arXiv subjects

Juho Hirvonen

Publications and source records attributed to Juho Hirvonen.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

A hierarchy of local decision

We extend the notion of distributed decision in the framework of distributed network computing, inspired by recent results on so-called distributed graph automata. We show that, by using distributed decision mechanisms based on the interaction between a prover and a disprover, the size of the certificates distributed to the nodes for certifying a given network property can be drastically reduced. For instance, we prove that minimum spanning tree can be certified with $O(\log n)$-bit certificates in $n$-node graphs, with just one interaction between the prover and the disprover, while it is known that certifying MST requires $Ω(\log^2 n)$-bit certificates if only the prover can act. The improvement can even be exponential for some simple graph properties. For instance, it is known that certifying the existence of a nontrivial automorphism requires $Ω(n^2)$ bits if only the prover can act. We show that there is a protocol with two interactions between the prover and the disprover enabling to certify nontrivial automorphism with $O(\log n)$-bit certificates. These results are achieved by defining and analysing a local hierarchy of decision which generalizes the classical notions of proof-labelling schemes and locally checkable proofs.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2015

Non-Local Probes Do Not Help with Graph Problems

This work bridges the gap between distributed and centralised models of computing in the context of sublinear-time graph algorithms. A priori, typical centralised models of computing (e.g., parallel decision trees or centralised local algorithms) seem to be much more powerful than distributed message-passing algorithms: centralised algorithms can directly probe any part of the input, while in distributed algorithms nodes can only communicate with their immediate neighbours. We show that for a large class of graph problems, this extra freedom does not help centralised algorithms at all: for example, efficient stateless deterministic centralised local algorithms can be simulated with efficient distributed message-passing algorithms. In particular, this enables us to transfer existing lower bound results from distributed algorithms to centralised local algorithms.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2015

A Lower Bound for the Distributed Lovász Local Lemma

We show that any randomised Monte Carlo distributed algorithm for the Lovász local lemma requires $Ω(\log \log n)$ communication rounds, assuming that it finds a correct assignment with high probability. Our result holds even in the special case of $d = O(1)$, where $d$ is the maximum degree of the dependency graph. By prior work, there are distributed algorithms for the Lovász local lemma with a running time of $O(\log n)$ rounds in bounded-degree graphs, and the best lower bound before our work was $Ω(\log^* n)$ rounds [Chung et al. 2014].

cs.DC↗

arXiv2015

Node Labels in Local Decision

The role of unique node identifiers in network computing is well understood as far as symmetry breaking is concerned. However, the unique identifiers also leak information about the computing environment - in particular, they provide some nodes with information related to the size of the network. It was recently proved that in the context of local decision, there are some decision problems such that (1) they cannot be solved without unique identifiers, and (2) unique node identifiers leak a sufficient amount of information such that the problem becomes solvable (PODC 2013). In this work we give study what is the minimal amount of information that we need to leak from the environment to the nodes in order to solve local decision problems. Our key results are related to scalar oracles $f$ that, for any given $n$, provide a multiset $f(n)$ of $n$ labels; then the adversary assigns the labels to the $n$ nodes in the network. This is a direct generalisation of the usual assumption of unique node identifiers. We give a complete characterisation of the weakest oracle that leaks at least as much information as the unique identifiers. Our main result is the following dichotomy: we classify scalar oracles as large and small, depending on their asymptotic behaviour, and show that (1) any large oracle is at least as powerful as the unique identifiers in the context of local decision problems, while (2) for any small oracle there are local decision problems that still benefit from unique identifiers.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2015

Locally Optimal Load Balancing

This work studies distributed algorithms for locally optimal load-balancing: We are given a graph of maximum degree $Δ$, and each node has up to $L$ units of load. The task is to distribute the load more evenly so that the loads of adjacent nodes differ by at most $1$. If the graph is a path ($Δ= 2$), it is easy to solve the fractional version of the problem in $O(L)$ communication rounds, independently of the number of nodes. We show that this is tight, and we show that it is possible to solve also the discrete version of the problem in $O(L)$ rounds in paths. For the general case ($Δ> 2$), we show that fractional load balancing can be solved in $\operatorname{poly}(L,Δ)$ rounds and discrete load balancing in $f(L,Δ)$ rounds for some function $f$, independently of the number of nodes.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2014

