arXiv subjects

Bruno Escoffier

Publications and source records attributed to Bruno Escoffier.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Multistage Knapsack

Many systems have to be maintained while the underlying constraints, costs and/or profits change over time. Although the state of a system may evolve during time, a non-negligible transition cost is incured for transitioning from one state to another. In order to model such situations, Gupta et al. (ICALP 2014) and Eisenstat et al. (ICALP 2014) introduced a multistage model where the input is a sequence of instances (one for each time step), and the goal is to find a sequence of solutions (one for each time step) that are both (i) near optimal for each time step and (ii) as stable as possible. We focus on the multistage version of the Knapsack problem where we are given a time horizon t=1,2,...,T, and a sequence of knapsack instances I_1,I_2,...,I_T, one for each time step, defined on a set of n objects. In every time step t we have to choose a feasible knapsack S_t of I_t, which gives a knapsack profit. To measure the stability/similarity of two consecutive solutions S_t and S_{t+1}, we identify the objects for which the decision, to be picked or not, remains the same in S_t and S_{t+1}, giving a transition profit. We are asked to produce a sequence of solutions S_1,S_2,...,S_T so that the total knapsack profit plus the overall transition profit is maximized. We propose a PTAS for the Multistage Knapsack problem. Then, we prove that there is no FPTAS for the problem even in the case where T=2, unless P=NP. Furthermore, we give a pseudopolynomial time algorithm for the case where the number of steps is bounded by a fixed constant and we show that otherwise the problem remains NP-hard even in the case where all the weights, profits and capacities are 0 or 1.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2018

Parameterized Power Vertex Cover

We study a recently introduced generalization of the Vertex Cover (VC) problem, called Power Vertex Cover (PVC). In this problem, each edge of the input graph is supplied with a positive integer demand. A solution is an assignment of (power) values to the vertices, so that for each edge one of its endpoints has value as high as the demand, and the total sum of power values assigned is minimized. We investigate how this generalization affects the parameterized complexity of Vertex Cover. On the positive side, when parameterized by the value of the optimal P, we give an O*(1.274^P)-time branching algorithm (O* is used to hide factors polynomial in the input size), and also an O*(1.325^P)-time algorithm for the more general asymmetric case of the problem, where the demand of each edge may differ for its two endpoints. When the parameter is the number of vertices k that receive positive value, we give O*(1.619^k) and O*(k^k)-time algorithms for the symmetric and asymmetric cases respectively, as well as a simple quadratic kernel for the asymmetric case. We also show that PVC becomes significantly harder than classical VC when parameterized by the graph's treewidth t. More specifically, we prove that unless the ETH is false, there is no n^o(t)-time algorithm for PVC. We give a method to overcome this hardness by designing an FPT approximation scheme which gives a (1+epsilon)-approximation to the optimal solution in time FPT in parameters t and 1/epsilon.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2015

A 0.821-ratio purely combinatorial algorithm for maximum $k$-vertex cover in bipartite graphs

Our goal in this paper is to propose a \textit{combinatorial algorithm} that beats the only such algorithm known previously, the greedy one. We study the polynomial approximation of the Maximum Vertex Cover Problem in bipartite graphs by a purely combinatorial algorithm and present a computer assisted analysis of it, that finds the worst case approximation guarantee that is bounded below by~0.821.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2013

Multi-parameter complexity analysis for constrained size graph problems: using greediness for parameterization

We study the parameterized complexity of a broad class of problems called "local graph partitioning problems" that includes the classical fixed cardinality problems as max k-vertex cover, k-densest subgraph, etc. By developing a technique "greediness-for-parameterization", we obtain fixed parameter algorithms with respect to a pair of parameters k, the size of the solution (but not its value) and Δ, the maximum degree of the input graph. In particular, greediness-for-parameterization improves asymptotic running times for these problems upon random separation (that is a special case of color coding) and is more intuitive and simple. Then, we show how these results can be easily extended for getting standard-parameterization results (i.e., with parameter the value of the optimal solution) for a well known local graph partitioning problem.

