55 Search Results for "Cohen, Gil"


Document
The Rate-Immediacy Barrier in Explicit Tree Code Constructions

Authors: Gil Cohen, Leonard J. Schulman, and Piyush Srivastava

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 383, 41st Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2026)


Abstract
Since the introduction of tree codes by Schulman (STOC 1993), explicit construction of asymptotically good tree codes has remained a notorious challenge. A work by Cohen, Haeupler and Schulman (STOC 2018), as well as the state-of-the-art construction by Ben Yaacov, Cohen, and Yankovitz (STOC 2022) have achieved codes with rate Ω(1/log log n), exponentially improving upon the original rate Ω(1/log n) construction of Evans, Klugerman and Schulman from 1994. All of these constructions rely, at least in part, on increasingly sophisticated methods of combining (block) error-correcting codes. In this work, we identify a fundamental barrier to constructing tree codes using known techniques. We introduce a key property which we call immediacy, that, while not required by the original definition of tree codes, is shared by all known constructions and inherently arises in recursive combinations of error-correcting codes. Our main technical contribution is the proof of a rate–immediacy trade-off, which, in particular, implies that any tree code with constant distance and non-trivial immediacy must necessarily have vanishing rate. By applying our rate-immediacy trade-off to existing constructions, we establish that their known rate analyses are essentially optimal given their actual error-correction properties. More broadly, our work highlights the need for fundamentally new ideas - beyond the recursive use of error-correcting codes - to achieve substantial progress in explicitly constructing asymptotically good tree codes.

Cite as

Gil Cohen, Leonard J. Schulman, and Piyush Srivastava. The Rate-Immediacy Barrier in Explicit Tree Code Constructions. In 41st Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 383, pp. 10:1-10:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{cohen_et_al:LIPIcs.CCC.2026.10,
  author =	{Cohen, Gil and Schulman, Leonard J. and Srivastava, Piyush},
  title =	{{The Rate-Immediacy Barrier in Explicit Tree Code Constructions}},
  booktitle =	{41st Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2026)},
  pages =	{10:1--10:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-437-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{383},
  editor =	{Moshkovitz, Dana},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2026.10},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-270522},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2026.10},
  annote =	{Keywords: Tree codes, Information Theory}
}
Document
Wide Replacement Products Meet Gray Codes: Toward Optimal Small-Bias Sets

Authors: Gil Cohen and Itay Cohen

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 383, 41st Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2026)


Abstract
Optimal small-bias sets sit at the crossroads of coding theory and pseudorandomness. Reaching optimal parameters would, in particular, meet the long-standing goal of matching the Gilbert-Varshamov bound for binary codes in the high-distance regime. In a breakthrough, Ta-Shma [Ta-Shma, 2017] constructed near-optimal small-bias sets via the Rozenman-Wigderson expander-walk framework, using the wide-replacement product to maintain s "secure" registers and to route the walk through them. Within this framework, two barriers remain en route to optimal small-bias sets: (i) the cost of maintaining registers and (ii) limitations inherited from spectral-gap bounds for expanders. We overcome the first - arguably the more critical - barrier. Our key technical insight is that registers can be reused even after they are exposed. Using a Gray-code-style reuse schedule, we recycle the same s registers exponentially many times in s, thereby reducing the register-maintenance cost exponentially. This yields the first improvement over Ta-Shma’s construction in nearly a decade - quantitatively modest but an important first step toward a truly optimal construction. The remaining barrier is fairly standard in isolation; the challenge is to overcome it in concert with our register-reuse framework.

Cite as

Gil Cohen and Itay Cohen. Wide Replacement Products Meet Gray Codes: Toward Optimal Small-Bias Sets. In 41st Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 383, pp. 21:1-21:27, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{cohen_et_al:LIPIcs.CCC.2026.21,
  author =	{Cohen, Gil and Cohen, Itay},
  title =	{{Wide Replacement Products Meet Gray Codes: Toward Optimal Small-Bias Sets}},
  booktitle =	{41st Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2026)},
  pages =	{21:1--21:27},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-437-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{383},
  editor =	{Moshkovitz, Dana},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2026.21},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-270631},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2026.21},
  annote =	{Keywords: small-bias sets, bias amplification, expansion-amplification, gray codes}
}
Document
Track A: Algorithms, Complexity and Games
Tracing AG Codes: Toward Meeting the Gilbert-Varshamov Bound

