arXiv subjects

Mikaël Rabie

Publications and source records attributed to Mikaël Rabie.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Zero Forcing Sets in Temporal Graphs

The Zero Forcing (or corruption) of a graph is the problem of finding a minimum-size ``corrupting'' set. It corresponds to a subset of its vertices that can corrupt the whole graph by iterating the following rule: if a corrupted vertex has exactly one neighbor that is not yet corrupted, the neighbor gets corrupted. The iteration of this process comes from the fact that the corruption of a vertex might enable new corruptions (from itself or some of its neighbors). For this reason, one can consider a step of corruption, where all the possible instances of the corruption rule are applied at once. This paper investigates Zero Forcing on temporal graphs, where the topology of the graph evolves throughout the experiment. At each time step (or snapshot) of the graph, a step of corruption is resolved wherever possible. We study the problem of finding a minimum-size corrupting set such that the whole (temporal) graph is corrupted at the end of the experiment. We present a panorama of results, including NP-hardness in some not-so-restrictive scenarios, polynomial algorithms, and a solution to an open question when the whole graph must be corrupted in a single step.

cs.DM↗

arXiv2026

A Simple Construction of Locally Checkable Problems Filling the LOCAL Complexity Gaps in Graphs with Arbitrary Large Degrees

We show that the complexity gaps in the round complexities of locally checkable labeling (LCL) problems are not due to the fact that solutions to LCL problems must be locally checkable, but solely to the fact that LCL problems are defined only for graphs of maximum degree upper bounded by some arbitrary yet constant value $Δ$. Specifically, we show that there are infinitely many locally checkable problems (i.e., problems whose solutions can be checked locally) whose round complexities belongs to the two intervals $[ω(1),o(\log\log^\star n)]$ and $[ω(\log^\star n),o(\log n)]$ whenever these problems are considered in networks with unbounded maximum degrees. This extends the previous results by Schmid (arXiv, 2026), which hold for the polynomial regime only, and by Bousquet, Feuilloley, and Pierron (OPODIS, 2025), which hold for trees only. All our upper bounds are obtained using deterministic algorithms that can be run under the port-numbering model, which is a weak variant of LOCAL, without any a priori information on the number of nodes in the network. Instead, our lower bounds apply to randomized LOCAL, and quantum LOCAL, even if nodes have identifiers in $[1,n]$, and even if they know the exact number of nodes in the network. They even hold under randomized online LOCAL, a strong variant of the LOCAL model. Finally, our lower bounds hold even for trees. Our results are obtained using two main ingredients. The first one is the analysis of a new locally checkable problem called Increasing Degree, parameterized by a function $f:\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}$. Different round complexities can be obtained by tuning the function $f$ accordingly. Our second tool is a general Translation Theorem that enables to transfer results from a given range of complexities to results for a range of lower complexities.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2026

Introducing the Self-Stabilizing SLEEPING Model

The SLEEPING LOCAL model introduces a new complexity parameter, the awake complexity, to make distributed algorithms energy-efficient. In the synchronous LOCAL model, nodes can now decide to be awake or asleep in each round. In a round, only awake nodes can communicate to share information, which consumes energy. The awake complexity is the maximum number of times a node is activated to produce an output. In particular, it often comes at the cost of the total number of rounds required to solve a problem, compared with algorithms in which every node is awake in every round. In this article, we adapt the notion of awaken rounds to the context of self-stabilization, introducing the Self-Stabilizing SLEEPING model. Nodes are no longer required to remain awake at all times. However, in self-stabilization, nodes must be activated infinitely often to detect any issue in the system's current state. In this model, the complexities are: * How many synchronous rounds are needed to reach a legitimate configuration? * How many times does a node need to be awake to reach this configuration? * How often does a node need to be awake once this configuration is reached? The goal is to minimize those three metrics, and we can expect different trade-offs. We present energy-efficient algorithms to solve the problems of finding a $(Δ+1)$-coloring, a Maximal Independent Set, and a Maximal Matching, thanks to new ad hoc sleeping techniques that reduce the awake complexity (i.e., energy consumption) during the convergence phase. We also propose two transformers that adapt silent self-stabilizing algorithms to the SLEEPING setup. The first transformer is pretty simple and deals with low-complexity algorithms. The second is more elaborate and is more energy-efficient when it transforms slow self-stabilizing algorithms.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2025

How to Color Temporal Graphs to Ensure Proper Transitions

Graph Coloring consists in assigning colors to vertices ensuring that two adjacent vertices do not have the same color. In dynamic graphs, this notion is not well defined, as we need to decide if different colors for adjacent vertices must happen all the time or not, and how to go from a coloring in one time to the next one. In this paper, we define a coloring notion for Temporal Graphs where at each step, the coloring must be proper. It uses a notion of compatibility between two consecutive snapshots that implies that the coloring stays proper while the transition happens. Given a graph, the minimum number of colors needed to ensure that such coloring exists is the \emph{Temporal Chromatic Number} of this graph. With those notions, we provide some lower and upper bounds for the temporal chromatic number in the general case. We then dive into some specific classes of graphs such as trees, graphs with bounded degree or bounded degeneracy. Finally, we consider temporal graphs where grow pace is one, that is, a single edge can be added and a single other one can be removed between two time steps. In that case, we consider bipartite and bounded degree graphs. Even though the problem is defined with full knowledge of the temporal graph, our results also work in the case where future snapshots are given online: we need to choose the coloring of the next snapshot after having computed the current one, not knowing what

cs.DM↗

arXiv2024

Solving Sequential Greedy Problems Distributedly with Sub-Logarithmic Energy Cost

We study the awake complexity of graph problems that belong to the class O-LOCAL, which includes a subset of problems solvable by sequential greedy algorithms, such as $(Δ+1)$-coloring and maximal independent set. It is known from previous work that, in $n$-node graphs of maximum degree $Δ$, any problem in the class O-LOCAL can be solved by a deterministic distributed algorithm with awake complexity $O(\logΔ+\log^\star n)$. In this paper, we show that any problem belonging to the class O-LOCAL can be solved by a deterministic distributed algorithm with awake complexity $O(\sqrt{\log n}\cdot\log^\star n)$. This leads to a polynomial improvement over the state of the art when $Δ\gg 2^{\sqrt{\log n}}$, e.g., $Δ=n^ε$ for some arbitrarily small $ε>0$. The key ingredient for achieving our results is the computation of a network decomposition, that uses a small-enough number of colors, in sub-logarithmic time in the Sleeping model, which can be of independent interest.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2024

Forbidden Patterns in Temporal Graphs Resulting from Encounters in a Corridor

In this paper, we study temporal graphs arising from mobility models, where vertices correspond to agents moving in space and edges appear each time two agents meet. We propose a rather natural one-dimensional model. If each pair of agents meets exactly once, we get a simple temporal clique where the edges are ordered according to meeting times. In order to characterize which temporal cliques can be obtained as such `mobility graphs', we introduce the notion of forbidden patterns in temporal graphs. Furthermore, using a classical result in combinatorics, we count the number of such mobility cliques for a given number of agents, and show that not every temporal clique resulting from the 1D model can be realized with agents moving with different constant speeds. For the analogous circular problem, where agents are moving along a circle, we provide a characterization via circular forbidden patterns. Our characterization in terms of forbidden patterns can be extended to the case where each edge appears at most once. We also study the problem where pairs of agents are allowed to cross each other several times, using an approach from automata theory. We observe that in this case, there is no finite set of forbidden patterns that characterize such temporal graphs and nevertheless give a linear-time algorithm to recognize temporal graphs arising from this model.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2024

