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arXiv · 2609.21477

Integrality-Gap Bounds for Weighted Matchoids and Matroid Intersection

Abstract

The weighted $k$-matroid intersection problem asks for a maximum-weight set that is independent in each of $k$ matroids on a common ground set. The natural LP relaxation optimizes over the intersection of the $k$ matroid independent set polytopes. It is conjectured that this LP has integrality gap at most $k-1$. The conjecture is known for $k\le3$, but for $k\ge4$ the best general upper bound was $k$. We improve this bound to $k-1+1/k$. More generally, we prove that the natural LP of a $p$-matchoid has integrality gap at most $p-1+1/p$, with a deterministic LP-relative algorithm attaining the same factor. The matchoid extension resolves the $p$-matchoid part of a conjecture of Lee, Sviridenko, and Vondrák; projective planes give explicit tight instances whenever one of order $p-1$ exists.

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BibTeXRIS

Yu Cong, Yajie Zhao. 2026-09-18. Integrality-Gap Bounds for Weighted Matchoids and Matroid Intersection. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.21477

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