Authors: Gil Cohen, Dean Doron, Noam Goldgraber, and Tomer Manket

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 374, 53rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2026)


Abstract
One of the oldest problems in coding theory is to match the Gilbert-Varshamov bound with explicit binary codes. Over larger - yet still constant-sized - fields, algebraic-geometry codes are known to beat the GV bound. In this work, we leverage this phenomenon by taking traces of AG codes. Our hope is that the margin by which AG codes exceed the GV bound will withstand the parameter loss incurred by taking the trace from a constant field extension to the binary field. In contrast to concatenation, the usual alphabet-reduction method, our analysis of trace-of-AG (TAG) codes uses the AG codes’ algebraic structure throughout - including in the alphabet-reduction step. Our main technical contribution is a Hasse-Weil–type theorem that is well-suited for the analysis of TAG codes. The classical theorem (and its Grothendieck trace-formula extension) are inadequate in this setting. Although we do not obtain improved constructions, we show that a constant-factor strengthening of our bound would suffice. We also analyze the limitations of TAG codes under our bound and prove that, in the high-distance regime, they are inferior to code concatenation. Our Hasse-Weil–type theorem holds in far greater generality than is needed for analyzing TAG codes. In particular, we derive new estimates for exponential sums.

Cite as

Gil Cohen, Dean Doron, Noam Goldgraber, and Tomer Manket. Tracing AG Codes: Toward Meeting the Gilbert-Varshamov Bound. In 53rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 374, pp. 68:1-68:23, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{cohen_et_al:LIPIcs.ICALP.2026.68,
  author =	{Cohen, Gil and Doron, Dean and Goldgraber, Noam and Manket, Tomer},
  title =	{{Tracing AG Codes: Toward Meeting the Gilbert-Varshamov Bound}},
  booktitle =	{53rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2026)},
  pages =	{68:1--68:23},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-428-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{374},
  editor =	{Bhattacharya, Sayan and Nanongkai, Danupon and Benedikt, Michael and Puppis, Gabriele},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2026.68},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-264579},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2026.68},
  annote =	{Keywords: Coding Theory, Algebraic Geometry, Finite Fields, Exponential Sums}
}
Document
The Typical Algebraic Shifting of Graphs and Surfaces

Authors: Denys Bulavka, Eran Nevo, and Yuval Peled

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 367, 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)


Abstract
We initiate a statistical study of Kalai’s exterior algebraic shifting, focusing on concentration phenomena for random triangulations of a fixed space. First, for a uniform n-vertex refinement of any given graph G, we show that asymptotically almost-surely (a.a.s.) its exterior algebraic shifting is an explicit shifted graph depending only on n and the Betti numbers of G. Next, for any given compact connected Riemannian surface S, sample n points independently at random according to the volume measure, and consider the resulted a.a.s. unique Delaunay triangulation. We prove that a.a.s. its exterior algebraic shifting is an explicit shifted complex depending only on n and the Euler genus of S, and in particular is area-rigid. In both results the expected shifted complex is a homology lex-segment complex, a notion we define combinatorially and characterize numerically à la Björner-Kalai. As a tool to prove the result on surfaces, we prove a universality result on edge contractions: for every fixed surface triangulation K, every dense enough point set in the surface yields a Delaunay triangulation that edge contracts to K.

Cite as

Denys Bulavka, Eran Nevo, and Yuval Peled. The Typical Algebraic Shifting of Graphs and Surfaces. In 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 367, pp. 25:1-25:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{bulavka_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.25,
  author =	{Bulavka, Denys and Nevo, Eran and Peled, Yuval},
  title =	{{The Typical Algebraic Shifting of Graphs and Surfaces}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)},
  pages =	{25:1--25:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-418-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{367},
  editor =	{Ahn, Hee-Kap and Hoffmann, Michael and Nayyeri, Amir},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.25},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-258312},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.25},
  annote =	{Keywords: Algebraic shifting, Delaunay triangulation, surfaces, random triangulation, area rigidity}
}
Document
Simplicial Approximation to CW Complexes with Spherical Delaunay Triangulations

Authors: Raphaël Tinarrage

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 367, 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)


