Large independent sets in random regular graphs

We present algorithmic lower bounds on the size _sd$s_d$ of the largest independent sets of vertices in random d$d$-regular graphs, for each fixed d≥3$d\ge 3$. For instance, for d=3$d=3$ we prove that, for graphs on n$n$ vertices, _sd≥0.43475n$s_d\ge 0.43475n$ with probability approaching one as n$n$ tends to infinity.     

Local edge colouring of Yao-like subgraphs of Unit Disk Graphs

The focus of the present paper is on providing a local deterministic algorithm for colouring the edges of Yao-like   subgraphs of Unit Disk Graphs. These are geometric graphs such that for some positive integers l,k$l,k$ the following property holds at each node v$v$: if we partition the unit circle centered at v$v$ into 2k$2k$ equally sized wedges then each wedge can contain at most l$l$ points different from v$v$. We assume that the nodes are location aware, i.e. they know their Cartesian coordinates in the plane. The algorithm presented is local in the sense that each node can receive information emanating only from nodes which are at most a constant (depending on k$k$ and l$l$, but not on the size of the graph) number of hops (measured in the original underlying Unit Disk Graph) away from it, and hence the algorithm terminates in a constant number of steps. The number of colours used is 2kl+1$2kl+1$ and this is optimal for local algorithms (since the maximal degree is 2kl$2kl$ and a colouring with 2kl$2kl$ colours can only be constructed by a global algorithm), thus showing that in this class of graphs the price for locality is only one additional colour.     

State-complexity hierarchies of uniform languages of alphabet-size length

We study the state complexity of certain simple languages. If A$A$ is an alphabet of k$k$ letters, then a k$k$-language   is a nonempty set of words of length k$k$, that is, a uniform language of length k$k$. We show that the minimal state complexity of a k$k$-language is k+2$k+2$, and the maximal, (k^k−1−1)/(k−1)+2^k+1$(k^{k-1}-1)/(k-1)+2^k+1$. We prove constructively that, for every i$i$ between the minimal and maximal bounds, there is a language of state complexity i$i$. We introduce a class of automata accepting sets of words that are permutations of A$A$; these languages define a complete hierarchy of complexities between k²−k+3$k^2-k+3$ and 2^k+1$2^k+1$. The languages of another class of automata, based on k$k$-ary trees, define a complete hierarchy of complexities between 2^k+1$2^k+1$ and (k^k−1−1)/(k−1)+2^k+1$(k^{k-1}-1)/(k-1)+2^k+1$. This provides new examples of uniform languages of maximal complexity.     

Claw finding algorithms using quantum walk

The claw finding problem has been studied in terms of query complexity as one of the problems closely connected to cryptography. Given two functions, f$f$ and g$g$, with domain sizes N$N$ and M$M$(N≤M)$(N\le M)$, respectively, and the same range, the goal of the problem is to find x$x$ and y$y$ such that f(x)=g(y)$f\left(x\right)=g\left(y\right)$. This problem has been considered in both quantum and classical settings in terms of query complexity. This paper describes an optimal algorithm that uses quantum walk to solve this problem. Our algorithm can be slightly modified to solve the more general problem of finding a tuple consisting of elements in the two function domains that has a prespecified property. It can also be generalized to find a claw of k$k$ functions for any constant integer k>1$k>1$, where the domain sizes of the functions may be different.     

Algorithms for a class of infinite permutation groups

Motivated by the famous 3n+1$3n+1$ conjecture, we call a mapping from Z$\mathbb{Z}$ to Z$\mathbb{Z}$residue-class-wise affine   if there is a positive integer m$m$ such that it is affine on residue classes (mod m$m$). This article describes a collection of algorithms and methods for computation in permutation groups and monoids formed by residue-class-wise affine mappings.     

Approximately optimal trees for group key management with batch updates

We investigate the group key management problem for broadcasting applications. Previous work showed that, in handling key updates, batch rekeying can be more cost effective than individual rekeying. One model for batch rekeying is to assume that every user has probability p$p$ of being replaced by a new user during a batch period with the total number of users unchanged. Under this model, it was recently shown that an optimal key tree can be constructed in linear time when p$p$ is a constant and in O(n⁴)$O\left(n^4\right)$ time when p→0$p\to 0$. In this paper, we investigate more efficient algorithms for the case p→0$p\to 0$, i.e., when membership changes are sparse. We design an O(n)$O\left(n\right)$ heuristic algorithm for the sparse case and show that it produces a nearly 2-approximation to the optimal key tree. Simulation results show that its performance is even better in practice. We also design a refined heuristic algorithm and show that it achieves an approximation ratio of 1+?$1+?$ for any fixed ?>0$?>0$ and n$n$, as p→0$p\to 0$. Finally, we give another approximation algorithm for any p∈(0,0.693)$p\in (0,0.693)$ which is shown to be quite good by our simulations.     