Shared Randomness Helps with Local Distributed Problems

By prior work, we have many results related to distributed graph algorithms for problems that can be defined with local constraints; the formal framework used in prior work is locally checkable labeling problems (LCLs), introduced by Naor and Stockmeyer in the 1990s. It is known, for example, that if we have a deterministic algorithm that solves an LCL in $o(\log n)$ rounds, we can speed it up to $O(\log^*n)$ rounds, and if we have a randomized $O(\log^*n)$ rounds algorithm, we can derandomize it for free. It is also known that randomness helps with some LCL problems: there are LCL problems with randomized complexity $Θ(\log\log n)$ and deterministic complexity $Θ(\log n)$. However, so far there have not been any LCL problems in which the use of shared randomness has been necessary; in all prior algorithms it has been enough that the nodes have access to their own private sources of randomness. Could it be the case that shared randomness never helps with LCLs? Could we have a general technique that takes any distributed graph algorithm for any LCL that uses shared randomness, and turns it into an equally fast algorithm where private randomness is enough? In this work we show that the answer is no. We present an LCL problem $Π$ such that the round complexity of $Π$ is $Ω(\sqrt n)$ in the usual randomized \local model with private randomness, but if the nodes have access to a source of shared randomness, then the complexity drops to $O(\log n)$. As corollaries, we also resolve several other open questions related to the landscape of distributed computing in the context of LCL problems. In particular, problem $Π$ demonstrates that distributed quantum algorithms for LCL problems strictly benefit from a shared quantum state. Problem $Π$ also gives a separation between finitely dependent distributions and non-signaling distributions.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2024

Distributed Coloring in the SLEEPING Model

In distributed network computing, a variant of the LOCAL model has been recently introduced, referred to as the SLEEPING model. In this model, nodes have the ability to decide on which round they are awake, and on which round they are sleeping. Two (adjacent) nodes can exchange messages in a round only if both of them are awake in that round. The SLEEPING model captures the ability of nodes to save energy when they are sleeping. In this framework, a major question is the following: is it possible to design algorithms that are energy efficient, i.e., where each node is awake for a few number of rounds only, without losing too much on the time efficiency, i.e., on the total number of rounds? This paper answers positively to this question, for one of the most fundamental problems in distributed network computing, namely $(Δ+1)$-coloring networks of maximum degree $Δ$. We provide a randomized algorithm with average awake-complexity constant, maximum awake-complexity $O(\log\log n)$ in $n$-node networks, and round-complexity $poly\!\log n$.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2023

Short and local transformations between ($Δ+1$)-colorings

Recoloring a graph is about finding a sequence of proper colorings of this graph from an initial coloring $σ$ to a target coloring $η$. Adding the constraint that each pair of consecutive colorings must differ on exactly one vertex, one asks: Is there a sequence of colorings from $σ$ to $η$? If yes, how short can it be? In this paper, we focus on $(Δ+1)$-colorings of graphs of maximum degree $Δ$. Feghali, Johnson and Paulusma proved that, if both colorings are non-frozen (i.e. we can change the color of a least one vertex), then a quadratic recoloring sequence always exists. We improve their result by proving that there actually exists a linear transformation (assuming that $Δ$ is a constant). In addition, we prove that the core of our algorithm can be performed locally. Informally, this means that after some preprocessing, the color changes that a given node has to perform only depend on the colors of the vertices in a constant size neighborhood. We make this precise by designing of an efficient recoloring algorithm in the LOCAL model of distributed computing.

cs.DM↗

arXiv2023

Making Self-Stabilizing any Locally Greedy Problem

We propose a way to transform synchronous distributed algorithms solving locally greedy and mendable problems into self-stabilizing algorithms in anonymous networks. Mendable problems are a generalization of greedy problems where any partial solution may be transformed -- instead of completed -- into a global solution: every time we extend the partial solution we are allowed to change the previous partial solution up to a given distance. Locally here means that to extend a solution for a node, we need to look at a constant distance from it. In order to do this, we propose the first explicit self-stabilizing algorithm computing a $(k,k-1)$-ruling set (i.e. a "maximal independent set at distance $k$"). By combining multiple time this technique, we compute a distance-$K$ coloring of the graph. With this coloring we can finally simulate \local~model algorithms running in a constant number of rounds, using the colors as unique identifiers. Our algorithms work under the Gouda daemon, which is similar to the probabilistic daemon: if an event should eventually happen, it will occur under this daemon.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2023

