Sublinear Algorithms and Lower Bounds for Metric TSP Cost Estimation
We consider the problem of designing sublinear time algorithms for estimating the cost of minimum] metric traveling salesman (TSP) tour. Specifically, given access to a n × n distance matrix D that specifies pairwise distances between n points, the goal is to estimate the TSP cost by performing only sublinear (in the size of D) queries. For the closely related problem of estimating the weight of a metric minimum spanning tree (MST), it is known that for any epsilon > 0, there exists an O^~(n/epsilon^O(1))-time algorithm that returns a (1+epsilon)-approximate estimate of the MST cost. This result immediately implies an O^~(n/epsilon^O(1)) time algorithm to estimate the TSP cost to within a (2 + epsilon) factor for any epsilon > 0. However, no o(n^2)-time algorithms are known to approximate metric TSP to a factor that is strictly better than 2. On the other hand, there were also no known barriers that rule out existence of (1 + epsilon)-approximate estimation algorithms for metric TSP with O^~ (n) time for any fixed epsilon > 0. In this paper, we make progress on both algorithms and lower bounds for estimating metric TSP cost. On the algorithmic side, we first consider the graphic TSP problem where the metric D corresponds more »
Authors:
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Award ID(s):
Publication Date:
NSF-PAR ID:
10185976
Journal Name:
Leibniz international proceedings in informatics
Volume:
168
Page Range or eLocation-ID:
30:0 - 30:18
ISSN:
1868-8969
3. We present a general framework of designing efficient dynamic approximate algorithms for optimization on undirected graphs. In particular, we develop a technique that, given any problem that admits a certain notion of vertex sparsifiers, gives data structures that maintain approximate solutions in sub-linear update and query time. We illustrate the applicability of our paradigm to the following problems. (1) A fully-dynamic algorithm that approximates all-pair maximum-flows/minimum-cuts up to a nearly logarithmic factor in $\tilde{O}(n^{2/3})$ amortized time against an oblivious adversary, and $\tilde{O}(m^{3/4})$ time against an adaptive adversary. (2) An incremental data structure that maintains $O(1)$-approximate shortest path in $n^{o(1)}$ time per operation, as well as fully dynamic approximate all-pair shortest path and transshipment in $\tilde{O}(n^{2/3+o(1)})$ amortized time per operation. (3) A fully-dynamic algorithm that approximates all-pair effective resistance up to an $(1+\eps)$ factor in $\tilde{O}(n^{2/3+o(1)} \epsilon^{-O(1)})$ amortized update time per operation. The key tool behind result (1) is the dynamic maintenance of an algorithmic construction due to Madry [FOCS' 10], which partitions a graph into a collection of simpler graph structures (known as j-trees) and approximately captures the cut-flow and metric structure of the graph. The $O(1)$-approximation guarantee of (2) is by adapting the distance oracles by [Thorup-Zwick JACM `05].more »