In this paper we study syntactic branching programs of bounded repetition representing CNFs of bounded treewidth. For this purpose we introduce two new structural graph parameters $d$-pathwidth and clique preserving $d$-pathwidth denoted by $d-pw(G)$ and $d-cpw(G)$ where $G$ is a graph. We show that $2-cpw(G) \leq O(tw(G) \Delta(G))$ where $tw(G)$ and $\Delta(G)$ are, respectively the treewidth and maximal degree of $G$. Using this upper bound, we demonstrate that each CNF $\psi$ can be represented as a conjunction of two OBDDs of size $2^{O(\Delta(\psi)*tw(\psi)^2)}$ where $tw(\psi)$ is the treewidth of the primal graph of $\psi$ and each variable occurs in $\psi$ at most $\Delta(\psi)$ times. Next we use $d$-pathwdith to obtain lower bounds for monotone branching programs. In particular, we consider the monotone version of syntactic nondeterministic read $d$ times branching programs (just forbidding negative literals as edge labels) and introduce a further restriction that each computational path can be partitioned into at most $d$ read-once subpaths. We call the resulting model separable monotone read $d$ times branching programs and abbreviate them $d$-SMNBPs. For each graph $G$ without isolated vertices, we introduce a CNF $\psi(G)$ whsose clauses are $(u \vee e \vee v)$ for each edge $e=\{u,v\}$ of $G$. We prove that a $d$-SMNBP representing $\psi(G)$ is of size at least $\Omega(c^{d-pw(G)})$ where $c=(8/7)^{1/12}$. We use this 'generic' lower bound to obtain an exponential lower bound for a 'concrete' class of CNFs $\psi(K_n)$. In particular, we demonstrate that for each $0<a<1$, the size of $n^{a}$-SMNBP representing $\psi(K_n)$ is at least $c^{n^b}$ where $b$ is an arbitrary constant such that $a+b<1$. This lower bound is tight in the sense $\psi(K_n)$ can be represented by a poly-sized $n$-SMNBP.
We describe a polynomial-time algorithm which, given a graph $G$ with treewidth $t$, approximates the pathwidth of $G$ to within a ratio of $O(t\sqrt{\log t})$. This is the first algorithm to achieve an $f(t)$-approximation for some function $f$. Our approach builds on the following key insight: every graph with large pathwidth has large treewidth or contains a subdivision of a large complete binary tree. Specifically, we show that every graph with pathwidth at least $th+2$ has treewidth at least $t$ or contains a subdivision of a complete binary tree of height $h+1$. The bound $th+2$ is best possible up to a multiplicative constant. This result was motivated by, and implies (with $c=2$), the following conjecture of Kawarabayashi and Rossman (SODA'18): there exists a universal constant $c$ such that every graph with pathwidth $\Omega(k^c)$ has treewidth at least $k$ or contains a subdivision of a complete binary tree of height $k$. Our main technical algorithm takes a graph $G$ and some (not necessarily optimal) tree decomposition of $G$ of width $t'$ in the input, and it computes in polynomial time an integer $h$, a certificate that $G$ has pathwidth at least $h$, and a path decomposition of $G$ of width at most $(t'+1)h+1$. The certificate is closely related to (and implies) the existence of a subdivision of a complete binary tree of height $h$. The approximation algorithm for pathwidth is then obtained by combining this algorithm with the approximation algorithm of Feige, Hajiaghayi, and Lee (STOC'05) for treewidth.
The Schrijver graph $S(n,k)$ is defined for integers $n$ and $k$ with $n \geq 2k$ as the graph whose vertices are all the $k$-subsets of $\{1,2,\ldots,n\}$ that do not include two consecutive elements modulo $n$, where two such sets are adjacent if they are disjoint. A result of Schrijver asserts that the chromatic number of $S(n,k)$ is $n-2k+2$ (Nieuw Arch. Wiskd., 1978). In the computational Schrijver problem, we are given an access to a coloring of the vertices of $S(n,k)$ with $n-2k+1$ colors, and the goal is to find a monochromatic edge. The Schrijver problem is known to be complete in the complexity class $\mathsf{PPA}$. We prove that it can be solved by a randomized algorithm with running time $n^{O(1)} \cdot k^{O(k)}$, hence it is fixed-parameter tractable with respect to the parameter $k$.