When Should You Wait Before Updating? Toward a Robustness Refinement

Consider a dynamic network and a given distributed problem. At any point in time, there might exist several solutions that are equally good with respect to the problem specification, but that are different from an algorithmic perspective, because some could be easier to update than others when the network changes. In other words, one would prefer to have a solution that is more robust to topological changes in the network; and in this direction the best scenario would be that the solution remains correct despite the dynamic of the network. In~\cite{CasteigtsDPR20}, the authors introduced a very strong robustness criterion: they required that for any removal of edges that maintain the network connected, the solution remains valid. They focus on the maximal independent set problem, and their approach consists in characterizing the graphs in which there exists a robust solution (the existential problem), or even stronger, where any solution is robust (the universal problem). As the robustness criteria is very demanding, few graphs have a robust solution, and even fewer are such that all of their solutions are robust. In this paper, we ask the following question: \textit{Can we have robustness for a larger class of networks, if we bound the number $k$ of edge removals allowed}? (See the full paper for the full abstract.)

cs.DS↗

arXiv2022

Fault Tolerant Coloring of the Asynchronous Cycle

We present a wait-free algorithm for proper coloring the n nodes of the asynchronous cycle $C_n$, where each crash-prone node starts with its (unique) identifier as input. The algorithm is independent of $n \geq 3$, and runs in $\mathrm{O}(\log^* n)$ rounds in $C_n$. This round-complexity is optimal thanks to a known matching lower bound, which applies even to synchronous (failure-free) executions. The range of colors used by our algorithm, namely $\{0, ..., 4\}$, is optimal too, thanks to a known lower bound on the minimum number of names for which renaming is solvable wait-free in shared-memory systems, whenever $n$ is a power of a prime. Indeed, our model coincides with the shared-memory model whenever $n = 3$, and the minimum number of names for which renaming is possible in 3-process shared-memory systems is 5.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2022

Improved pyrotechnics : Closer to the burning graph conjecture

The Burning Number Conjecture claims that for every connected graph $G$ of order $n,$ its burning number satisfies $b(G) \le \lceil \sqrt{n} \rceil.$ While the conjecture remains open, we prove that it is asymptotically true when the order of the graph is much larger than its \emph{growth}, which is the maximal distance of a vertex to a well-chosen path in the graph. We prove that the conjecture for graphs of bounded growth reduces to a finite number of cases. We provide the best-known bound on the burning number of a connected graph $G$ of order $n,$ given by $b(G) \le \sqrt{4n/3} + 1,$ improving on the previously known $\sqrt{3n/2}+O(1)$ bound. Using the improved upper bound, we show that the conjecture almost holds for all graphs with minimum degree at least $3$ and holds for all large enough graphs with minimum degree at least $4$. The previous best-known result was for graphs with minimum degree $23$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

Lower bounds for maximal matchings and maximal independent sets

There are distributed graph algorithms for finding maximal matchings and maximal independent sets in $O(Δ+ \log^* n)$ communication rounds; here $n$ is the number of nodes and $Δ$ is the maximum degree. The lower bound by Linial (1987, 1992) shows that the dependency on $n$ is optimal: these problems cannot be solved in $o(\log^* n)$ rounds even if $Δ= 2$. However, the dependency on $Δ$ is a long-standing open question, and there is currently an exponential gap between the upper and lower bounds. We prove that the upper bounds are tight. We show that any algorithm that finds a maximal matching or maximal independent set with probability at least $1-1/n$ requires $Ω(\min\{Δ,\log \log n / \log \log \log n\})$ rounds in the LOCAL model of distributed computing. As a corollary, it follows that any deterministic algorithm that finds a maximal matching or maximal independent set requires $Ω(\min\{Δ, \log n / \log \log n\})$ rounds; this is an improvement over prior lower bounds also as a function of $n$.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2021

