Abstract: We give an efficient local search
algorithm that computes a good vertex coloring of a graph $G$. In
order to better illustrate this local search method, we view local
moves as selfish moves in a suitably defined game. In particular,
given a graph $G=(V,E)$ of $n$ vertices and $m$ edges, we define
the \emph{graph coloring game} $\Gamma(G)$ as a strategic game
where the set of players is the set of vertices and the players
share the same action set, which is a set of $n$ colors. The
payoff that a vertex $v$ receives, given the actions chosen by all
vertices, equals the total number of vertices that have chosen the
same color as $v$, unless a neighbor of $v$ has also chosen the
same color, in which case the payoff of $v$ is 0. We show:
\begin{itemize}
\item The game $\Gamma(G)$ has always pure Nash equilibria. Each
pure equilibrium is a proper coloring of $G$. Furthermore, there
exists a pure equilibrium that corresponds to an optimum coloring.
\item We give a polynomial time algorithm $\mathcal{A}$ which
computes a pure Nash equilibrium of $\Gamma(G)$. \item The total
number, $k$, of colors used in \emph{any} pure Nash equilibrium
(and thus achieved by $\mathcal{A}$) is $k\leq\min\{\Delta_2+1,
\frac{n+\omega}{2}, \frac{1+\sqrt{1+8m}}{2}, n-\alpha+1\}$, where
$\omega, \alpha$ are the clique number and the independence number
of $G$ and $\Delta_2$ is the maximum degree that a vertex can have
subject to the condition that it is adjacent to at least one
vertex of equal or greater degree. ($\Delta_2$ is no more than the
maximum degree $\Delta$ of $G$.) \item Thus, in fact, we propose
here a \emph{new}, \emph{efficient} coloring method that achieves
a number of colors \emph{satisfying (together) the known general
upper bounds on the chromatic number $\chi$}. Our method is also
an alternative general way of \emph{proving},
\emph{constructively}, all these bounds. \item Finally, we show
how to strengthen our method (staying in polynomial time) so that
it avoids ``bad'' pure Nash equilibria (i.e. those admitting a
number of colors $k$ far away from $\chi$). In particular, we show
that our enhanced method colors \emph{optimally} dense random
$q$-partite graphs (of fixed $q$) with high probability.
\end{itemize}
Abstract: For many random Constraint Satisfaction Problems, by now, we have asymptotically tight estimates of
the largest constraint density for which they have solutions. At the same time, all known polynomial-time algorithms
for many of these problems already completely fail to find solutions at much smaller densities. For example, it is
well-known that it is easy to color a random graph using twice as many colors as its chromatic number. Indeed, some
of the simplest possible coloring algorithms already achieve this goal. Given the simplicity of those algorithms, one
would expect there is a lot of room for improvement. Yet, to date, no algorithm is known that uses (2 - o)÷ colors,
in spite of efforts by numerous researchers over the years.
In view of the remarkable resilience of this factor of 2 against every algorithm hurled at it, we believe it is natural to
inquire into its origin. We do so by analyzing the evolution of the set of k-colorings of a random graph, viewed as a
subset of {1, . . . , k}n, as edges are added. We prove that the factor of 2 corresponds in a precise mathematical sense
to a phase transition in the geometry of this set. Roughly, the set of k-colorings looks like a giant ball for k ? 2÷, but
like an error-correcting code for k ? (2 - o)÷. We prove that a completely analogous phase transition also occurs both in random k-SAT and in random hypergraph 2-coloring. And that for each problem, its location corresponds precisely with the point were all known polynomial-time algorithms fail. To prove our results we develop a general technique that allows us to prove rigorously much of the celebrated 1-step Replica-Symmetry-Breaking hypothesis
of statistical physics for random CSPs.
Abstract: For a number of optimization problems on random graphs
and hypergraphs, e.g., k-colorings, there is a very big gap between the
largest average degree for which known polynomial-time algorithms can
find solutions, and the largest average degree for which solutions provably
exist. We study this phenomenon by examining how sets of solutions
evolve as edges are added.We prove in a precise mathematical sense that,
for each problem studied, the barrier faced by algorithms corresponds
to a phase transition in the problems solution-space geometry. Roughly
speaking, at some problem-specific critical density, the set of solutions
shatters and goes from being a single giant ball to exponentially many,
well-separated, tiny pieces. All known polynomial-time algorithms work
in the ball regime, but stop as soon as the shattering occurs. Besides
giving a geometric view of the solution space of random instances our
results provide novel constructions of one-way functions.
