2026-07-25T06:45:38Z https://drops.dagstuhl.de/oai

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An Extension of Plücker Relations with Applications to Subdeterminant Maximization Anari, Nima Vuong, Thuy-Duong Plücker relations determinant maximization local search exchange property discrete concavity discrepancy Given a matrix A and k ≥ 0, we study the problem of finding the k × k submatrix of A with the maximum determinant in absolute value. This problem is motivated by the question of computing the determinant-based lower bound of cite{LSV86} on hereditary discrepancy, which was later shown to be an approximate upper bound as well [Matoušek, 2013]. The special case where k coincides with one of the dimensions of A has been extensively studied. Nikolov gave a 2^{O(k)}-approximation algorithm for this special case, matching known lower bounds; he also raised as an open problem the question of designing approximation algorithms for the general case. We make progress towards answering this question by giving the first efficient approximation algorithm for general k× k subdeterminant maximization with an approximation ratio that depends only on k. Our algorithm finds a k^{O(k)}-approximate solution by performing a simple local search. Our main technical contribution, enabling the analysis of the approximation ratio, is an extension of Plücker relations for the Grassmannian, which may be of independent interest; Plücker relations are quadratic polynomial equations involving the set of k× k subdeterminants of a k× n matrix. We find an extension of these relations to k× k subdeterminants of general m× n matrices. Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik Nima Anari and Thuy-Duong Vuong 2020 Is Part Of LIPIcs, Volume 176, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2020) InProceedings Text doc-type:ResearchArticle publishedVersion application/pdf doi:10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2020.56 urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-126596 https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2020.56 eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode