Constructing Large Matchings via Query Access to a Maximal Matching Oracle

Abstract

Multi-pass streaming algorithm for Maximum Matching have been studied since more than 15 years and various algorithmic results are known today, including $2$-pass streaming algorithms that break the $1/2$-approximation barrier, and $(1-\epsilon)$-approximation streaming algorithms that run in $O(\text{poly} \frac{1}{\epsilon})$ passes in bipartite graphs and in $O( (\frac{1}{\epsilon})^{\frac{1}{\epsilon}})$ or $O(\text{poly} (\frac{1}{\epsilon}) \cdot \log n)$ passes in general graphs, where $n$ is the number of vertices of the input graph. However, proving impossibility results for such algorithms has so far been elusive, and, for example, even the existence of $2$-pass small space streaming algorithms with approximation factor $0.999$ has not yet been ruled out. The key building block of all multi-pass streaming algorithms for Maximum Matching is the Greedy matching algorithm. Our aim is to understand the limitations of this approach: How many passes are required if the algorithm solely relies on the invocation of the Greedy algorithm? In this paper, we initiate the study of lower bounds for restricted families of multi-pass streaming algorithms for Maximum Matching. We focus on the simple yet powerful class of algorithms that in each pass run Greedy on a vertex-induced subgraph of the input graph. In bipartite graphs, we show that $3$ passes are necessary and sufficient to improve on the trivial approximation factor of $1/2$: We give a lower bound of $0.6$ on the approximation ratio of such algorithms, which is optimal. We further show that $\Omega( \frac{1}{\epsilon})$ passes are required for computing a $(1-\epsilon)$-approximation, even in bipartite graphs. Last, the considered class of algorithms is not well-suited to general graphs: We show that $\Omega(n)$ passes are required in order to improve on the trivial approximation factor of $1/2$.