Algorithms approaching the threshold for semi-random planted clique

Rares-Darius Buhai; Pravesh K. Kothari; David Steurer

Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2212.05619

Algorithms approaching the threshold for semi-random planted clique

Rares-Darius Buhai·Pravesh K. Kothari·David Steurer

View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We design new polynomial-time algorithms for recovering planted cliques in the semi-random graph model introduced by Feige and Kilian 2001. The previous best algorithms for this model succeed if the planted clique has size at least $n^{2/3}$ in a graph with $n$ vertices (Mehta, Mckenzie, Trevisan 2019 and Charikar, Steinhardt, Valiant 2017). Our algorithms work for planted-clique sizes approaching $n^{1/2}$ -- the information-theoretic threshold in the semi-random model (Steinhardt 2017) and a conjectured computational threshold even in the easier fully-random model. This result comes close to resolving open questions by Feige 2019 and Steinhardt 2017. Our algorithms are based on higher constant degree sum-of-squares relaxation and rely on a new conceptual connection that translates certificates of upper bounds on biclique numbers in unbalanced bipartite Erd\H{o}s--R\'enyi random graphs into algorithms for semi-random planted clique. The use of a higher-constant degree sum-of-squares is essential in our setting: we prove a lower bound on the basic SDP for certifying bicliques that shows that the basic SDP cannot succeed for planted cliques of size $k =o(n^{2/3})$. We also provide some evidence that the information-computation trade-off of our current algorithms may be inherent by proving an average-case lower bound for unbalanced bicliques in the low-degree-polynomials model.

Explore related subjects

cs.DS

Keep this discovery

BibTeX RIS

Rares-Darius Buhai, Pravesh K. Kothari, David Steurer. 2022-12-11. Algorithms approaching the threshold for semi-random planted clique. https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.05619

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

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Quasi-Monte Carlo Beyond Hardy-Krause II: $(1 + \varepsilon)n$ Samples Suffice

Numerical integration studies how well one can estimate the integral of a function $f$ over $[0,1)^d$ using $n$ sample points. The two classical methods, Monte Carlo (MC) and quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC), have complementary strengths and weaknesses, and a fundamental question is to design an approach that combines the benefits of both. Recently, building on the transference principle in discrepancy theory, Bansal and Jiang~\cite{BJ25a} gave a randomized QMC method that bridges MC and QMC guarantees using only i.i.d.\ samples. Their method also goes beyond the classical Koksma--Hlawka inequality: it achieves integration error $\widetilde{O}_d(\sigma_{\mathsf{SO}}(f)/n)$, where the smoothed-out variation $\sigma_{\mathsf{SO}}(f)$ can be substantially smaller than the Hardy--Krause variation that governs the classical bound. However, their algorithm requires $n^2$ i.i.d.\ samples as input, and this quadratic blowup is inherent to any method based on the transference principle. In this work, we bypass the quadratic blowup: for any constant $\varepsilon > 0$, we show that $(1+\varepsilon)n$ i.i.d.\ samples suffice to both obtain the beyond-Hardy--Krause guarantee of~\cite{BJ25a}, resolving an open problem posed there, and to produce low-discrepancy point sequences. Our algorithms are variants of the online Haar-thinning method of Dwivedi, Feldheim, Gurel-Gurevich, and Ramdas~\cite{DFG+19}.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

A deterministic $(1+\varepsilon)^n$ approximation for the permanent of a nonnegative matrix

For every fixed $0<\varepsilon\le1$, we give a deterministic strongly polynomial algorithm that, given a nonnegative matrix $A\in\mathbb{R}_{\ge0}^{n\times n}$, returns $Q$ satisfying $\operatorname{per} A\le Q\le(1+\varepsilon)^n\operatorname{per} A$.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Single-Exponential Algorithms and a Polynomial Kernel for Strong Connectivity Augmentation

Strong Connectivity Augmentation (SCA) asks whether a directed acyclic graph can be made strongly connected by adding at most $k$ prescribed links whose total weight is within a given budget. Klinkby, Misra, and Saurabh (SODA 2021) gave an $O^*(2^{O(k\log k)})$-time algorithm and asked whether the problem admits a single-exponential parameterized algorithm and a polynomial kernel. We answer both questions affirmatively: SCA can be solved in $O^*(9^k)$ time and admits a polynomial kernel with $O(k^4)$ vertices and $O(k^{16})$ bits. For unweighted SCA, we obtain $O^*(4^k)$ time and a kernel with $O(k^3)$ vertices. Our algorithms are based on a particularly simple reduction to Strongly Connected Spanning Subgraph with two edge costs.

cs.DS↗