SEARCH · Searcharxiv

Search Searcharxiv

Search indexed arXiv papers on artificial intelligence, large language models, computer vision and robotics. Read source abstracts and follow links to arXiv.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2026

New upper and lower bounds on covering codes K_q(n,R) for alphabets of size 5 <= q <= 21

Let K_q(n,R) denote the minimum cardinality of a q-ary code of length n with covering radius R. We improve the known bounds on K_q(n,R) in 83 cases (82 distinct cells). On the upper-bound side we give 25 improved bounds for 5<=q<=15 -- twenty-four found by search and one propagated by monotonicity -- using two complementary methods: an engineered focused local search seeded with structural constructions, and a large-neighbourhood search driven by exact full-space coverage transforms that evaluates every candidate codeword position simultaneously. These are, to our knowledge, the first improvements to any upper bound on K_q(n,R) with q >= 5 since the 2011 revision of Keri's tables; several bounds decrease by more than 20%, e.g. K_6(8,4)<=166 (previously 216) and K_8(10,5)<=1883 (previously 2461). On the lower-bound side we give 58 improved bounds for 6<=q<=21, obtained from the semidefinite programming hierarchy of Gijswijt and Polak, whose published results cover q<=5, by combining an exact-arithmetic reimplementation of the reduced program with a multiprecision solution pipeline. Every new lower bound is certified by a rational dual solution validated by a standalone exact-arithmetic checker; no floating-point computation is part of the trusted base. The same pipeline also gives strong numerical evidence of limits: on a dozen further cells the certified value of the relaxation, which the solver reports as optimal to within its working precision, lies below the best known bound, indicating that no improvement is available there at this level of the hierarchy. One cell is improved from both sides: 441<=K_6(10,4)<=2751, previously 417--2952. All codes and certificates are provided in machine-readable form together with standalone verifiers.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

On cancellative pairs of families of subsets

A pair $(\mathcal{A}, \mathcal{B})$ of families of subsets of $[n]$ is cancellative if whenever $A, A' \in \mathcal{A}, B \in \mathcal{B}$ satisfy $A \cup B=A' \cup B$, then $A=A'$, and whenever $A \in \mathcal{A}, B, B' \in \mathcal{B}$ satisfy $A \cup B=A \cup B'$, then $B=B'$. We show that for every cancellative pair $(\mathcal{A}, \mathcal{B})$, the inequality $|\mathcal{A}||\mathcal{B}| \le 2.25^n$ holds, matching Tolhuizen's $(2.25-o(1))^n$ lower bound construction.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

New Upper bounds on the Mondrian Art Problem

We present a new upper bound on the defect of the Mondrian Art Problem. The Mondrian Art Problem asks for a partition of an $n \times n$ square with rectangles of distinct dimensions such that the difference (defect) between the largest and smallest rectangle areas is minimized. We prove that for any $n \times n$ square, there exists a partition with defect $O(n^{5/6})$, improving upon the previously conjectured $O (n/\log n)$ upper bound. We also implement an algorithm that provides empirical evidence supporting our theoretical bound.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Optimal girth-dependent bounds for the Bethe approximation of the permanent

For an $n\times n$ nonnegative matrix $A$, the Bethe permanent, which is computable in deterministic polynomial time, satisfies the tight universal comparison \[\operatorname{Bethe}(A) \leq \operatorname{per}(A) \leq 2^{n/2}\operatorname{Bethe}(A).\] The lower bound, due to Gurvits, is attained on forests. The upper bound, due to Anari and Rezaei, is attained by the adjacency matrix of a disjoint union of $4$-cycles. Confirming a conjecture of Anari, we provide an optimal girth-dependent refinement of the above comparison. More precisely, we show that if the bipartite support graph of $A$ has girth at least an even integer $g \geq 4$, then \[\operatorname{Bethe}(A) \leq \operatorname{per}(A) \leq 2^{2n/g}\operatorname{Bethe}(A).\] The upper bound is attained by the adjacency matrix of a disjoint union of $g$-cycles.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Recurrences for permutations with long increasing subsequences

We prove two simple bivariate recurrences for the number of permutations with a long increasing subsequence. The two recurrences imply D-finiteness of the sequence in a certain range. As a consequence, we also obtain a proof of a conjecture posed by Kauers and Koutschan in 2023.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

The Class Edge-Reconstruction Number of a Maximal Planar Graph Is One or Two

An edge card of a graph is obtained by deleting one edge, and a class edge-reconstruction number asks for the fewest carefully selected cards that identify the graph when its class is known. We determine the sharp universal bound for maximal planar graphs. Two selected cards always suffice, and the octahedral graph shows that two can be necessary; some maximal planar graphs are already identified by one card. The argument exploits the fact that deleting a flippable edge leaves a single quadrilateral whose two diagonals give the only possible maximal-planar completions. Degree information then rules out the competing completion, with a separate argument for graphs containing a vertex of degree three. This settles a problem posed in a 2010 survey on reconstruction numbers.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Geometry-dependent rank defect in $C^1$ cubic spline space

Determining the dimension of the $C^1$ cubic spline space $S_3^1(\mathcal{T})$ on an arbitrary nondegenerate planar triangulation has remained unresolved since the 1970s. Schumaker's lower bound includes a local correction $σ$ for singular interior four-stars, and it was conjectured that this bound is always attained. We disprove this conjecture by constructing a one-parameter family of nondegenerate realizations of a fixed 18-triangle complex, with only the central vertex moving as $v_6(t)=(t,0)$ on the admissible interval $I=(-3/4,24/55)$. The family exhibits three distinct cases. For $t\in I\setminus\{1/5,3/83\}$, the lower bound is attained and $\dim S_3^1(\mathcal{T}(t))=33$. At $t=3/83$, the central four-star is singular, $σ=1$, and the resulting dimension 34 is exactly accounted for by the classical local correction. At $t=1/5$, however, all interior vertices are nonsingular and $σ=0$, yet $\dim S_3^1(\mathcal{T}(1/5))=34>P_{\mathcal{T}(1/5)}(1,3)=33$. The smoothing-cofactor calculation shows that the dependence at $t=3/83$ is confined to the central vertex block, whereas the dependence at $t=1/5$ couples all seven interior vertex cycles even though every individual block has full row rank. A complementary Bernstein--Bézier calculation gives the same dimension profile. Thus the singular-four-star correction does not capture every geometry-dependent contribution to $\dim S_3^1(\mathcal{T})$; genuinely global compatibility must also be taken into account.

math.NA↗

arXiv2026

Extremal Asymmetric Depth of Planar Graphs and Hidden Near-Mirror Symmetries of IPR Fullerenes

Although almost all graphs are asymmetric -- having no nontrivial global automorphisms -- they may still possess local symmetries in the form of isomorphisms between induced subgraphs, i.e., partial automorphisms. We study such local symmetries via asymmetric depth, defined in terms of the maximum rank of a nontrivial partial automorphism. We prove a tight upper bound on asymmetric depth in the class of planar graphs and identify the extremal graphs: duals of IPR fullerenes attain the maximum already on $47$ vertices. Our main structural result concerns the IPR fullerenes that are neither maximally asymmetric nor symmetric. In such a cage no purely local action realises a low asymmetric depth, and we show that the map which does realise it cannot be confined to a small part of the cage either: neither to a single face, nor behind an interface of at most $5-k$ edges, $k \le 3$ being the deficiency. A cage of asymmetric depth $2$ or $3$ is therefore not asymmetric in one place; it carries a broken symmetry invisible to its automorphism group. Such cages are rare -- under $2\%$ of the asymmetric IPR fullerenes at $n = 118$. In all $727$ of them the largest partial automorphism is a near-mirror reflection, which we state as an explicit conjecture. We also extend the asymmetric depth bound to graphs of higher genus.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Dimension Dependent Correlation Gap Bounds under Restricted Independence

The pairwise independent correlation gap is the ratio of the maximum expected value of a set function under arbitrary dependence to that under pairwise independence, measuring the loss from this independence restriction. Under mutual independence, this gap is universally bounded by $e/(e-1)$ for monotone submodular functions. With pairwise independence, a tighter $4/3$ upper bound was established for several special cases, including $n=3$, and conjectured to hold universally. A recent AI-assisted counterexample disproved this conjecture for $n=5$, leaving the validity of the $n=4$ bound and the tight worst case bound open. We resolve both questions. First, for $n=4$, we establish that the $4/3$ bound holds universally and is tight using an AI-assisted proof combining theoretical analysis and computational verification. The proof combines a structural characterization of optimal numerator vertices, permutation symmetry, cone certificate systems, Bernstein polynomial representations, recursive simplex subdivision, and verification of $2,745$ Bernstein coefficient systems. Second, we show that the worst case pairwise independent correlation gap attains $e/(e-1)$ asymptotically by constructing an instance with identical marginal probabilities and a monotone submodular union coverage function on a ground set partitioned into $m$ blocks. The number of blocks grows sublinearly with the ground set size. The result follows by constructing a feasible solution to a scaled asymptotic reduced dual of the pairwise independent linear program and immediately extends to $t$-wise independent random elements ($t\ge2$), since $t$-wise independence implies pairwise independence. Thus, pairwise independence, despite being the least restrictive form of independence in the $t$-wise independence hierarchy, can be as restrictive as mutual independence in the worst case.

math.PR↗

arXiv2026

Almost Linear 3-Spanners of Temporal Cliques

Temporal graphs model dynamic networks by assigning positive integer time labels to the edges, while information propagates along temporal paths, whose edge labels are traversed in nondecreasing order. A temporal $α$-spanner of a temporal graph with $n$ vertices is a temporal subgraph that approximates the minimum-hop temporal distance between every pair of vertices within a factor of $α$. While general temporal graphs may not admit sparse temporal $α$-spanners for any value of $α$, temporal cliques are known to admit temporal $(2k-1)$-spanners of size $\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}(kn^{1+1/k})$ for every positive integer $k$. We present a simple recursive algorithm that computes, for every temporal clique on $n$ vertices, a temporal $3$-spanner of size $n^{1+2/\sqrt{\ln n}}=n^{1+o(1)}$, thereby improving the previous best upper bound of $\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}(n^{3/2})$. We also show that a modified version of our algorithm computes temporal $3$-spanners of size $\mathcal{O}(nL)$ when the lifetime is bounded by $L$, i.e., all time labels are in $\{1,\ldots,L\}$, thus improving the previous bound of $\mathcal{O}(2^Ln\log n)$. Both results are particularly striking in light of the known lower bound of $Ω(n^2)$ on the size of temporal $2$-spanners, which already holds for temporal cliques of lifetime $L\geq 3$. Both algorithms rely on a new simple recursive decomposition that certifies temporal connectivity for a large collection of source-target pairs using only $\mathcal{O}(n)$ carefully selected edges and recursively processes only the remaining pairs. Besides yielding substantially improved upper bounds, this approach is significantly simpler than previous constructions.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

The Most Malicious Maître D'

We revisit the family of "napkin problems" first discussed by Peter Winkler in his 2004 puzzle book and discussed subsequently in several papers. This family of problems involves diners being seated around a circular table in which napkins are placed between the seats, so it is ambiguous which napkin belongs to which seat. The problems seek to quantify the proportion of diners who end up with no napkin under a variety of assumptions, one of which is that the diners have an adaptive adversary known as "the malicious maitre d'," who seeks to maximize the number of napkinless diners. Winkler's original strategy for the adaptive maitre d' was shown to be suboptimal in 2023 when Acton, Petersen, Shirman, and Toal presented a better (yet also suboptimal) strategy. In this paper we demonstrate an optimal strategy for the malicious maitre d' and compute the expected proportion of napkinless diners as a function of the probability of a diner taking the left napkin. Interestingly, the strategy does not depend on the exact probability; rather, it only depends on which napkin (left or right) the diners tend to prefer.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Bridging the Gap Between Stable Marriage and Stable Roommates: A Parameterized Algorithm for Optimal Stable Matchings

In the Stable Roommates Problem (SR), a set of $2n$ agents rank one another in a linear order. The goal is to find a matching that is stable: one that has no pair of agents who mutually prefer each other over their assigned partners. We consider the problem of finding an optimal stable matching. Agents associate weights with each of their potential partners, and the goal is to find a stable matching that minimizes the sum of the associated weights. Efficient algorithms exist for finding an optimal stable matching in the Stable Marriage Problem (SM), but the problem is NP-hard for general SR instances. In this paper, we define a notion of structural distance between SR instances and SM instances, which we call the minimum crossing distance. When an SR instance has minimum crossing distance $0$, the instance is structurally equivalent to an SM instance, and this structure can be exploited to find an optimal stable matching efficiently. More generally, we show that when an SR instance has minimum crossing distance $k$, an optimal stable matching can be computed in time $2^{O(k)} n^{O(1)}$. Thus, the optimal stable matching problem is fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) with respect to minimum crossing distance.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Explicit Rank Extractors and Subspace Designs via Function Fields, with Applications to Strong Blocking Sets

We give new explicit constructions of several fundamental objects in linear-algebraic pseudorandomness and combinatorics, including lossless rank extractors, weak subspace designs, and strong $s$-blocking sets over finite fields. Our focus is on the small-field regime, where the field size depends only on a secondary parameter (such as the rank or codimension) and is independent of the ambient dimension. This regime is central to several applications, yet remains poorly understood from the perspective of explicit constructions. In this setting, we obtain the first explicit constructions of lossless rank extractors and weak subspace designs for $r\ll k$, where $r$ denotes the rank (or codimension), over finite fields $\mathbb{F}_q$ with $q \ge \mathrm{poly}(r)$ and $q$ non-prime, with near-optimal parameters. For other finite fields, including prime fields and small fields, we obtain weaker but still improved bounds. As a consequence, we construct explicit strong $s$-blocking sets in $\mathrm{PG}(k-1,q)$ of size $O(s(k-s)q^s)$ for all sufficiently large non-prime fields $q \ge \mathrm{poly}(s)$, matching the best known non-explicit bounds up to constant factors. This significantly improves the previous best bound $2^{O(s^2 \log s)} q^s k$ of Bishnoi and Tomon (Combinatorica, 2026), which requires $q \ge 2^{Ω(s)}$. Our approach is primarily algebraic, combining techniques from function fields and polynomial identity testing. In addition, we develop a complementary Fourier-analytic framework based on $\varepsilon$-biased sets, which yields improved explicit constructions of strong $s$-blocking sets over small fields.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Eleven, twelve, and thirteen lonely runners

Wills conjectured that, for any non-zero integers $u_1,\ldots,u_k$, there is a real number $t$ such that, for all $i=1,\ldots,k$, \[\lVert tu_i\rVert\geq\frac{1}{k+1},\] where $\lVert x\rVert$ is the distance from $x$ to the closest integer. This statement is known as the Lonely Runner Conjecture. A computational method developed by Rosenfeld and the second author verified the conjecture for $k\leq9$. We further refine this method with new sieving techniques and employ a polynomial method argument to show that any $(u_1,\ldots,u_k)\equiv(1,2,\ldots,k)\pmod{p}$ with $\gcd(u_1,\ldots,u_k)=1$ satisfies the conjecture when $k+1$ and $p > k^2+k$ are both odd primes. Ultimately, we provide a computer-assisted proof of the Lonely Runner Conjecture for $k\in\{10,11,12\}$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Optimality of Random Regular Graphs in Sparse Network Designs