Distributed recoloring of interval and chordal graphs

One of the fundamental and most-studied algorithmic problems in distributed computing on networks is graph coloring, both in bounded-degree and in general graphs. Recently, the study of this problem has been extended in two directions. First, the problem of recoloring, that is computing an efficient transformation between two given colorings (instead of computing a new coloring), has been considered, both to model radio network updates, and as a useful subroutine for coloring. Second, as it appears that general graphs and bounded-degree graphs do not model real networks very well (with, respectively, pathological worst-case topologies and too strong assumptions), coloring has been studied in more specific graph classes. In this paper, we study the intersection of these two directions: distributed recoloring in two relevant graph classes, interval and chordal graphs.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2019

Distributed Computing in the Asynchronous LOCAL model

The LOCAL model is among the main models for studying locality in the framework of distributed network computing. This model is however subject to pertinent criticisms, including the facts that all nodes wake up simultaneously, perform in lock steps, and are failure-free. We show that relaxing these hypotheses to some extent does not hurt local computing. In particular, we show that, for any construction task $T$ associated to a locally checkable labeling (LCL), if $T$ is solvable in $t$ rounds in the LOCAL model, then $T$ remains solvable in $O(t)$ rounds in the asynchronous LOCAL model. This improves the result by Castañeda et al. [SSS 2016], which was restricted to 3-coloring the rings. More generally, the main contribution of this paper is to show that, perhaps surprisingly, asynchrony and failures in the computations do not restrict the power of the LOCAL model, as long as the communications remain synchronous and failure-free.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2019

Homonym Population Protocols, or Providing a Small Space of Computation Using a Few Identifiers

Population protocols have been introduced by Angluin et al. as a model in which n passively mobile anonymous finite-state agents stably compute a predicate on the multiset of their inputs via interactions by pairs. The model has been extended by Guerraoui and Ruppert to yield the community protocol models where agents have unique identifiers but may only store a finite number of the identifiers they already heard about. The population protocol models can only compute semi-linear predicates, whereas in the community protocol model the whole community of agents provides collectively the power of a Turing machine with a O(n log n) space. We consider variations on the above models and we obtain a whole landscape that covers and extends already known results: By considering the case of homonyms, that is to say the case when several agents may share the same identifier, we provide a hierarchy that goes from the case of no identifier (i.e. a single one for all, i.e. the population protocol model) to the case of unique identifiers (i.e. community protocol model). We obtain in particular that any Turing Machine on space O(logO(1) n) can be simulated with at least O(logO(1) n) identifiers, a result filling a gap left open in all previous studies. Our results also extend and revisit in particular the hierarchy provided by Chatzigiannakis et al. on population protocols carrying Turing Machines on limited space, solving the problem of the gap left by this work between per-agent space o(log log n) (proved to be equivalent to population protocols) and O(log n) (proved to be equivalent to Turing machines).

cs.CC↗

arXiv2019

Distributed Reconfiguration of Maximal Independent Sets

In this paper, we investigate a distributed maximal independent set (MIS) reconfiguration problem, in which there are two maximal independent sets for which every node is given its membership status, and the nodes need to communicate with their neighbors in order to find a reconfiguration schedule that switches from the first MIS to the second. Such a schedule is a list of independent sets that is restricted by forbidding two neighbors to change their membership status at the same step. In addition, these independent sets should provide some covering guarantee. We show that obtaining an actual MIS (and even a 3-dominating set) in each intermediate step is impossible. However, we provide efficient solutions when the intermediate sets are only required to be independent and 4-dominating, which is almost always possible, as we fully characterize. Consequently, our goal is to pin down the tradeoff between the possible length of the schedule and the number of communication rounds. We prove that a constant length schedule can be found in $O(\texttt{MIS}+\texttt{R32})$ rounds, where $\texttt{MIS}$ is the complexity of finding an MIS in a worst-case graph and $\texttt{R32}$ is the complexity of finding a $(3,2)$-ruling set. For bounded degree graphs, this is $O(\log^*n)$ rounds and we show that it is necessary. On the other extreme, we show that with a constant number of rounds we can find a linear length schedule.

cs.DC↗