Abstract: The 3-coloring problem is well known to be NP-complete. It is also well known that it
remains NP-complete when the input is restricted to graphs with diameter 4. Moreover, assuming
the Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH), 3-coloring cannot be solved in time 2
o
(
n
)
on graphs with
n
vertices and diameter at most 4. In spite of the extensive studies of the 3-coloring problem with
respect to several basic parameters, the complexity status of this problem on graphs with small
diameter, i.e. with diameter at most 2, or at most 3, has been a longstanding and challenging open
question. In this paper we investigate graphs with small diameter. For graphs with diameter at most 2,
we provide the rst subexponential algorithm for 3-coloring, with complexity 2
O
(
p
n
log
n
)
, which is
asymptotically the same as the currently best known time complexity for the graph isomorphism
problem. Furthermore we extend the notion of an articulation vertex to that of an
articulation
neighborhood
, and we provide a polynomial algorithm for 3-coloring on graphs with diameter 2
that have at least one articulation neighborhood. For graphs with diameter at most 3, we establish
the complexity of 3-coloring, even for the case of triangle-free graphs. Namely we prove that for
every
"
2
[0
;
1), 3-coloring is NP-complete on triangle-free graphs of diameter 3 and radius 2 with
n
vertices and minimum degree
=
(
n
"
). Moreover, assuming ETH, we use three dierent amplication
techniques of our hardness results, in order to obtain for every
"
2
[0
;
1) subexponential asymptotic
lower bounds for the complexity of 3-coloring on triangle-free graphs with diameter 3 and minimum
degree
=
(
n
"
). Finally, we provide a 3-coloring algorithm with running time 2
O
(min
f
;
n
log
g
)
for
arbitrary graphs with diameter 3, where
n
is the number of vertices and
(resp.
) is the minimum
(resp. maximum) degree of the input graph. To the best of our knowledge, this algorithm is the rst
subexponential algorithm for graphs with
=
!
(1) and for graphs with
=
O
(1) and
=
o
(
n
).
Due to the above lower bounds of the complexity of 3-coloring, the running time of this algorithm is
asymptotically almost tight when the minimum degree of the input graph is
=
(
n
"
), where
"
2
[
1
2
;
1).
Abstract: We study the following Constrained Bipartite EdgeColoring problem: We are given a bipartite graph G=(U,V,E) of maximum degree I with n vertices, in which some of the edges have been legally colored with c colors. We wish to complete the coloring of the edges of G minimizing the total number of colors used. The problem has been proved to be NP-hard even for bipartite graphs of maximum degree three. Two special cases of the problem have been previously considered and tight upper and ower bounds on the optimal number of colors were proved. The upper bounds led to 3/2-approximation algorithms for both problems. In this paper we present a randomized (1.37+o(1))-approximation algorithm for the general problem in the case where max{l,c} = {\`u}(ln n). Our techniques are motivated by recent works on the Circular Arc Coloring problem and are essentially different and simpler than the existing ones.
Abstract: Motivated by the wavelength assignment problem in WDM optical networks, we study path coloring problems in graphs. Given a set of paths P on a graph G, the path coloring problem is to color the paths of P so that no two paths traversing the same edge of G are assigned the same color and the total number of colors used is minimized. The problem has been proved to be NP-hard even for trees and rings.
Using optimal solutions to fractional path coloring, a natural relaxation of path coloring, on which we apply a randomized rounding technique combined with existing coloring algorithms, we obtain new upper bounds on the minimum number of colors sufficient to color any set of paths on any graph. The upper bounds are either existential or constructive.
The existential upper bounds significantly improve existing ones provided that the cost of the optimal fractional path coloring is sufficiently large and the dilation of the set of paths is small. Our algorithmic results include improved approximation algorithms for path coloring in rings and in bidirected trees. Our results extend to variations of the original path coloring problem arizing in multifiber WDM optical networks.
Abstract: An intersection graph of n vertices assumes that each vertex is equipped with a subset of a global label set. Two vertices share an edge
when their label sets intersect. Random Intersection Graphs (RIGs) (as defined in [18, 31]) consider label sets formed by the following experiment:
each vertex, independently and uniformly, examines all the labels (m in total) one by one. Each examination is independent and the vertex
succeeds to put the label in her set with probability p. Such graphs nicely capture interactions in networks due to sharing of resources among nodes.
We study here the problem of efficiently coloring (and of finding upper bounds to the chromatic number) of RIGs. We concentrate in a range
of parameters not examined in the literature, namely: (a) m = n{\'a} for less than 1 (in this range, RIGs differ substantially from the Erd¨os- Renyi random graphs) and (b) the selection probability p is quite high
(e.g. at least ln2 n m in our algorithm) and disallows direct greedy colouring methods.
We manage to get the following results:
For the case mp ln n, for any constant < 1 − , we prove that np colours are enough to colour most of the vertices of the graph with high probability (whp). This means that even for quite dense
graphs, using the same number of colours as those needed to properly colour the clique induced by any label suffices to colour almost all of the vertices of the graph. Note also that this range of values of m, p
is quite wider than the one studied in [4].
� We propose and analyze an algorithm CliqueColour for finding a proper colouring of a random instance of Gn,m,p, for any mp >=ln2 n. The algorithm uses information of the label sets assigned to the
vertices of Gn,m,p and runs in O (n2mp2/ln n) time, which is polynomial in n and m. We also show by a reduction to the uniform random
intersection graphs model that the number of colours required by the algorithm are of the correct order of magnitude with the actual
chromatic number of Gn,m,p.