The problems of designing sparse networks arise frequently in resource allocation and operations research. In production systems, for example, sparse process flexibility designs are used to handle uncertain demand effectively: the goal is to construct the sparsest bipartite graph between supply and demand that still achieves an expected fulfilled demand comparable to that of a fully flexible system. In middle-mile transportation, sparse delivery-route subgraphs that sustain large matchings after random node deletions help reduce delivery costs; here, the goal is to design the sparsest graph whose maximum matching size remains comparable to that of the fully connected graph under node deletions. The design of sparse networks has been studied extensively, with state-of-the-art results providing order-wise optimal designs for both bipartite and unipartite networks (Chen et al., 2015; Feng et al., 2024). However, identifying designs that achieve the sharp theoretical limit -- where the average degree asymptotically matches the lower bound of any graph to achieve a given loss level, has remained open. In this paper, we prove that the random regular graph achieves this sharp optimal condition in both bipartite and unipartite settings. Numerical experiments further validate this optimality. Our results highlight a practical guideline for sparse flexibility networks: designs that combine degree regularity with dispersed edge placement can achieve optimal performance under uncertainty.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Shallower ReLU Network Representations via Exact Linear Algebra

We study the depth required by ReLU networks to exactly represent piecewise linear functions, focusing specifically on the maximum function. This problem has recently received significant attention in both the ML and TCS literature. We prove that $\max_n(x)=\max\{x_1,\ldots,x_n\}$ is exactly representable with two hidden layers for every $n\leq 12$. Previously, this was only known up to $n\leq5$ [Bakaev, Brunck, Hertrich, Stade, Yehudayoff, STOC'26]. We obtain our constructions through an exact computer-assisted search within a space of candidate solutions: After a symmetry reduction, we obtain a finite system of linear equations over $\mathbb{Q}$ such that any solution yields a valid representation of the maximum function. The resulting constructions have a structured first hidden layer, which enables recursive substitution into deeper networks. This yields an exact ReLU representation of $\max_n$ with at most $\lceil \log_6(n/2) \rceil+1$ hidden layers. Consequently, every continuous piecewise-linear function on $\mathbb{R}^d$ admits an exact representation with at most $\lceil\log_6((d+1)/2)\rceil+1$ hidden layers; in particular, two hidden layers suffice for $d\leq 11$. Again, these results improve upon [Bakaev, Brunck, Hertrich, Stade, Yehudayoff, STOC'26], who proved analogous logarithmic bounds with base three.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2026

Beyond the Bethe Approximation of the Permanent

The canonical Bethe approximation gives a deterministic approximation to the permanent of every nonnegative matrix within a factor of $(\sqrt{2})^n$. We improve the base of this exponential factor: for some absolute constant $c<\sqrt{2}$, there is a deterministic polynomial-time $c^n$-approximation for the permanent of every nonnegative matrix. This shows that the canonical Bethe guarantee is not a barrier for deterministic approximation of the permanent. The proof augments the Bethe lower bound with a new certificate tailored to matrices on which that lower bound loses nearly the full factor. The author supplied the high-level plan of attack, and the proof was developed in an interaction with ChatGPT 5.6 Sol Pro. The author subsequently verified the results. Codex assisted with proof checking, manuscript assembly, and typesetting.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2026

Graph Coloring with Color Preferences

We study graph coloring with color preferences, in which each vertex ranks the available colors. In addition to assigning different colors to adjacent vertices, we require the coloring to be stable: no group of vertices can cyclically exchange their assigned colors so that each strictly prefers its new color to its original one. We define the stable chromatic number $χ_\mathrm{stable}(G)$ of a graph $G$ as the minimum integer $k$ such that every preference profile admits a stable $k$-coloring of $G$. We establish several upper and lower bounds. In particular, for any acyclic orientation of the edges of $G$, the largest number of vertices reachable from a vertex by directed paths, including the vertex itself, is an upper bound on $χ_\mathrm{stable}(G)$. This shows that $χ_\mathrm{stable}(G)$ is well-defined. We also show that $O(t \log (1+n/t))$ colors suffice for an $n$-vertex graph $G$ of treewidth $t$, and complement this with a lower bound in terms of the Grundy number. Turning to the problem of finding a minimum stable coloring for a given profile, we show that stable $2$-colorability is polynomial-time solvable, whereas stable $k$-colorability is NP-complete for every fixed $k\ge 3$. Using the treewidth bound, we give a fixed-parameter tractable algorithm parameterized by treewidth.

cs.GT↗