Abstract
Simplicial approximation provides a framework for constructing simplicial complexes that are homotopy equivalent to a given manifold, provided a CW structure is explicitly known. However, its conventional implementation quickly becomes intractable on a computer: barycentric subdivision produces poorly shaped simplices, and the star condition introduces many vertices. To address these limitations, this article develops a subdivision scheme based on spherical Delaunay triangulations, which attains better refinement properties than barycentric subdivisions. Moreover, the star condition is reframed as two independent problems, one geometric and the other combinatorial, respectively tackled in the language of locally equiconnected spaces and the list homomorphism problem, allowing an exponential reduction in the number of vertices. Via a prototype implementation, we obtain simplicial complexes homotopy equivalent to Grassmannians and Stiefel manifolds up to dimension 5.

Cite as

Raphaël Tinarrage. Simplicial Approximation to CW Complexes with Spherical Delaunay Triangulations. In 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 367, pp. 93:1-93:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{tinarrage:LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.93,
  author =	{Tinarrage, Rapha\"{e}l},
  title =	{{Simplicial Approximation to CW Complexes with Spherical Delaunay Triangulations}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)},
  pages =	{93:1--93:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-418-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{367},
  editor =	{Ahn, Hee-Kap and Hoffmann, Michael and Nayyeri, Amir},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.93},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-258991},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.93},
  annote =	{Keywords: Triangulation of manifolds, Simplicial approximation, CW complexes, Delaunay complexes, List homomorphism problem, Topological Data Analysis}
}
Document
Conditional Complexity Hardness: Monotone Circuit Size, Matrix Rigidity, and Tensor Rank

Authors: Nikolai Chukhin, Alexander S. Kulikov, Ivan Mihajlin, and Arina Smirnova

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 364, 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)


Abstract
Proving complexity lower bounds remains a challenging task: currently, we only know how to prove conditional uniform (algorithm) lower bounds and nonuniform (circuit) lower bounds in restricted circuit models. About a decade ago, Williams (STOC 2010) showed how to derive nonuniform lower bounds from uniform upper bounds: roughly, by designing a fast algorithm for checking satisfiability of circuits, one gets a lower bound for this circuit class. Since then, a number of results of this kind have been proved. For example, Jahanjou et al. (ICALP 2015) and Carmosino et al. (ITCS 2016) proved that if NSETH fails, then E^{NP} has series-parallel circuit size ω(n). One can also derive nonuniform lower bounds from nondeterministic uniform lower bounds. Perhaps the most well-known example is the Karp-Lipton theorem (STOC 1980): if Σ₂ ≠ Π₂, then NP ⊄ P/poly. Some recent examples include the following. Nederlof (STOC 2020) proved a lower bound on the matrix multiplication tensor rank under an assumption that TSP cannot be solved faster than in 2ⁿ time. Belova et al. (SODA 2024) proved that there exists an explicit polynomial family of arithmetic circuit size Ω(n^{δ}), for any δ > 0, assuming that MAX-3-SAT cannot be solved faster than in 2ⁿ nondeterministic time. Williams (FOCS 2024) proved an exponential lower bound for ETHR ∘ ETHR circuits under the Orthogonal Vectors conjecture. Whereas all the lower bounds above are proved under strong assumptions that might eventually be refuted, the revealed connections are of great interest and may still give further insights: one may be able to weaken the used assumptions or to construct generators from other fine-grained reductions. In this paper, we continue developing this line of research and show how uniform nondeterministic lower bounds can be used to construct generators of various types of combinatorial objects that are notoriously hard to analyze: Boolean functions of high circuit size, matrices of high rigidity, and tensors of high rank. Specifically, we prove the following. - If, for some ε and k, k-SAT cannot be solved in input-oblivious co-nondeterministic time O(2^{(1/2+ε)n}), then there exists a monotone Boolean function family in coNP of monotone circuit size 2^{Ω(n / log n)}. Combining this with the result above, we get win-win circuit lower bounds: either E^{NP{}} requires series-parallel circuits of size ω(n) or coNP requires monotone circuits of size 2^{Ω(n / log n)}. - If, for all ε > 0, MAX-3-SAT cannot be solved in co-nondeterministic time O(2^{(1 - ε)n}), then there exist small families of matrices with rigidity exceeding the best known constructions as well as small families of three-dimensional tensors of rank n^{1+Δ}, for some Δ > 0.

Cite as

Nikolai Chukhin, Alexander S. Kulikov, Ivan Mihajlin, and Arina Smirnova. Conditional Complexity Hardness: Monotone Circuit Size, Matrix Rigidity, and Tensor Rank. In 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 364, pp. 28:1-28:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{chukhin_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.28,
  author =	{Chukhin, Nikolai and Kulikov, Alexander S. and Mihajlin, Ivan and Smirnova, Arina},
  title =	{{Conditional Complexity Hardness: Monotone Circuit Size, Matrix Rigidity, and Tensor Rank}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{28:1--28:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-412-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{364},
  editor =	{Mahajan, Meena and Manea, Florin and McIver, Annabelle and Thắng, Nguy\~{ê}n Kim},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.28},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-255177},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.28},
  annote =	{Keywords: computational complexity, circuit complexity, lower bounds, conditional lower bounds, monotone circuits, matrix rigidity, tensor rank, arithmetic circuits, fine-grained complexity}
}
Document
When Is Local Search Both Effective and Efficient?

Authors: Artem Kaznatcheev and Sofia Vazquez Alferez

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 364, 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)


Abstract
Combinatorial optimization problems implicitly define fitness landscapes that combine the numeric structure of the "fitness" function to be maximized with the combinatorial structure of which assignments are "adjacent". Local search starts at an assignment in this landscape and successively moves assignments until no further improvement is possible among the adjacent assignments. Classic analyses of local search algorithms have focused more on the question of effectiveness ("did we find a good solution?") and often implicitly assumed that there are no doubts about their efficiency ("did we find it quickly?"). But there are many reasons to doubt the efficiency of local search. Even if we focus on fitness landscapes on the hypercube that are single peaked on every subcube (known as semismooth fitness landscapes, completely unimodal pseudo-Boolean functions, or acyclic unique sink orientations) where effectiveness is obvious, many local search algorithms are known to be inefficient. Since fitness landscapes are unwieldy exponentially large objects, we focus on their polynomial-sized representations by instances of valued constraint satisfaction problems (VCSP). We define a "direction" for valued constraints such that directed VCSPs generate semismooth fitness landscapes. We call directed VCSPs oriented if they do not have any pair of variables with arcs in both directions. Since recognizing if a VCSP-instance is directed or oriented is coNP-complete, we generalized oriented VCSPs as conditionally-smooth fitness landscapes where the structural property of "conditionally-smooth" is recognizable in polynomial time for a VCSP-instance. We prove that many popular local search algorithms like random ascent, simulated annealing, history-based rules, jumping rules, and the Kernighan-Lin heuristic are very efficient on conditionally-smooth landscapes. But conditionally-smooth landscapes are still expressive enough so that other well-regarded local search algorithms like steepest ascent and random facet require a super-polynomial number of steps to find the fitness peak.

Cite as

Artem Kaznatcheev and Sofia Vazquez Alferez. When Is Local Search Both Effective and Efficient?. In 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 364, pp. 59:1-59:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{kaznatcheev_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.59,
  author =	{Kaznatcheev, Artem and Vazquez Alferez, Sofia},
  title =	{{When Is Local Search Both Effective and Efficient?}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{59:1--59:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-412-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{364},
  editor =	{Mahajan, Meena and Manea, Florin and McIver, Annabelle and Thắng, Nguy\~{ê}n Kim},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.59},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-255480},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.59},
  annote =	{Keywords: valued constraint satisfaction problem, local search, algorithm analysis, constraint graphs, pseudo-Boolean functions, parameterized complexity}
}
Document
On Solving Asymmetric Diagonally Dominant Linear Systems in Sublinear Time

Authors: Tsz Chiu Kwok, Zhewei Wei, and Mingji Yang

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)