⋆ This work was partially supported by the ICT Programme of the European Union under contract number ICT-2008-215270 (FRONTS). Also supported by Research Training Group GK-693 of the Paderborn Institute for Scientific Computation
(PaSCo).
� We finally compare the problem of finding a proper colouring for Gn,m,p to that of colouring hypergraphs so that no edge is monochromatic.We show how one can find in polynomial time a k-colouring of the vertices of Gn,m,p, for any integer k, such that no clique induced by only one label in Gn,m,p is monochromatic. Our techniques are novel and try to exploit as much as possible the hidden structure of random intersection graphs in this interesting range.
Abstract: The Frequency Assignment Problem (FAP) in radio networks is the problem of assigning frequencies to transmitters exploiting frequency reuse while keeping signal interference to acceptable levels. The FAP is usually modelled by variations of the graph coloring problem. A Radiocoloring (RC) of a graph G(V,E) is an assignment function View the MathML source such that |{\"E}(u)−{\"E}(v)|greater-or-equal, slanted2, when u,v are neighbors in G, and |{\"E}(u)−{\"E}(v)|greater-or-equal, slanted1 when the distance of u,v in G is two. The discrete number of frequencies used is called order and the range of frequencies used, span. The optimization versions of the Radiocoloring Problem (RCP) are to minimize the span (min span RCP) or the order (min order RCP).
In this paper, we deal with an interesting, yet not examined until now, variation of the radiocoloring problem: that of satisfying frequency assignment requests which exhibit some periodic behavior. In this case, the interference graph (modelling interference between transmitters) is some (infinite) periodic graph. Infinite periodic graphs usually model finite networks that accept periodic (in time, e.g. daily) requests for frequency assignment. Alternatively, they can model very large networks produced by the repetition of a small graph.
A periodic graph G is defined by an infinite two-way sequence of repetitions of the same finite graph Gi(Vi,Ei). The edge set of G is derived by connecting the vertices of each iteration Gi to some of the vertices of the next iteration Gi+1, the same for all Gi. We focus on planar periodic graphs, because in many cases real networks are planar and also because of their independent mathematical interest.
We give two basic results:
• We prove that the min span RCP is PSPACE-complete for periodic planar graphs.
• We provide an O(n({\"A}(Gi)+{\'o})) time algorithm (where|Vi|=n, {\"A}(Gi) is the maximum degree of the graph Gi and {\'o} is the number of edges connecting each Gi to Gi+1), which obtains a radiocoloring of a periodic planar graph G that approximates the minimum span within a ratio which tends to View the MathML source as {\"A}(Gi)+{\'o} tends to infinity.
We remark that, any approximation algorithm for the min span RCP of a finite planar graph G, that achieves a span of at most {\'a}{\"A}(G)+constant, for any {\'a} and where {\"A}(G) is the maximum degree of G, can be used as a subroutine in our algorithm to produce an approximation for min span RCP of asymptotic ratio {\'a} for periodic planar graphs.
Abstract: The Frequency Assignment Problem (FAP) in radio networks is the problem of assigning frequencies to transmitters exploiting frequency reuse while keeping signal interference to acceptable levels. The FAP is usually modelled by variations of the graph coloring problem. The Radiocoloring (RC) of a graph G(V,E) is an assignment function {\"O}: V → IN such that ∣{\"O}(u) - {\"O}(v)∣ ≥2, when u, v are neighbors in G, and ∣{\"O}(u) - {\"O}(v)∣ ≥1 when the distance of u, v in G is two. The range of frequencies used is called span. Here, we consider the optimization version of the Radiocoloring Problem (RCP) of finding a radiocoloring assignment of minimum span, called min span RCP. In this paper, we deal with a variation of RCP: that of satisfying frequency assignment requests with some periodic behavior. In this case, the interference graph is an (infinite) periodic graph. Infinite periodic graphs model finite networks that accept periodic (in time, e.g. daily) requests for frequency assignment. Alternatively, they may model very large networks produced by the repetition of a small graph. A periodic graph G is defined by an infinite two-way sequence of repetitions of the same finite graph G i (V i ,E i ). The edge set of G is derived by connecting the vertices of each iteration G i to some of the vertices of the next iteration G i +1, the same for all G i . The model of periodic graphs considered here is similar to that of periodic graphs in Orlin [13], Marathe et al [10]. We focus on planar periodic graphs, because in many cases real networks are planar and also because of their independent mathematical interest. We give two basic results: - We prove that the min span RCP is PSPACE-complete for periodic planar graphs. - We provide an O(n({\"A}(G i ) + {\'o})) time algorithm, (where ∣V i ∣ = n, {\"A}(G i ) is the maximum degree of the graph G i and {\'o} is the number of edges connecting each G i to G i +1), which obtains a radiocoloring of a periodic planar graph G that approximates the minimum span within a ratio which tends to 2 as {\"A}(Gi) + {\'o} tends to infinity.