Given a set $P$ of $n$ points in the plane, the $k$-center problem is to find $k$ congruent disks of minimum possible radius such that their union covers all the points in $P$. The $2$-center problem is a special case of the $k$-center problem that has been extensively studied in the recent past \cite{CAHN,HT,SH}. In this paper, we consider a generalized version of the $2$-center problem called \textit{proximity connected} $2$-center (PCTC) problem. In this problem, we are also given a parameter $\delta\geq 0$ and we have the additional constraint that the distance between the centers of the disks should be at most $\delta$. Note that when $\delta=0$, the PCTC problem is reduced to the $1$-center(minimum enclosing disk) problem and when $\delta$ tends to infinity, it is reduced to the $2$-center problem. The PCTC problem first appeared in the context of wireless networks in 1992 \cite{ACN0}, but obtaining a nontrivial deterministic algorithm for the problem remained open. In this paper, we resolve this open problem by providing a deterministic $O(n^2\log n)$ time algorithm for the problem.
In a sports competition, a team might lose a powerful incentive to exert full effort if its final rank does not depend on the outcome of the matches still to be played. Therefore, the organiser should reduce the probability of such a situation to the extent possible. Our paper provides a classification scheme to identify these weakly (where one team is indifferent) or strongly (where both teams are indifferent) stakeless games. A statistical model is estimated to simulate the UEFA Champions League groups and compare the candidate schedules used in the 2021/22 season according to the competitiveness of the matches played in the last round(s). The option followed in four of the eight groups is found to be optimal under a wide set of parameters. Minimising the number of strongly stakeless matches is verified to be a likely goal in the computer draw of the fixture that remains hidden from the public.
This paper presents new deterministic and distributed low-diameter decomposition algorithms for weighted graphs. In particular, we show that if one can efficiently compute approximate distances in a parallel or a distributed setting, one can also efficiently compute low-diameter decompositions. This consequently implies solutions to many fundamental distance based problems using a polylogarithmic number of approximate distance computations. Our low-diameter decomposition generalizes and extends the line of work starting from [Rozho\v{n}, Ghaffari STOC 2020] to weighted graphs in a very model-independent manner. Moreover, our clustering results have additional useful properties, including strong-diameter guarantees, separation properties, restricting cluster centers to specified terminals, and more. Applications include: -- The first near-linear work and polylogarithmic depth randomized and deterministic parallel algorithm for low-stretch spanning trees (LSST) with polylogarithmic stretch. Previously, the best parallel LSST algorithm required $m \cdot n^{o(1)}$ work and $n^{o(1)}$ depth and was inherently randomized. No deterministic LSST algorithm with truly sub-quadratic work and sub-linear depth was known. -- The first near-linear work and polylogarithmic depth deterministic algorithm for computing an $\ell_1$-embedding into polylogarithmic dimensional space with polylogarithmic distortion. The best prior deterministic algorithms for $\ell_1$-embeddings either require large polynomial work or are inherently sequential. Even when we apply our techniques to the classical problem of computing a ball-carving with strong-diameter $O(\log^2 n)$ in an unweighted graph, our new clustering algorithm still leads to an improvement in round complexity from $O(\log^{10} n)$ rounds [Chang, Ghaffari PODC 21] to $O(\log^{4} n)$.
A natural way of increasing our understanding of NP-complete graph problems is to restrict the input to a special graph class. Classes of $H$-free graphs, that is, graphs that do not contain some graph $H$ as an induced subgraph, have proven to be an ideal testbed for such a complexity study. However, if the forbidden graph $H$ contains a cycle or claw, then these problems often stay NP-complete. A recent complexity study on the $k$-Colouring problem shows that we may still obtain tractable results if we also bound the diameter of the $H$-free input graph. We continue this line of research by initiating a complexity study on the impact of bounding the diameter for a variety of classical vertex partitioning problems restricted to $H$-free graphs. We prove that bounding the diameter does not help for Independent Set, but leads to new tractable cases for problems closely related to 3-Colouring. That is, we show that Near-Bipartiteness, Independent Feedback Vertex Set, Independent Odd Cycle Transversal, Acyclic 3-Colouring and Star 3-Colouring are all polynomial-time solvable for chair-free graphs of bounded diameter. To obtain these results we exploit a new structural property of 3-colourable chair-free graphs.