Abstract
We initiate a study of solving a row/column diagonally dominant (RDD/CDD) linear system 𝐌x = b in sublinear time, with the goal of estimating t^{⊤}x^{∗} for a given vector t ∈ ℝⁿ and a specific solution x^{∗}. This setting naturally generalizes the study of sublinear-time solvers for symmetric diagonally dominant (SDD) systems [Andoni-Krauthgamer-Pogrow, ITCS 2019] to the asymmetric case, which has remained underexplored despite extensive work on nearly-linear-time solvers for RDD/CDD systems. Our first contributions are characterizations of the problem’s mathematical structure. We express a solution x^{∗} via a Neumann series, prove its convergence, and upper bound the truncation error on this series through a novel quantity of 𝐌, termed the maximum p-norm gap. This quantity generalizes the spectral gap of symmetric matrices and captures how the structure of 𝐌 governs the problem’s computational difficulty. For systems with bounded maximum p-norm gap, we develop a collection of algorithmic results for locally approximating t^{⊤}x^{∗} under various scenarios and error measures. We derive these results by adapting the techniques of random-walk sampling, local push, and their bidirectional combination, which have proved powerful for special cases of solving RDD/CDD systems, particularly estimating PageRank and effective resistance on graphs. Our general framework yields deeper insights, extended results, and improved complexity bounds for these problems. Notably, our perspective provides a unified understanding of Forward Push and Backward Push, two fundamental approaches for estimating random-walk probabilities on graphs. Our framework also inherits the hardness results for sublinear-time SDD solvers and local PageRank computation, establishing lower bounds on the maximum p-norm gap or the accuracy parameter. We hope that our work opens the door for further study into sublinear solvers, local graph algorithms, and directed spectral graph theory.

Cite as

Tsz Chiu Kwok, Zhewei Wei, and Mingji Yang. On Solving Asymmetric Diagonally Dominant Linear Systems in Sublinear Time. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 89:1-89:25, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{kwok_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.89,
  author =	{Kwok, Tsz Chiu and Wei, Zhewei and Yang, Mingji},
  title =	{{On Solving Asymmetric Diagonally Dominant Linear Systems in Sublinear Time}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{89:1--89:25},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.89},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253768},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.89},
  annote =	{Keywords: Spectral Graph Theory, Linear Systems, Sublinear Algorithms}
}
Document
Lower Bounds Beyond DNF of Parities

Authors: Artur Riazanov, Anastasia Sofronova, and Dmitry Sokolov

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)


Abstract
We consider a subclass of AC⁰[2] circuits that simultaneously captures DNF∘Xor and depth-3 AC⁰ circuits. For this class we show a technique for proving lower bounds inspired by the top-down approach. We give lower bounds for the middle slice function, inner product function, and affine dispersers.

Cite as

Artur Riazanov, Anastasia Sofronova, and Dmitry Sokolov. Lower Bounds Beyond DNF of Parities. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 112:1-112:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{riazanov_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.112,
  author =	{Riazanov, Artur and Sofronova, Anastasia and Sokolov, Dmitry},
  title =	{{Lower Bounds Beyond DNF of Parities}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{112:1--112:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.112},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253996},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.112},
  annote =	{Keywords: boolean circuits, top-down, unpredictability}
}
Document
One Action Too Many: Inapproximability of Budgeted Combinatorial Contracts

Authors: Michal Feldman, Yoav Gal-Tzur, Tomasz Ponitka, and Maya Schlesinger

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)


Abstract
We study multi-agent contract design with combinatorial actions, under budget constraints, and for a broad class of objective functions, including profit (principal’s utility), reward, and welfare. Our first result is a strong impossibility: For submodular reward functions, no randomized poly-time algorithm can approximate the optimal budget-feasible value within any finite factor, even with demand-oracle access. This result rules out extending known constant-factor guarantees from either (i) unbudgeted settings with combinatorial actions or (ii) budgeted settings with binary actions, to their combination. The hardness is tight: It holds even when all but one agent have binary actions and the remaining agent has just one additional action. On the positive side, we show that gross substitutes rewards (a well-studied strict subclass of submodular functions) admit a deterministic poly-time O(1)-approximation, using only value queries. Our results thus draw the first sharp separation between budgeted and unbudgeted settings in combinatorial contracts, and identifies gross substitutes as a tractable frontier for budgeted combinatorial contracts. Finally, we present an FPTAS for additive rewards, demonstrating that arbitrary approximation is tractable under any budget. This constitutes the first FPTAS for the multi-agent combinatorial-actions setting, even in the absence of budget constraints.

Cite as

Michal Feldman, Yoav Gal-Tzur, Tomasz Ponitka, and Maya Schlesinger. One Action Too Many: Inapproximability of Budgeted Combinatorial Contracts. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 58:1-58:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{feldman_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.58,
  author =	{Feldman, Michal and Gal-Tzur, Yoav and Ponitka, Tomasz and Schlesinger, Maya},
  title =	{{One Action Too Many: Inapproximability of Budgeted Combinatorial Contracts}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{58:1--58:24},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.58},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253459},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.58},
  annote =	{Keywords: Combinatorial Contracts, Algorithmic Contract Design, Budget-Feasible Contracts}
}
Document
Model-Generic Incrementally Verifiable Computation from Updatable BARGs

Authors: Eden Aldema Tshuva and Rotem Oshman

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)


Abstract
Incrementally verifiable computation (IVC) is a computationally sound proof system that allows a prover to certify the correctness of a long or ongoing computation in an incremental manner, by repeatedly updating a proof certifying the computation so far. Updating the proof does not require access to the entire trace of the computation, which makes the IVC-prover memory efficient. Recently, such schemes were constructed for deterministic Turing machines from standard cryptographic assumptions (Paneth and Pass, FOCS 2022, and Devadas et al., FOCS 2022). In this work we generalize and extend IVC to support incremental certification and verifiability of a large set of computation models, focusing on distributed and online computation. This allows distributed algorithms to efficiently certify their own execution using low memory and communication overhead. We construct IVC for a variety of computation models by proving one generic lifting theorem from a classical (non-incremental) delegation scheme (also known as SNARG) into full-fledged IVC, while preserving the delegation scheme’s succinctness properties (up to an additive factor which is polynomial in the security parameter and independent of the size of the computation). Using this lifting theorem, we obtain IVC for the following computation models: - RAM and exclusive-read exclusive-write (EREW) PRAM algorithms, using existing delegation schemes for these models. - Streaming algorithms, using the natural memory-efficiency properties of the model. - Massively parallel computation (MPC). Notably, in this model, memory efficiency is a critical bottleneck: the machines participating in an MPC algorithm usually cannot store the entire trace of their computation. Thus, certifying MPC algorithms naturally benefits from IVC. Moreover, since prior to our work, no delegation scheme for this model was known, we also construct a delegation scheme for one-round massively parallel computations, and then apply our lifting theorem to it. - Distributed graph algorithms, using existing distributed delegation schemes (also known as locally verifiable distributed SNARGs). Here, in order to use our lifting theorem we have to first make some observations about the verification procedure of these existing schemes. At the heart of this work is a new abstraction, updatable batch arguments for NP (UpBARGs), which we define and construct. Standard BARGs allow one to prove a batch of k NP-statements using a proof whose length barely grows with k; however, the statements and their witnesses must all be known in advance. In contrast, UpBARGs support adding statements and witnesses on the fly, making them a flexible tool for constructing IVC across different computational models.

Cite as

Eden Aldema Tshuva and Rotem Oshman. Model-Generic Incrementally Verifiable Computation from Updatable BARGs. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 6:1-6:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{aldematshuva_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.6,
  author =	{Aldema Tshuva, Eden and Oshman, Rotem},
  title =	{{Model-Generic Incrementally Verifiable Computation from Updatable BARGs}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{6:1--6:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.6},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-252931},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.6},
  annote =	{Keywords: incrementally verifiable computation, massively parallel computation, streaming, parallel RAM, batch arguments, SNARG}
}
Document
On Time-Optimal, Fault-Tolerant Algorithms for Connected Consensus Beyond Grade Two

Authors: Alan Ernesto Arteaga Vázquez

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 361, 29th International Conference on Principles of Distributed Systems (OPODIS 2025)


Abstract
A common question in the asynchronous model is whether some given notion of agreement between processes is achievable. Usually, we formalise such agreement notions in the form of agreement problems. Some of these problems also receive the name of coordination primitives. Several fault-tolerant algorithms in asynchronous systems rely upon the use of different primitives as building blocks, such as adopt-commit, crusader agreement, or graded broadcast. Recently, the connected consensus problem - a form of agreement over a specific family of graphs parametrised by a positive integer R- was introduced. This problem unifies the three mentioned primitives while extending them for multi-valued inputs. Moreover, the problem is equipped with a security condition called binding, which limits the effect of malicious processes over the decision of correct parties. While fault-tolerant connected consensus algorithms for R = 1 and R = 2 are known, the existence of algorithmic solutions for any positive integer parameter remained an open question. In this work, we introduce a pair of fault-tolerant algorithms for connected consensus when the R parameter is any positive integer. We introduce a crash-resilient algorithm, which is optimal with respect to the maximum number of possible faulty processes. Our second algorithm is resilient to Byzantine failures; whose failure-resilience is optimal for a specific class of algorithms. Both algorithms satisfy the binding property and match the best known time complexities achieved for the R = 1 and R = 2 cases, further achieving time optimality for the general case in the crash-failure setting, and asymptotic time optimality in the Byzantine scenario.

Cite as

Alan Ernesto Arteaga Vázquez. On Time-Optimal, Fault-Tolerant Algorithms for Connected Consensus Beyond Grade Two. In 29th International Conference on Principles of Distributed Systems (OPODIS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 361, pp. 24:1-24:28, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)


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@InProceedings{arteagavazquez:LIPIcs.OPODIS.2025.24,
  author =	{Arteaga V\'{a}zquez, Alan Ernesto},
  title =	{{On Time-Optimal, Fault-Tolerant Algorithms for Connected Consensus Beyond Grade Two}},
  booktitle =	{29th International Conference on Principles of Distributed Systems (OPODIS 2025)},
  pages =	{24:1--24:28},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-409-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{361},
  editor =	{Arusoaie, Andrei and Onica, Emanuel and Spear, Michael and Tucci-Piergiovanni, Sara},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.OPODIS.2025.24},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251973},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.OPODIS.2025.24},
  annote =	{Keywords: Approximate Agreement, Binding, Connected Consensus}
}
Document
On the Randomized Locality of Matching Problems in Regular Graphs

Authors: Seri Khoury, Manish Purohit, Aaron Schild, and Joshua R. Wang

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 356, 39th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC 2025)


Abstract
The main goal in distributed symmetry-breaking is to understand the locality of problems: the radius of the neighborhood that a node must explore to determine its part of a global solution. In this work, we study the locality of matching problems in the family of regular graphs, which is one of the main benchmarks for establishing lower bounds on the locality of symmetry-breaking problems, as well as for obtaining classification results. Our main results are summarized as follows: 1) Approximate matching: We develop randomized algorithms to show that (1 + ε)-approximate matching in regular graphs is truly local, i.e., the locality depends only on ε and is independent of all other graph parameters. Furthermore, as long as the degree Δ is not very small (namely, as long as Δ ≥ poly(1/ε)), this dependence is only logarithmic in 1/ε. This stands in sharp contrast to maximal matching in regular graphs which requires some dependence on the number of nodes n or the degree Δ. 2) Maximal matching: Our techniques further allow us to establish a strong separation between the node-averaged complexity and worst-case complexity of maximal matching in regular graphs, by showing that the former is only O(1). Central to our main technical contribution is a novel martingale-based analysis for the ≈ 40-year-old algorithm by Luby. In particular, our analysis shows that applying one round of Luby’s algorithm on the line graph of a Δ-regular graph results in an almost Δ/2-regular graph.

Cite as

Seri Khoury, Manish Purohit, Aaron Schild, and Joshua R. Wang. On the Randomized Locality of Matching Problems in Regular Graphs. In 39th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 356, pp. 40:1-40:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)


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@InProceedings{khoury_et_al:LIPIcs.DISC.2025.40,
  author =	{Khoury, Seri and Purohit, Manish and Schild, Aaron and Wang, Joshua R.},
  title =	{{On the Randomized Locality of Matching Problems in Regular Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{39th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC 2025)},
  pages =	{40:1--40:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-402-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{356},
  editor =	{Kowalski, Dariusz R.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.DISC.2025.40},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-248570},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.DISC.2025.40},
  annote =	{Keywords: regular graphs, maximum matching, augmenting paths, distributed algorithms, Luby’s algorithm, martingales}
}
Document
Brief Announcement
Brief Announcement: From Few to Many Faults: Adaptive Byzantine Agreement with Optimal Communication

Authors: Andrei Constantinescu, Marc Dufay, Anton Paramonov, and Roger Wattenhofer

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 356, 39th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC 2025)