Paths and trails in edge-colored graphs

This paper deals with the existence and search for properly edge-colored paths/trails between two, not necessarily distinct, vertices s$s$ and t$t$ in an edge-colored graph from an algorithmic perspective. First we show that several versions of the s−t$s-t$ path/trail problem have polynomial solutions including the shortest path/trail case. We give polynomial algorithms for finding a longest properly edge-colored path/trail between s$s$ and t$t$ for a particular class of graphs and characterize edge-colored graphs without properly edge-colored closed trails. Next, we prove that deciding whether there exist k$k$ pairwise vertex/edge disjoint properly edge-colored s−t$s-t$ paths/trails in a c$c$-edge-colored graph G^c$G^c$ is NP-complete even for k=2$k=2$ and c=Ω(n²)$c=\Omega \left(n^2\right)$, where n$n$ denotes the number of vertices in G^c$G^c$. Moreover, we prove that these problems remain NP-complete for c$c$-edge-colored graphs containing no properly edge-colored cycles and c=Ω(n)$c=\Omega \left(n\right)$. We obtain some approximation results for those maximization problems together with polynomial results for some particular classes of edge-colored graphs.     

A parameterized view on matroid optimization problems

Matroid theory gives us powerful techniques for understanding combinatorial optimization problems and for designing polynomial-time algorithms. However, several natural matroid problems, such as 3-matroid intersection, are NP-hard. Here we investigate these problems from the parameterized complexity point of view: instead of the trivial n^O(k)$n^{O\left(k\right)}$ time brute force algorithm for finding a k$k$-element solution, we try to give algorithms with uniformly polynomial (i.e., f(k)⋅n^O(1)$f\left(k\right)\cdot n^{O\left(1\right)}$) running time. The main result is that if the ground set of a represented linear matroid is partitioned into blocks of size ?$?$, then we can determine in randomized time f(k,?)⋅n^O(1)$f(k,?)\cdot n^{O\left(1\right)}$ whether there is an independent set that is the union of k$k$ blocks. As a consequence, algorithms with similar running time are obtained for other problems such as finding a k$k$-element set in the intersection of ?$?$ matroids, or finding k$k$ terminals in a network such that each of them can be connected simultaneously to the source by ?$?$ disjoint paths.     

Transposition invariant words

We define an operation called transposition on words of fixed length. This operation arises naturally when the letters of a word are considered as entries of a matrix. Words that are invariant with respect to transposition are of special interest. It turns out that transposition invariant words have a simple interpretation by means of elementary group theory. This leads us to investigate some properties of the ring of integers modulo n$n$ and primitive roots. In particular, we show that there are infinitely many prime numbers p$p$ with a primitive root dividing p+1$p+1$ and infinitely many prime numbers p$p$ without a primitive root dividing p+1$p+1$. We also consider the orbit of a word under transposition.     

Simulating one-reversal multicounter machines by partially blind multihead finite automata

This work is concerned with simulating nondeterministic one-reversal multicounter automata (NCMs) by nondeterministic partially blind multihead finite automata (NFAs). We show that any one-reversal NCM with k$k$ counters can be simulated by a partially blind NFA with k$k$ blind heads. This provides a nearly complete categorization of the computational power of partially blind automata, showing that the power of a (k+1)$(k+1)$-NFA lies between that of a k$k$-NCM and a (k+1)$(k+1)$-NCM.     

Approximating the traffic grooming problem in tree and star networks

We consider the problem of grooming paths in all-optical networks with tree topology so as to minimize the switching cost, measured by the total number of used ADMs. We first present efficient approximation algorithms with approximation factor of 2ln(δ⋅g)+o(ln(δ⋅g))$2ln(\delta \cdot g)+o(ln(\delta \cdot g))$ for any fixed node degree bound δ$\delta$ and grooming factor g$g$, and 2lng+o(lng)$2lng+o(lng)$ in unbounded degree directed trees, respectively. In the attempt to extend our results to general undirected trees, we completely characterize the complexity of the problem in star networks by providing polynomial time optimal algorithms for g≤2$g\le 2$ and proving the intractability of the problem for any fixed g>2$g>2$. While for general topologies, the problem was known to be NP-hard g$g$ not constant, the complexity for fixed values of g$g$ was still an open question.     

Efficient algorithms for center problems in cactus networks

Efficient algorithms for solving the center problems in weighted cactus networks are presented. In particular, we have proposed the following algorithms for the weighted cactus networks of size n$n$: an O(nlogn)$O(nlogn)$ time algorithm to solve the 1-center problem, and an O(nlog³n)$O\left(n{log}^{3}n\right)$ time algorithm to solve the weighted continuous 2-center problem. We have also provided improved solutions to the general p$p$-center problems in cactus networks. The developed ideas are then applied to solve the obnoxious 1-center problem in weighted cactus networks.     

Sequential vs. parallel complexity in simple gene assembly

We investigate some differences between the general intramolecular model for gene assembly and its restricted simple model. Although both models satisfactorily sort all current experimental data, we show that the general model offers assembly strategies for a given string that vary in both assembly length and the operations used, while the simple model will always use the same number of each type of operation to sort a gene. When simple operations are applied in parallel this is given a new twist. We prove that for any n≥1$n\ge 1$, there exists a string having maximally parallel assemblies of any length between n$n$ and 2n$2n$.