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Faster Parameterized Algorithms for Modification Problems to Minor-Closed Classes Morelle, Laure Sau, Ignasi Stamoulis, Giannos Thilikos, Dimitrios M. Graph minors Parameterized algorithms Graph modification problems Vertex deletion Elimination distance Irrelevant vertex technique Flat Wall Theorem Obstructions Let G be a minor-closed graph class and let G be an n-vertex graph. We say that G is a k-apex of G if G contains a set S of at most k vertices such that G⧵S belongs to G. Our first result is an algorithm that decides whether G is a k-apex of G in time 2^poly(k)⋅n². This algorithm improves the previous one, given by Sau, Stamoulis, and Thilikos [ICALP 2020, TALG 2022], whose running time was 2^poly(k)⋅n³. The elimination distance of G to G, denoted by ed_G(G), is the minimum number of rounds required to reduce each connected component of G to a graph in G by removing one vertex from each connected component in each round. Bulian and Dawar [Algorithmica 2017] proved the existence of an FPT-algorithm, with parameter k, to decide whether ed_G(G) ≤ k. This algorithm is based on the computability of the minor-obstructions and its dependence on k is not explicit. We extend the techniques used in the first algorithm to decide whether ed_G(G) ≤ k in time 2^{2^{2^poly(k)}}⋅n². This is the first algorithm for this problem with an explicit parametric dependence in k. In the special case where G excludes some apex-graph as a minor, we give two alternative algorithms, one running in time 2^{2^O(k²log k)}⋅n² and one running in time 2^{poly(k)}⋅n³. As a stepping stone for these algorithms, we provide an algorithm that decides whether ed_G(G) ≤ k in time 2^O(tw⋅ k + tw log tw)⋅n, where tw is the treewidth of G. This algorithm combines the dynamic programming framework of Reidl, Rossmanith, Villaamil, and Sikdar [ICALP 2014] for the particular case where G contains only the empty graph (i.e., for treedepth) with the representative-based techniques introduced by Baste, Sau, and Thilikos [SODA 2020]. In all the algorithmic complexities above, poly is a polynomial function whose degree depends on G, while the hidden constants also depend on G. Finally, we provide explicit upper bounds on the size of the graphs in the minor-obstruction set of the class of graphs E_k(G) = {G ∣ ed_G(G) ≤ k}. Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik Laure Morelle and Ignasi Sau and Giannos Stamoulis and Dimitrios M. Thilikos 2023 Is Part Of LIPIcs, Volume 261, 50th International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2023) InProceedings Text doc-type:ResearchArticle publishedVersion application/pdf doi:10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2023.93 urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-181458 https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2023.93 eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode