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Volume

LIPIcs, Volume 285

18th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2023)

IPEC 2023, September 6-8, 2023, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Editors: Neeldhara Misra and Magnus Wahlström

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.CPM.2026.12

Maximizing Diversity in (Near-)Median String Selection

Authors: Diptarka Chakraborty, Rudrayan Kundu, Nidhi Purohit, and Aravinda Kanchana Ruwanpathirana

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 369, 37th Annual Symposium on Combinatorial Pattern Matching (CPM 2026)

Abstract

Given a set of strings over a specified alphabet, identifying a median or consensus string that minimizes the total distance to all input strings is a fundamental data aggregation problem. When the Hamming distance is considered as the underlying metric, this problem has extensive applications, ranging from bioinformatics to pattern recognition. However, modern applications often require the generation of multiple (near-)optimal yet diverse median strings to enhance flexibility and robustness in decision-making. In this study, we address this need by focusing on two prominent diversity measures: sum dispersion and min dispersion. We first introduce an exact algorithm for the diameter variant of the problem, which identifies pairs of near-optimal medians that are maximally diverse. Subsequently, we propose a (1-ε)-approximation algorithm (for any ε > 0) for sum dispersion, as well as a bi-criteria approximation algorithm for the more challenging min dispersion case, allowing the generation of multiple (more than two) diverse near-optimal Hamming medians. Our approach primarily leverages structural insights into the Hamming median space and also draws on techniques from error-correcting code construction to establish these results.

Cite as

Diptarka Chakraborty, Rudrayan Kundu, Nidhi Purohit, and Aravinda Kanchana Ruwanpathirana. Maximizing Diversity in (Near-)Median String Selection. In 37th Annual Symposium on Combinatorial Pattern Matching (CPM 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 369, pp. 12:1-12:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{chakraborty_et_al:LIPIcs.CPM.2026.12,
  author =	{Chakraborty, Diptarka and Kundu, Rudrayan and Purohit, Nidhi and Ruwanpathirana, Aravinda Kanchana},
  title =	{{Maximizing Diversity in (Near-)Median String Selection}},
  booktitle =	{37th Annual Symposium on Combinatorial Pattern Matching (CPM 2026)},
  pages =	{12:1--12:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-420-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{369},
  editor =	{Bille, Philip and Prezza, Nicola},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.CPM.2026.12},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-259382},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.CPM.2026.12},
  annote =	{Keywords: Diversity maximization, Hamming median, diameter, dispersion, approximation algorithms}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.25

Parameterized Critical Node Cut Revisited

Authors: Dušan Knop, Nikolaos Melissinos, and Manolis Vasilakis

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 370, 20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026)

Abstract

We study how to sparsify connectivity in graphs under a tight deletion budget. Given a graph G and integers k,x ≥ 0, Critical Node Cut (CNC) asks whether we can delete at most k vertices so that the number of remaining unordered pairs of connected vertices is at most x. CNC generalizes Vertex Cover (the case x = 0) and models tasks in network design, epidemiology, and social network analysis. We comprehensively map the structural parameterized complexity landscape for Critical Node Cut. First, we prove W[1]-hardness for the combined parameter k + fes + Δ + pw, where fes is the feedback edge set number, Δ the maximum degree, and pw the pathwidth of the input graph, respectively. This significantly improves over the known W[1]-hardness for k+tw, where tw denotes the treewidth, and is tight in that tree-depth together with maximum degree trivially yields FPT. Second, we give new positive results. Specifically, we identify three structural parameters-max-leaf number, vertex integrity, and modular-width-that render the problem fixed-parameter tractable, and develop a polynomial-time algorithm for graphs of constant clique-width. Third, leveraging a technique introduced by Lampis [ICALP '14], we develop an FPT approximation scheme that, for any ε > 0, computes a (1+ε)-approximate solution in time (tw / ε)^{𝒪(tw)} n^{𝒪(1)}. Finally, we show that CNC admits no polynomial kernel when parameterized by vertex cover number, unless standard assumptions fail. Together, these results substantially sharpen the known complexity landscape for CNC.

Cite as

Dušan Knop, Nikolaos Melissinos, and Manolis Vasilakis. Parameterized Critical Node Cut Revisited. In 20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 370, pp. 25:1-25:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{knop_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.25,
  author =	{Knop, Du\v{s}an and Melissinos, Nikolaos and Vasilakis, Manolis},
  title =	{{Parameterized Critical Node Cut Revisited}},
  booktitle =	{20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026)},
  pages =	{25:1--25:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-421-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{370},
  editor =	{Fraigniaud, Pierre},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.25},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-260617},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.25},
  annote =	{Keywords: Critical Node Cut, Parameterized Complexity, Treewidth}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.6

Ferry Cover with Connectivity Constraints

Authors: Niranjan Balachandran, Ankita Dargad, Urban Larsson, Neeldhara Misra, and Umesh Shankar

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 366, 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)

Abstract

The classical Ferry Cover problem asks for the minimum boat capacity needed to transport all vertices of a graph across a river such that no edge remains on either bank at any time - a requirement that the banks induce stable (independent) sets. We study a natural generalization in which the banks must satisfy an arbitrary graph property. For hereditary properties such as acyclicity or planarity, we show that the structural characterization of small-boat and large-boat graphs established by Csorba, Hurkens, and Woeginger extends directly. We then turn to the connected-bank variant, where the property of interest - connectedness - is not hereditary: both banks must induce connected subgraphs throughout the transfer. We provide a complete characterization of graphs that can be transferred with a boat of size one (boat-1 graphs): a connected graph is boat-1 if and only if its block-cut tree is a path. This characterization yields a linear-time recognition algorithm. As a consequence, we show that every biconnected graph is boat-1, since such graphs admit an st-numbering. We also develop an efficient algorithm for determining the boat number of trees. Our work opens new directions for river-crossing problems under non-hereditary bank constraints.

Cite as

Niranjan Balachandran, Ankita Dargad, Urban Larsson, Neeldhara Misra, and Umesh Shankar. Ferry Cover with Connectivity Constraints. In 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 366, pp. 6:1-6:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{balachandran_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2026.6,
  author =	{Balachandran, Niranjan and Dargad, Ankita and Larsson, Urban and Misra, Neeldhara and Shankar, Umesh},
  title =	{{Ferry Cover with Connectivity Constraints}},
  booktitle =	{13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)},
  pages =	{6:1--6:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-417-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{366},
  editor =	{Iacono, John},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.6},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-257253},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.6},
  annote =	{Keywords: ferry cover, river crossing, block-cut tree, st-numbering, hereditary graph property, connectivity}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.20

Permutation Match Puzzles: How Young Tanvi Learned About Computational Complexity

Authors: Kshitij Gajjar and Neeldhara Misra

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 366, 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)

Abstract

We study a family of sorting match puzzles on grids, which we call permutation match puzzles. In this puzzle, each row and column of a n × n grid is labeled with an ordering constraint - ascending (A) or descending (D) - and the goal is to fill the grid with the numbers 1 through n² such that each row and column respects its constraint. We provide a complete characterization of solvable puzzles: a puzzle admits a solution if and only if its associated constraint graph is acyclic, which translates to a simple "at most one switch" condition on the A/D labels. When solutions exist, we show that their count is given by a hook length formula. For unsolvable puzzles, we present an O(n) algorithm to compute the minimum number of label flips required to reach a solvable configuration. Finally, we consider a generalization where rows and columns may specify arbitrary permutations rather than simple orderings, and establish that finding minimal repairs in this setting is NP-complete by a reduction from feedback arc set.

Cite as

Kshitij Gajjar and Neeldhara Misra. Permutation Match Puzzles: How Young Tanvi Learned About Computational Complexity. In 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 366, pp. 20:1-20:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{gajjar_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2026.20,
  author =	{Gajjar, Kshitij and Misra, Neeldhara},
  title =	{{Permutation Match Puzzles: How Young Tanvi Learned About Computational Complexity}},
  booktitle =	{13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)},
  pages =	{20:1--20:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-417-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{366},
  editor =	{Iacono, John},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.20},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-257398},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.20},
  annote =	{Keywords: sorting match puzzles, permutation match puzzles, grid puzzles, constraint satisfaction, directed acyclic graphs, hook length formula, standard Young tableaux, NP-completeness, feedback arc set}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.27

Completing the Complexity Classification of 2-Solo Chess: Knights and Kings Are Hard

Authors: Kolja Kühn and Wendy Yi

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 366, 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)

Abstract

We extend the study of the 2-Solo Chess problem which was first introduced by Aravind, Misra, and Mittal in 2022. 2-Solo Chess is a single-player variant of chess in which the player must clear the board via captures such that only one piece remains, with each piece capturing at most twice. It is known that the problem is solvable in polynomial time for instances containing only pawns, while it becomes NP-complete for instances restricted to rooks, bishops, or queens. In this work, we complete the complexity classification by proving that 2-Solo Chess is NP-complete if the instance contains only knights or only kings.

Cite as

Kolja Kühn and Wendy Yi. Completing the Complexity Classification of 2-Solo Chess: Knights and Kings Are Hard. In 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 366, pp. 27:1-27:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{kuhn_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2026.27,
  author =	{K\"{u}hn, Kolja and Yi, Wendy},
  title =	{{Completing the Complexity Classification of 2-Solo Chess: Knights and Kings Are Hard}},
  booktitle =	{13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)},
  pages =	{27:1--27:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-417-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{366},
  editor =	{Iacono, John},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.27},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-257464},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.27},
  annote =	{Keywords: Solo chess, puzzle games, board games, NP-completeness}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.78

Protrusion Decompositions Revisited: Uniform Lossy Kernels for Reducing Treewidth and Linear Kernels for Hitting Disconnected Minors

Authors: Roohani Sharma and Michał Włodarczyk

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

Abstract

Let ℱ be a finite family of graphs. In the ℱ-Deletion problem, one is given a graph G and an integer k, and the goal is to find k vertices whose deletion results in a graph with no minor from the family ℱ. This may be regarded as a far-reaching generalization of Vertex Cover and Feedback vertex Set. In their seminal work, Fomin, Lokshtanov, Misra & Saurabh [FOCS 2012] gave a polynomial kernel for this problem when the family ℱ contains a planar graph. As the size of their kernel is g(ℱ) ⋅ k^{f(ℱ)}, a natural follow-up question was whether the dependence on ℱ in the exponent of k can be avoided. The answer turned out to be negative: Giannopoulou, Jansen, Lokshtanov & Saurabh [TALG 2017] proved that this is already inevitable for the special case of the Treewidth-η-Deletion problem. In this work, we show that this non-uniformity can be avoided at the expense of a small loss. First, we present a simple 2-approximate kernelization algorithm for Treewidth-η-Deletion with a kernel size g(η) ⋅ k⁶. Next, we show that the approximation factor can be made arbitrarily close to 1, if we settle for a kernelization protocol with 𝒪(1) calls to an oracle that solves instances of size bounded by a uniform polynomial in k. We extend the above results to general ℱ-Deletion, whenever ℱ contains a planar graph, as long as an oracle for Treewidth-η-Deletion is available for small instances. Notably, all our constants are computable functions of ℱ and our techniques work also when some graphs in ℱ may be disconnected. Our results rely on two novel techniques. First, we transform so-called "near-protrusion decompositions" into true protrusion decompositions by sacrificing a small accuracy loss. Secondly, we show how to optimally compress such a decomposition with respect to general ℱ-Deletion. Using our second technique, we also obtain linear kernels on sparse graph classes when ℱ contains a planar graph, whereas the previously known theorems required all graphs in ℱ to be connected. Specifically, we generalize the kernelization algorithm by Kim, Langer, Paul, Reidl, Rossmanith, Sau & Sikdar [TALG 2015] on graph classes that exclude a topological minor.

Cite as

Roohani Sharma and Michał Włodarczyk. Protrusion Decompositions Revisited: Uniform Lossy Kernels for Reducing Treewidth and Linear Kernels for Hitting Disconnected Minors. In 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 364, pp. 78:1-78:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{sharma_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.78,
  author =	{Sharma, Roohani and W{\l}odarczyk, Micha{\l}},
  title =	{{Protrusion Decompositions Revisited: Uniform Lossy Kernels for Reducing Treewidth and Linear Kernels for Hitting Disconnected Minors}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{78:1--78:21},
  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.2026.78},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-255674},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.78},
  annote =	{Keywords: kernelization, graph minors, treewidth, uniform kernels, minor hitting}
}

@InProceedings{sharma_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.78,
  author =	{Sharma, Roohani and W{\l}odarczyk, Micha{\l}},
  title =	{{Protrusion Decompositions Revisited: Uniform Lossy Kernels for Reducing Treewidth and Linear Kernels for Hitting Disconnected Minors}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{78:1--78:21},
  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.2026.78},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-255674},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.78},
  annote =	{Keywords: kernelization, graph minors, treewidth, uniform kernels, minor hitting}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.66

A Parameterized-Complexity Framework for Finding Local Optima

Authors: Robert Ganian, Hung P. Hoang, Christian Komusiewicz, and Nils Morawietz

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

Abstract

Local search is a fundamental optimization technique that is both widely used in practice and deeply studied in theory, yet its computational complexity remains poorly understood. The traditional frameworks, PLS and the standard algorithm problem, introduced by Johnson, Papadimitriou, and Yannakakis (1988) fail to capture the methodology of local search algorithms: PLS is concerned with finding a local optimum and not with using local search, while the standard algorithm problem restricts each improvement step to follow a fixed pivoting rule. In this work, we introduce a novel formulation of local search which provides a middle ground between these models. In particular, the task is to output not only a local optimum but also a chain of local improvements leading to it. With this framework, we aim to capture the challenge in designing a good pivoting rule. Especially, when combined with the parameterized complexity paradigm, it enables both strong lower bounds and meaningful tractability results. Unlike previous works that combined parameterized complexity with local search, our framework targets the whole task of finding a local optimum and not only a single improvement step. Focusing on two representative meta-problems - Subset Weight Optimization Problem with the c-swap neighborhood and Weighted Circuit with the flip neighborhood - we establish fixed-parameter tractability results related to the number of distinct weights, while ruling out an analogous result when parameterizing by the distance to the nearest optimum via a new type of reduction.

Cite as

Robert Ganian, Hung P. Hoang, Christian Komusiewicz, and Nils Morawietz. A Parameterized-Complexity Framework for Finding Local Optima. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 66:1-66:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{ganian_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.66,
  author =	{Ganian, Robert and Hoang, Hung P. and Komusiewicz, Christian and Morawietz, Nils},
  title =	{{A Parameterized-Complexity Framework for Finding Local Optima}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{66:1--66:20},
  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.2026.66},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253532},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.66},
  annote =	{Keywords: Local Search, Parameterized Complexity, PLS}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.80

FPT Approximations for Connected Maximum Coverage

Authors: Tanmay Inamdar, Satyabrata Jana, Madhumita Kundu, Daniel Lokshtanov, Saket Saurabh, and Meirav Zehavi

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

Abstract

We revisit connectivity-constrained coverage through a unifying model, Partial Connected Red-Blue Dominating Set (PartialConRBDS). Given a bipartite graph G = (R∪ B,E) with red vertices R and blue vertices B, an auxiliary connectivity graph G_{conn} on R, and integers k,t, the task is to find a set S ⊆ R with |S| ≤ k such that G_{conn}[S] is connected and S dominates at least t blue vertices. This formulation captures connected variants of Maximum Coverage [Hochbaum-Rao, Inf. Proc. Lett., 2020; D'Angelo-Delfaraz, AAMAS 2025], Partial Vertex Cover, and Partial Dominating Set [Khuller et al., SODA 2014; Lamprou et al., TCS 2021] via standard encodings. Limits to parameterized tractability. PartialConRBDS is W[1]-hard parameterized by k even under strong restrictions: it remains hard when G_{conn} is a clique or a star and the incidence graph G is 3-degenerate, or when G is K_{2,2}-free. Inapproximability. For every ε > 0, there is no polynomial-time (1, 1-1/e+ε)-approximation unless 𝖯 = NP. Moreover, under ETH, no algorithm running in f(k)⋅ n^{o(k)} time achieves an g(k)-approximation for k for any computable function g(⋅), or for any ε > 0, a (1-1/e+ε)-approximation for t. Graphical special cases. Partial Connected Dominating Set is W[2]-hard parameterized by k and inherits the same ETH-based f(k)⋅ n^{o(k)} inapproximability bound as above; Partial Connected Vertex Cover is W[1]-hard parameterized by k. These hardness boundaries delineate a natural "sweet spot" for study: within appropriate structural restrictions on the incidence graph, one can still aim for fine-grained (FPT) approximations. Our algorithms. We solve PartialConRBDS exactly by reducing it to Relaxed Directed Steiner Out-Tree in time (2e)^t ⋅ n^{𝒪(1)}. For biclique-free incidences (i.e., when G excludes K_{d,d} as an induced subgraph), we obtain two complementary parameterized schemes: - An Efficient Parameterized Approximation Scheme (EPAS) running in time 2^{𝒪(k² d/ε)}⋅ n^{𝒪(1)} that either returns a connected solution of size at most k covering at least (1-ε)t blue vertices, or correctly reports that no connected size-k solution covers t; and - A Parameterized Approximation Scheme (PAS) running in time 2^{𝒪(kd(k²+log d))}⋅ n^{𝒪(1/ε)} that either returns a connected solution of size at most (1+ε)k covering at least t blue vertices, or correctly reports that no connected size-k solution covers t. Together, these results chart the boundary between hardness and FPT-approximability for connectivity-constrained coverage.

