A new approach for approximating node deletion problems

We present a new approach for approximating node deletion problems by combining the local ratio and the greedy multicovering algorithms. For a function , our approach allows to design a 2+max_v∈V(G)logf(v) approximation algorithm for the problem of deleting a minimum number of nodes so that the degree of each node v in the remaining graph is at most f(v). This approximation ratio is shown to be asymptotically optimal. The new method is also used to design a 1+(log2)(k−1) approximation algorithm for the problem of deleting a minimum number of nodes so that the remaining graph contains no k-bicliques.     

Weighted Coloring: further complexity and approximability results

Given a vertex-weighted graph G=(V,E;w), w(v)?0 for any v∈V, we consider a weighted version of the coloring problem which consists in finding a partition S=(S₁,…,Sk) of the vertex set of G into stable sets and minimizing where the weight of S is defined as . In this paper, we continue the investigation of the complexity and the approximability of this problem by answering some of the questions raised by Guan and Zhu [D.J. Guan, X. Zhu, A coloring problem for weighted graphs, Inform. Process. Lett. 61 (2) (1997) 77-81].     

Signed and minus clique-transversal functions on graphs

A minus (respectively, signed) clique-transversal function of a graph G=(V,E) is a function (respectively, {−1,1}) such that _∑u∈Cf(u)?1 for every maximal clique C of G. The weight of a minus (respectively, signed) clique-transversal function of G is f(V)=_∑v∈Vf(v). The minus (respectively, signed) clique-transversal problem is to find a minus (respectively, signed) clique-transversal function of G of minimum weight. In this paper, we present a unified approach to these two problems on strongly chordal graphs. Notice that trees, block graphs, interval graphs, and directed path graphs are subclasses of strongly chordal graphs. We also prove that the signed clique-transversal problem is NP-complete for chordal graphs and planar graphs.