Notes on switching lemmas

Neil Thapen

Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2202.05651

Notes on switching lemmas

Neil Thapen

View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We prove three switching lemmas, for random restrictions for which variables are set independently; for random restrictions where variables are set in blocks (both due to Hastad [Hastad 86]); and for a distribution appropriate for the bijective pigeonhole principle [Beame et al. 94, Krajicek et al. 95]. The proofs are based on Beame's version [Beame 94] of Razborov's proof of the switching lemma in [Razborov 93], except using families of weighted restrictions rather than families of restrictions which are all the same size. This follows a suggestion of Beame in [Beame 94]. The result is something between Hastad's and Razborov's methods of proof. We use probabilistic arguments rather than counting ones, in a similar way to Hastad, but rather than doing induction on the terms in our formula with an inductive hypothesis involving conditional probability, as Hastad does, we explicitly build one function to bound the probabilities for the whole formula.

Explore related subjects

cs.CC math.PR

Keep this discovery

BibTeX RIS

Neil Thapen. 2022-02-11. Notes on switching lemmas. https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.05651

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

The Computational Complexity of Holant Problems on 4-regular Graphs from the Stable Subgroup Sequence of $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$

The Holant framework provides a general setting for studying counting problems and includes graph homomorphisms (\#GH) and counting constraint satisfaction problems (\#CSP) as special cases. Over the past twenty years, a series of computational complexity dichotomies have been established for Holant problems, but the classification for complex-valued signatures is still open. The main obstacle is the case in which all signatures have even arity. In this paper, we establish a dichotomy for Holant problems with a complex-valued 4-ary signature, which is a key base case for the full classification of Holant problems. We present a new strategy by introducing Schur's theorem, the classification of finite subgroups of $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ and stable subgroup sequences into the proof. These new techniques are of independent interest.

cs.CC↗

arXiv2026

Max Independent Set Remains NP-hard when Excluding a Planar Induced Minor

We show that there is a fixed planar graph $H$, namely the $5 \times 5$ grid, such that Max Independent Set remains NP-hard in $H$-induced-minor-free graphs. This refutes the Dallard--Milani\v{c}--\v{S}torgel conjecture and a weakening of it by Gartland and Lokshtanov, and by Korhonen.

cs.CC↗

arXiv2026

Topology inside NC$^1$

We show that ACC$^0$ is precisely what can be computed with constant-width circuits of polynomial size and polylogarithmic genus. This extends a characterization given by Hansen, showing that planar constant-width circuits also characterize ACC$^0$. Thus polylogarithmic genus provides no additional computational power in this model. We consider other generalizations of planarity, including crossing number and thickness. We show that constant-width circuits of polynomial size and thickness two already suffice to capture all of NC$^1$.

cs.CC↗