that computes a solution of size at most ${\it opt}+\min\{opt,k\}/2$, where {\it opt} denotes the optimal solution size.     

基于搜索树的平面图支配集算法

许多来自工业应用的优化问题都是NP难问题。确定参数可解FPT作为处理这类问题的另外一种思路,在最近的10多年中受到了广泛的关注。支配集问题是图论中最重要的NP完全的组合优化问题之一,即使对于FPT体系而言,一般图中的支配集问题属于W[2]完全的,意味着不可能设计出复杂度为f(k)no(1)的算法。在本文中,我们考虑在给定的平面图G=(V,E)中参数化支配集问题,给定参数k,看是否存在大小为k的顶点集合支配图中的其他顶点,当把问题限定在平面图上,这个问题属于确定参数可解。本文给出了基于两组归约规则的搜索树算法,通过使用规约技术化简实例,构造搜索树,得到了复杂度为O(8kn)的算法,同时通过相关实验结果显示了归约规则对算法的作用。     

Labeled Search Trees and Amortized Analysis: Improved Upper Bounds for NP-Hard Problems

A sequence of exact algorithms to solve the Vertex Cover and Maximum Independent Set problems have been proposed in the literature. All these algorithms appeal to a very conservative analysis that considers the size of the search tree, under a worst-case scenario, to derive an upper bound on the running time of the algorithm. In this paper we propose a different approach to analyze the size of the search tree. We use amortized analysis to show how simple algorithms, if analyzed properly, may perform much better than the upper bounds on their running time derived by considering only a worst-case scenario. This approach allows us to present a simple algorithm of running time O(1.194^kk² + n) for the parameterized Vertex Cover problem on degree-3 graphs, and a simple algorithm of running time O(1.1255ⁿ) for the Maximum Independent Set problem on degree-3 graphs. Both algorithms improve the previous best algorithms for the problems.     

The parameterized complexity of some minimum label problems

We study the parameterized complexity of several minimum label graph problems, in which we are given an undirected graph whose edges are labeled, and a property Π, and we are asked to find a subset of edges satisfying property Π with respect to G that uses the minimum number of labels. These problems have a lot of applications in networking. We show that all the problems under consideration are W[2]-hard when parameterized by the number of used labels, and that they remain W[2]-hard even on graphs whose pathwidth is bounded above by a small constant. On the positive side, we prove that most of these problems are FPT when parameterized by the solution size, that is, the size of the sought edge set. For example, we show that computing a maximum matching or an edge dominating set that uses the minimum number of labels, is FPT when parameterized by the solution size. Proving that some of these problems are FPT requires interesting algorithmic methods that we develop in this paper.     

反馈集问题的研究进展

反馈集问题是经典的NP难问题,在电路测试、操作系统解死锁、分析工艺流程、生物计算等领域都有重要应用,按照反馈集中元素类型可分为反馈顶点集(FVS)问题和反馈边集(FAS)问题。人们利用线性规划和局部搜索等技术设计了一系列关于FVS和FAS问题的近似算法,并基于分枝一剪枝策略和加权分治技术提出了FVS问题的精确算法。随着参数计算理论的发展,近年来参数化反馈集问题引起了人们的重视,并取得了很大突破。目前已经证明了无向图和有向图中FVS问题和FAS问题都是固定参数可解的(FPT)。利用树分解、分支搜索、迭代压缩等技术,对无向图FVS问题提出了一系列FPT算法。针对某些特殊的应用,人们开展了对具有特殊性质的图上FVS问题的研究,提出了一些多项式时间可解的精确算法。现首先介绍了在无向图中关于FVS问题的近似算法与精确算法,然后具体分析了FVS问题的参数化算法。进一步阐述了关于有向图和特殊图上FVS问题的研究现状,介绍了FAS问题的研究成果。基于对反馈集问题研究现状的分析,提出了今后FVS问题研究中值得关注的几个方面。     

On Two Techniques of Combining Branching and Treewidth

Branch & Reduce and dynamic programming on graphs of bounded treewidth are among the most common and powerful techniques used in the design of moderately exponential time exact algorithms for NP hard problems. In this paper we discuss the efficiency of simple algorithms based on combinations of these techniques. The idea behind these algorithms is very natural: If a parameter like the treewidth of a graph is small, algorithms based on dynamic programming perform well. On the other side, if the treewidth is large, then there must be vertices of high degree in the graph, which is good for branching algorithms. We give several examples of possible combinations of branching and programming which provide the fastest known algorithms for a number of NP hard problems. All our algorithms require non-trivial balancing of these two techniques. In the first approach the algorithm either performs fast branching, or if there is an obstacle for fast branching, this obstacle is used for the construction of a path decomposition of small width for the original graph. Using this approach we give the fastest known algorithms for Minimum Maximal Matching and for counting all 3-colorings of a graph. In the second approach the branching occurs until the algorithm reaches a subproblem with a small number of edges (and here the right choice of the size of subproblems is crucial) and then dynamic programming is applied on these subproblems of small width. We exemplify this approach by giving the fastest known algorithm to count all minimum weighted dominating sets of a graph. We also discuss how similar techniques can be used to design faster parameterized algorithms. A preliminary version of this paper appeared as Branching and Treewidth Based Exact Algorithms in the Proceedings of the 17th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2006) [15]. Additional support by the Research Council of Norway.     

A Linear Time Algorithm for the Arc Disjoint Menger Problem in Planar Directed Graphs

Given a graph G=(V,E) and two vertices s,t ∈ V , s\neq t , the Menger problem is to find a maximum number of disjoint paths connecting s and t . Depending on whether the input graph is directed or not, and what kind of disjointness criterion is demanded, this general formulation is specialized to the directed or undirected vertex, and the edge or arc disjoint Menger problem, respectively. For planar graphs the edge disjoint Menger problem has been solved to optimality [W2], while the fastest algorithm for the arc disjoint version is Weihe's general maximum flow algorithm for planar networks [W1], which has running time \bf O (|V| log |V|) . Here we present a linear time, i.e., asymptotically optimal, algorithm for the arc disjoint version in planar directed graphs. Received August 1997; revised January 1999.     

Drawing Planar Graphs Symmetrically, II: Biconnected Planar Graphs

Symmetry is one of the most important aesthetic criteria in graph drawing because it reveals the structure in the graph. This paper discusses symmetric drawings of biconnected planar graphs. More specifically, we discuss geometric automorphisms, that is, automorphisms of a graph G that can be represented as symmetries of a drawing of G. Finding geometric automorphisms is the first and most difficult step in constructing symmetric drawings of graphs. The problem of determining whether a given graph has a non-trivial geometric automorphism is NP-complete for general graphs. In this paper we present a linear time algorithm for finding planar geometric automorphisms of biconnected planar graphs. A drawing algorithm is also discussed.