cs.CC↗

arXiv2012

Subexponential and FPT-time Inapproximability of Independent Set and Related Problems

Fixed-parameter algorithms, approximation algorithms and moderately exponential algorithms are three major approaches to algorithms design. While each of them being very active in its own, there is an increasing attention to the connection between different approaches. In particular, whether Maximum Independent Set would be better approximable once endowed with subexponential-time or FPT-time is a central question. In this paper, we present a strong link between the linear PCP conjecture and the inapproximability, thus partially answering this question.

cs.CC↗

arXiv2010

Minimum regulation of uncoordinated matchings

Due to the lack of coordination, it is unlikely that the selfish players of a strategic game reach a socially good state. A possible way to cope with selfishness is to compute a desired outcome (if it is tractable) and impose it. However this answer is often inappropriate because compelling an agent can be costly, unpopular or just hard to implement. Since both situations (no coordination and full coordination) show opposite advantages and drawbacks, it is natural to study possible tradeoffs. In this paper we study a strategic game where the nodes of a simple graph G are independent agents who try to form pairs: e.g. jobs and applicants, tennis players for a match, etc. In many instances of the game, a Nash equilibrium significantly deviates from a social optimum. We analyze a scenario where we fix the strategy of some players; the other players are free to make their choice. The goal is to compel a minimum number of players and guarantee that any possible equilibrium of the modified game is a social optimum, i.e. created pairs must form a maximum matching of G. We mainly show that this intriguing problem is NP-hard and propose an approximation algorithm with a constant ratio.

cs.GT↗

arXiv2009

Fast algorithms for min independent dominating set

We first devise a branching algorithm that computes a minimum independent dominating set on any graph with running time O*(2^0.424n) and polynomial space. This improves the O*(2^0.441n) result by (S. Gaspers and M. Liedloff, A branch-and-reduce algorithm for finding a minimum independent dominating set in graphs, Proc. WG'06). We then show that, for every r>3, it is possible to compute an r-((r-1)/r)log_2(r)-approximate solution for min independent dominating set within time O*(2^(nlog_2(r)/r)).

cs.DS↗

arXiv2009

Fast Algorithms for Max Independent Set in Graphs of Small Average Degree

Max Independent Set (MIS) is a paradigmatic problem in theoretical computer science and numerous studies tackle its resolution by exact algorithms with non-trivial worst-case complexity. The best such complexity is, to our knowledge, the $O^*(1.1889^n)$ algorithm claimed by J.M. Robson (T.R. 1251-01, LaBRI, Univ. Bordeaux I, 2001) in his unpublished technical report. We also quote the $O^*(1.2210^n)$ algorithm by Fomin and al. (in Proc. SODA'06, pages 18-25, 2006), that is the best published result about MIS. In this paper we settle MIS in (connected) graphs with "small" average degree, more precisely with average degree at most 3, 4, 5 and 6. Dealing with graphs of average degree at most 3, the best bound known is the recent $O^*(1.0977^n)$ bound by N. Bourgeois and al. in Proc. IWPEC'08, pages 55-65, 2008). Here we improve this result down to $O^*(1.0854^n)$ by proposing finer and more powerful reduction rules. We then propose a generic method showing how improvement of the worst-case complexity for MIS in graphs of average degree $d$ entails improvement of it in any graph of average degree greater than $d$ and, based upon it, we tackle MIS in graphs of average degree 4, 5 and 6. For MIS in graphs with average degree 4, we provide an upper complexity bound of $O^*(1.1571^n)$ that outperforms the best known bound of $O^*(1.1713^n)$ by R. Beigel (Proc. SODA'99, pages 856-857, 1999). For MIS in graphs of average degree at most 5 and 6, we provide bounds of $O^*(1.1969^n)$ and $O^*(1.2149^n)$, respectively, that improve upon the corresponding bounds of $O^*(1.2023^n)$ and $O^*(1.2172^n)$ in graphs of maximum degree 5 and 6 by (Fomin et al., 2006).

cs.DM↗