In this paper we study the finite sample and asymptotic properties of various weighting estimators of the local average treatment effect (LATE), several of which are based on Abadie (2003)'s kappa theorem. Our framework presumes a binary endogenous explanatory variable ("treatment") and a binary instrumental variable, which may only be valid after conditioning on additional covariates. We argue that one of the Abadie estimators, which we show is weight normalized, is likely to dominate the others in many contexts. A notable exception is in settings with one-sided noncompliance, where certain unnormalized estimators have the advantage of being based on a denominator that is bounded away from zero. We use a simulation study and three empirical applications to illustrate our findings. In applications to causal effects of college education using the college proximity instrument (Card, 1995) and causal effects of childbearing using the sibling sex composition instrument (Angrist and Evans, 1998), the unnormalized estimates are clearly unreasonable, with "incorrect" signs, magnitudes, or both. Overall, our results suggest that (i) the relative performance of different kappa weighting estimators varies with features of the data-generating process; and that (ii) the normalized version of Tan (2006)'s estimator may be an attractive alternative in many contexts. Applied researchers with access to a binary instrumental variable should also consider covariate balancing or doubly robust estimators of the LATE.
Given a matrix $A$ and vector $b$ with polynomial entries in $d$ real variables $\delta=(\delta_1,\ldots,\delta_d)$ we consider the following notion of feasibility: the pair $(A,b)$ is locally feasible if there exists an open neighborhood $U$ of $0$ such that for every $\delta\in U$ there exists $x$ satisfying $A(\delta)x\ge b(\delta)$ entry-wise. For $d=1$ we construct a polynomial time algorithm for deciding local feasibility. For $d \ge 2$ we show local feasibility is NP-hard. As an application (which was the primary motivation for this work) we give a computer-assisted proof of ergodicity of the following elementary 1D cellular automaton: given the current state $\eta_t \in \{0,1\}^{\mathbb{Z}}$ the next state $\eta_{t+1}(n)$ at each vertex $n\in \mathbb{Z}$ is obtained by $\eta_{t+1}(n)= \text{NAND}\big(\text{BSC}_\delta(\eta_t(n-1)), \text{BSC}_\delta(\eta_t(n))\big)$. Here the binary symmetric channel $\text{BSC}_\delta$ takes a bit as input and flips it with probability $\delta$ (and leaves it unchanged with probability $1-\delta$). We also consider the problem of broadcasting information on the 2D-grid of noisy binary-symmetric channels $\text{BSC}_\delta$, where each node may apply an arbitrary processing function to its input bits. We prove that there exists $\delta_0'>0$ such that for all noise levels $0<\delta<\delta_0'$ it is impossible to broadcast information for any processing function, as conjectured in Makur, Mossel, Polyanskiy (ISIT 2021).
In the pooled data problem we are given a set of $n$ agents, each of which holds a hidden state bit, either $0$ or $1$. A querying procedure returns for a query set the sum of the states of the queried agents. The goal is to reconstruct the states using as few queries as possible. In this paper we consider two noise models for the pooled data problem. In the noisy channel model, the result for each agent flips with a certain probability. In the noisy query model, each query result is subject to random Gaussian noise. Our results are twofold. First, we present and analyze for both error models a simple and efficient distributed algorithm that reconstructs the initial states in a greedy fashion. Our novel analysis pins down the range of error probabilities and distributions for which our algorithm reconstructs the exact initial states with high probability. Secondly, we present simulation results of our algorithm and compare its performance with approximate message passing (AMP) algorithms that are conjectured to be optimal in a number of related problems.
Let $W$ be a finite set which simultaneously serves as the universe of any poset $(W,\preceq)$ and as the vertex set of any graph $G$. Our algorithm, abbreviated A-I-I, enumerates (in a compressed format using don't-care symbols) all $G$-independent order ideals of $(W,\preceq)$. For certain instances the high-end Mathematica implementation of A-I-I compares favorably to the hardwired Mathematica commands {\tt BooleanConvert} and {\tt SatisfiabilityCount}. The A-I-I can be parallelized and adapts to a polynomial total time algorithm that enumerates the modelset of any Boolean 2-CNF.