Large Cuts with Local Algorithms on Triangle-Free Graphs

We study the problem of finding large cuts in $d$-regular triangle-free graphs. In prior work, Shearer (1992) gives a randomised algorithm that finds a cut of expected size $(1/2 + 0.177/\sqrt{d})m$, where $m$ is the number of edges. We give a simpler algorithm that does much better: it finds a cut of expected size $(1/2 + 0.28125/\sqrt{d})m$. As a corollary, this shows that in any $d$-regular triangle-free graph there exists a cut of at least this size. Our algorithm can be interpreted as a very efficient randomised distributed algorithm: each node needs to produce only one random bit, and the algorithm runs in one synchronous communication round. This work is also a case study of applying computational techniques in the design of distributed algorithms: our algorithm was designed by a computer program that searched for optimal algorithms for small values of $d$.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2013

Linear-in-$Δ$ Lower Bounds in the LOCAL Model

By prior work, there is a distributed algorithm that finds a maximal fractional matching (maximal edge packing) in $O(Δ)$ rounds, where $Δ$ is the maximum degree of the graph. We show that this is optimal: there is no distributed algorithm that finds a maximal fractional matching in $o(Δ)$ rounds. Our work gives the first linear-in-$Δ$ lower bound for a natural graph problem in the standard model of distributed computing---prior lower bounds for a wide range of graph problems have been at best logarithmic in $Δ$.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2012

Lower Bounds for Local Approximation

In the study of deterministic distributed algorithms it is commonly assumed that each node has a unique $O(\log n)$-bit identifier. We prove that for a general class of graph problems, local algorithms (constant-time distributed algorithms) do not need such identifiers: a port numbering and orientation is sufficient. Our result holds for so-called simple PO-checkable graph optimisation problems; this includes many classical packing and covering problems such as vertex covers, edge covers, matchings, independent sets, dominating sets, and edge dominating sets. We focus on the case of bounded-degree graphs and show that if a local algorithm finds a constant-factor approximation of a simple PO-checkable graph problem with the help of unique identifiers, then the same approximation ratio can be achieved on anonymous networks. As a corollary of our result and by prior work, we derive a tight lower bound on the local approximability of the minimum edge dominating set problem. Our main technical tool is an algebraic construction of homogeneously ordered graphs: We say that a graph is $(α,r)$-homogeneous if its nodes are linearly ordered so that an $α$ fraction of nodes have pairwise isomorphic radius-$r$ neighbourhoods. We show that there exists a finite $(α,r)$-homogeneous $2k$-regular graph of girth at least $g$ for any $α< 1$ and any $r$, $k$, and $g$.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2011

Distributed Maximal Matching: Greedy is Optimal

We study distributed algorithms that find a maximal matching in an anonymous, edge-coloured graph. If the edges are properly coloured with $k$ colours, there is a trivial greedy algorithm that finds a maximal matching in $k-1$ synchronous communication rounds. The present work shows that the greedy algorithm is optimal in the general case: any algorithm that finds a maximal matching in anonymous, $k$-edge-coloured graphs requires $k-1$ rounds. If we focus on graphs of maximum degree $Δ$, it is known that a maximal matching can be found in $O(Δ+ \log^* k)$ rounds, and prior work implies a lower bound of $Ω(\polylog(Δ) + \log^* k)$ rounds. Our work closes the gap between upper and lower bounds: the complexity is $Θ(Δ+ \log^* k)$ rounds. To our knowledge, this is the first linear-in-$Δ$ lower bound for the distributed complexity of a classical graph problem.

cs.DC↗