Abstract
We study the problem of Strong Byzantine Agreement and establish tight upper and lower bounds on communication complexity, parameterized by the actual number of Byzantine faults. Specifically, for a system of n parties tolerating up to t Byzantine faults, out of which only f ≤ t are actually faulty, we obtain the following results: In the partially synchronous setting, we present the first Byzantine Agreement protocol that achieves adaptive communication complexity of 𝒪(n + t ⋅ f) words, which is asymptotically optimal. Our protocol has an optimal resilience of t < n/3. In the asynchronous setting, we prove a lower bound of Ω(n + t²) on the expected number of messages, and design an almost matching protocol with an optimal resilience that solves agreement with 𝒪((n + t²)⋅ log n) words. Our main technical contribution in the asynchronous setting is the utilization of a bipartite expander graph that allows for low-cost information dissemination.

Cite as

Andrei Constantinescu, Marc Dufay, Anton Paramonov, and Roger Wattenhofer. Brief Announcement: From Few to Many Faults: Adaptive Byzantine Agreement with Optimal Communication. In 39th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 356, pp. 52:1-52:8, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)


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@InProceedings{constantinescu_et_al:LIPIcs.DISC.2025.52,
  author =	{Constantinescu, Andrei and Dufay, Marc and Paramonov, Anton and Wattenhofer, Roger},
  title =	{{Brief Announcement: From Few to Many Faults: Adaptive Byzantine Agreement with Optimal Communication}},
  booktitle =	{39th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC 2025)},
  pages =	{52:1--52:8},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-402-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{356},
  editor =	{Kowalski, Dariusz R.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.DISC.2025.52},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-248680},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.DISC.2025.52},
  annote =	{Keywords: Byzantine Agreement, Communication Complexity, Adaptive Communication Complexity, Resilience}
}
Document
Human-AI Interaction in Space: Insights from a Mars Analog Mission with the Harmony Large Language Model

Authors: Hippolyte Hilgers, Jean Vanderdonckt, and Radu-Daniel Vatavu

Published in: OASIcs, Volume 130, Advancing Human-Computer Interaction for Space Exploration (SpaceCHI 2025)


Abstract
The operational complexities of space missions require reliable, context-aware technical assistance for astronauts, especially when technical expertise is not available onboard and communication with Earth is delayed or limited. In this context, Large Language Models present a promising opportunity to augment human capabilities. To this end, we present Harmony, a model designed to provide astronauts with real-time technical assistance, fostering human-AI collaboration during analog missions. We report empirical results from an experiment involving seven analog astronauts that evaluated their user experience with Harmony in both a conventional environment and an isolated, confined, and extreme physical setting at the Mars Desert Research Station over four sessions, and discuss how the Mars analog environment impacted their experience. Our findings reveal the extent to which human-AI interactions evolve across various user experience dimensions and suggest how Harmony can be further adapted to suit extreme environments, with a focus on SpaceCHI.

Cite as

Hippolyte Hilgers, Jean Vanderdonckt, and Radu-Daniel Vatavu. Human-AI Interaction in Space: Insights from a Mars Analog Mission with the Harmony Large Language Model. In Advancing Human-Computer Interaction for Space Exploration (SpaceCHI 2025). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 130, pp. 1:1-1:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)


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@InProceedings{hilgers_et_al:OASIcs.SpaceCHI.2025.1,
  author =	{Hilgers, Hippolyte and Vanderdonckt, Jean and Vatavu, Radu-Daniel},
  title =	{{Human-AI Interaction in Space: Insights from a Mars Analog Mission with the Harmony Large Language Model}},
  booktitle =	{Advancing Human-Computer Interaction for Space Exploration (SpaceCHI 2025)},
  pages =	{1:1--1:20},
  series =	{Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-384-3},
  ISSN =	{2190-6807},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{130},
  editor =	{Bensch, Leonie and Nilsson, Tommy and Nisser, Martin and Pataranutaporn, Pat and Schmidt, Albrecht and Sumini, Valentina},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.SpaceCHI.2025.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-239912},
  doi =		{10.4230/OASIcs.SpaceCHI.2025.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: Extreme user experience, Human-AI interaction, Isolated-confined-extreme environment, Interaction design, Large Language Models, Mars Desert Research Station, Space mission, Technical assistance, Technical documentation, User experience}
}
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