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Friedhelm Meyer auf der Heide

Publications and source records attributed to Friedhelm Meyer auf der Heide.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

On Competitive Algorithms for Approximations of Top-k-Position Monitoring of Distributed Streams

Consider the continuous distributed monitoring model in which $n$ distributed nodes, receiving individual data streams, are connected to a designated server. The server is asked to continuously monitor a function defined over the values observed across all streams while minimizing the communication. We study a variant in which the server is equipped with a broadcast channel and is supposed to keep track of an approximation of the set of nodes currently observing the $k$ largest values. Such an approximate set is exact except for some imprecision in an $\varepsilon$-neighborhood of the $k$-th largest value. This approximation of the Top-$k$-Position Monitoring Problem is of interest in cases where marginal changes (e.g. due to noise) in observed values can be ignored so that monitoring an approximation is sufficient and can reduce communication. This paper extends our results from [IPDPS'15], where we have developed a filter-based online algorithm for the (exact) Top-k-Position Monitoring Problem. There we have presented a competitive analysis of our algorithm against an offline adversary that also is restricted to filter-based algorithms. Our new algorithms as well as their analyses use new methods. We analyze their competitiveness against adversaries that use both exact and approximate filter-based algorithms, and observe severe differences between the respective powers of these adversaries.

cs.DS↗

Asymptotically Optimal Gathering on a Grid

In this paper, we solve the local gathering problem of a swarm of $n$ indistinguishable, point-shaped robots on a two dimensional grid in asymptotically optimal time $\mathcal{O}(n)$ in the fully synchronous $\mathcal{FSYNC}$ time model. Given an arbitrarily distributed (yet connected) swarm of robots, the gathering problem on the grid is to locate all robots within a $2\times 2$-sized area that is not known beforehand. Two robots are connected if they are vertical or horizontal neighbors on the grid. The locality constraint means that no global control, no compass, no global communication and only local vision is available; hence, a robot can only see its grid neighbors up to a constant $L_1$-distance, which also limits its movements. A robot can move to one of its eight neighboring grid cells and if two or more robots move to the same location they are \emph{merged} to be only one robot. The locality constraint is the significant challenging issue here, since robot movements must not harm the (only globally checkable) swarm connectivity. For solving the gathering problem, we provide a synchronous algorithm -- executed by every robot -- which ensures that robots merge without breaking the swarm connectivity. In our model, robots can obtain a special state, which marks such a robot to be performing specific connectivity preserving movements in order to allow later merge operations of the swarm. Compared to the grid, for gathering in the Euclidean plane for the same robot and time model the best known upper bound is $\mathcal{O}(n^2)$.

cs.DC↗

Gathering a Closed Chain of Robots on a Grid

We consider the following variant of the two dimensional gathering problem for swarms of robots: Given a swarm of $n$ indistinguishable, point shaped robots on a two dimensional grid. Initially, the robots form a closed chain on the grid and must keep this connectivity during the whole process of their gathering. Connectivity means, that neighboring robots of the chain need to be positioned at the same or neighboring points of the grid. In our model, gathering means to keep shortening the chain until the robots are located inside a $2\times 2$ subgrid. Our model is completely local (no global control, no global coordinates, no compass, no global communication or vision, \ldots). Each robot can only see its next constant number of left and right neighbors on the chain. This fixed constant is called the \emph{viewing path length}. All its operations and detections are restricted to this constant number of robots. Other robots, even if located at neighboring or the same grid point cannot be detected. Only based on the relative positions of its detectable chain neighbors, a robot can decide to obtain a certain state. Based on this state and their local knowledge, the robots do local modifications to the chain by moving to neighboring grid points without breaking the chain. These modifications are performed without the knowledge whether they lead to a global progress or not. We assume the fully synchronous $\mathcal{FSYNC}$ model. For this problem, we present a gathering algorithm which needs linear time. This result generalizes the result from \cite{hopper}, where an open chain with specified distinguishable (and fixed) endpoints is considered.

cs.DC↗

Approximation and Heuristic Algorithms for Computing Backbones in Asymmetric Ad-Hoc Networks

We consider the problem of dominating set-based virtual backbone used for routing in asymmetric wireless ad-hoc networks. These networks have non-uniform transmission ranges and are modeled using the well-established disk graphs. The corresponding graph theoretic problem seeks a strongly connected dominating-absorbent set of minimum cardinality in a digraph. A subset of nodes in a digraph is a strongly connected dominating-absorbent set if the subgraph induced by these nodes is strongly connected and each node in the graph is either in the set or has both an in-neighbor and an out-neighbor in it. Distributed algorithms for this problem are of practical significance due to the dynamic nature of ad-hoc networks. We present a first distributed approximation algorithm, with a constant approximation factor and O(Diam) running time, where Diam is the diameter of the graph. Moreover we present a simple heuristic algorithm and conduct an extensive simulation study showing that our heuristic outperforms previously known approaches for the problem.

cs.NI↗

Non-Preemptive Scheduling on Machines with Setup Times

Consider the problem in which n jobs that are classified into k types are to be scheduled on m identical machines without preemption. A machine requires a proper setup taking s time units before processing jobs of a given type. The objective is to minimize the makespan of the resulting schedule. We design and analyze an approximation algorithm that runs in time polynomial in n, m and k and computes a solution with an approximation factor that can be made arbitrarily close to 3/2.

cs.DS↗

Towards Gathering Robots with Limited View in Linear Time: The Closed Chain Case

In the gathering problem, n autonomous robots have to meet on a single point. We consider the gathering of a closed chain of point-shaped, anonymous robots on a grid. The robots only have local knowledge about a constant number of neighboring robots along the chain in both directions. Actions are performed in the fully synchronous time model FSYNC. Every robot has a limited memory that may contain one timestamp of the global clock, also visible to its direct neighbors. In this synchronous time model, there is no limited view gathering algorithm known to perform better than in quadratic runtime. The configurations that show the quadratic lower bound are closed chains. In this paper, we present the first sub-quadratic---in fact linear time---gathering algorithm for closed chains on a grid.

cs.DC↗

Quality of Service in Network Creation Games

Network creation games model the creation and usage costs of networks formed by n selfish nodes. Each node v can buy a set of edges, each for a fixed price α> 0. Its goal is to minimize its private costs, i.e., the sum (SUM-game, Fabrikant et al., PODC 2003) or maximum (MAX-game, Demaine et al., PODC 2007) of distances from $v$ to all other nodes plus the prices of the bought edges. The above papers show the existence of Nash equilibria as well as upper and lower bounds for the prices of anarchy and stability. In several subsequent papers, these bounds were improved for a wide range of prices α. In this paper, we extend these models by incorporating quality-of-service aspects: Each edge cannot only be bought at a fixed quality (edge length one) for a fixed price α. Instead, we assume that quality levels (i.e., edge lengths) are varying in a fixed interval [β,B], 0 < β<= B. A node now cannot only choose which edge to buy, but can also choose its quality x, for the price p(x), for a given price function p. For both games and all price functions, we show that Nash equilibria exist and that the price of stability is either constant or depends only on the interval size of available edge lengths. Our main results are bounds for the price of anarchy. In case of the SUM-game, we show that they are tight if price functions decrease sufficiently fast.

cs.GT↗

Hierarchies

We study the complexity theory for the local distributed setting introduced by Korman, Peleg and Fraigniaud. They have defined three complexity classes LD (Local Decision), NLD (Nondeterministic Local Decision) and NLD^#n. The class LD consists of all languages which can be decided with a constant number of communication rounds. The class NLD consists of all languages which can be verified by a nondeterministic algorithm with a constant number of communication rounds. In order to define the nondeterministic classes, they have transferred the notation of nondeterminism into the distributed setting by the use of certificates and verifiers. The class NLD^#n consists of all languages which can be verified by a nondeterministic algorithm where each node has access to an oracle for the number of nodes. They have shown the hierarchy LD subset NLD subset NLD^#n. Our main contributions are strict hierarchies within the classes defined by Korman, Peleg and Fraigniaud. We define additional complexity classes: the class LD(t) consists of all languages which can be decided with at most t communication rounds. The class NLD-O(f) consists of all languages which can be verified by a local verifier such that the size of the certificates that are needed to verify the language are bounded by a function from O(f). Our main results are refined strict hierarchies within these nondeterministic classes.

cs.CC↗

Planar Visibility Counting

For a fixed virtual scene (=collection of simplices) S and given observer position p, how many elements of S are weakly visible (i.e. not fully occluded by others) from p? The present work explores the trade-off between query time and preprocessing space for these quantities in 2D: exactly, in the approximate deterministic, and in the probabilistic sense. We deduce the EXISTENCE of an O(m^2/n^2) space data structure for S that, given p and time O(log n), allows to approximate the ratio of occluded segments up to arbitrary constant absolute error; here m denotes the size of the Visibility Graph--which may be quadratic, but typically is just linear in the size n of the scene S. On the other hand, we present a data structure CONSTRUCTIBLE in O(n*log(n)+m^2*polylog(n)/k) preprocessing time and space with similar approximation properties and query time O(k*polylog n), where k<n is an arbitrary parameter. We describe an implementation of this approach and demonstrate the practical benefit of the parameter k to trade memory for query time in an empirical evaluation on three classes of benchmark scenes.

cs.CG↗

De Dictionariis Dynamicis Pauco Spatio Utentibus

We develop dynamic dictionaries on the word RAM that use asymptotically optimal space, up to constant factors, subject to insertions and deletions, and subject to supporting perfect-hashing queries and/or membership queries, each operation in constant time with high probability. When supporting only membership queries, we attain the optimal space bound of Theta(n lg(u/n)) bits, where n and u are the sizes of the dictionary and the universe, respectively. Previous dictionaries either did not achieve this space bound or had time bounds that were only expected and amortized. When supporting perfect-hashing queries, the optimal space bound depends on the range {1,2,...,n+t} of hashcodes allowed as output. We prove that the optimal space bound is Theta(n lglg(u/n) + n lg(n/(t+1))) bits when supporting only perfect-hashing queries, and it is Theta(n lg(u/n) + n lg(n/(t+1))) bits when also supporting membership queries. All upper bounds are new, as is the Omega(n lg(n/(t+1))) lower bound.

cs.DS↗