Cite as

Tanmay Inamdar, Satyabrata Jana, Madhumita Kundu, Daniel Lokshtanov, Saket Saurabh, and Meirav Zehavi. FPT Approximations for Connected Maximum Coverage. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 80:1-80:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{inamdar_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.80,
  author =	{Inamdar, Tanmay and Jana, Satyabrata and Kundu, Madhumita and Lokshtanov, Daniel and Saurabh, Saket and Zehavi, Meirav},
  title =	{{FPT Approximations for Connected Maximum Coverage}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{80:1--80:24},
  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.2026.80},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253674},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.80},
  annote =	{Keywords: Partial Dominating Set, Connectivity, Maximum Coverage, FPT Approximation, Fixed-parameter Tractability}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.15

New Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Folds and Applications

Authors: Klaus Jansen, Kai Kahler, Lis Pirotton, and Malte Tutas

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

Block-structured integer linear programs (ILPs) play an important role in various application fields. We address n-fold ILPs where the matrix 𝒜 has a specific structure, i.e., where the blocks in the lower part of 𝒜 consist only of the row vectors (1,… ,1). In this paper, we propose an approach tailored to exactly these combinatorial n-folds. We utilize a divide and conquer approach to separate the original problem such that the right-hand side iteratively decreases in size. We show that this decrease in size can be calculated such that we only need to consider a bounded amount of possible right-hand sides. This, in turn, lets us efficiently combine solutions of the smaller right-hand sides to solve the original problem. We can decide the feasibility of, and also optimally solve, such problems in time (n r Δ)^O(r) log(‖b‖_∞), where n is the number of blocks, r the number of rows in the upper blocks and Δ = ‖A‖_∞. We complement the algorithm by discussing applications of the n-fold ILPs with the specific structure we require. We consider the problems of (i) scheduling on uniform machines, (ii) closest string and (iii) (graph) imbalance. Regarding (i), our algorithm results in running times of p_max^O(d)|I|^O(1), matching a lower bound derived via ETH. For (ii) we achieve running times matching the current state-of-the-art in the general case. In contrast to the state-of-the-art, our result can leverage a bounded number of column-types to yield an improved running time. For (iii), we improve the parameter dependency on the size of the vertex cover.

Cite as

Klaus Jansen, Kai Kahler, Lis Pirotton, and Malte Tutas. New Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Folds and Applications. In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 15:1-15:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{jansen_et_al:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.15,
  author =	{Jansen, Klaus and Kahler, Kai and Pirotton, Lis and Tutas, Malte},
  title =	{{New Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Folds and Applications}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{15:1--15:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.15},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251472},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.15},
  annote =	{Keywords: integer linear programming, n-fold, parameterized complexity, scheduling, uniform machines}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.23

Enumeration Kernels for Vertex Cover and Feedback Vertex Set

Authors: Marin Bougeret, Guilherme C. M. Gomes, Vinicius F. dos Santos, and Ignasi Sau

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

Enumerative kernelization is a recent and promising area sitting at the intersection of parameterized complexity and enumeration algorithms. Its study began with the paper of Creignou et al. [Theory Comput. Syst., 2017], and development in the area has started to accelerate with the work of Golovach et al. [J. Comput. Syst. Sci., 2022]. The latter introduced polynomial-delay enumeration kernels and applied them in the study of structural parameterizations of the Matching Cut problem and some variants. Few other results, mostly on Longest Path and some generalizations of Matching Cut, have also been developed. However, little success has been seen in enumeration versions of Vertex Cover and Feedback Vertex Set, some of the most studied problems in kernelization. In this paper, we address this shortcoming. Our first result is a polynomial-delay enumeration kernel with 2k vertices for Enum Vertex Cover, where we wish to list all solutions with at most k vertices. This is obtained by developing a non-trivial lifting algorithm for the classical crown decomposition reduction rule, and directly improves upon the kernel with 𝒪(k²) vertices derived from the work of Creignou et al. Our other result is a polynomial-delay enumeration kernel with 𝒪(k³) vertices and edges for Enum Feedback Vertex Set; the proof is inspired by some ideas of Thomassé [TALG, 2010], but with a weaker bound on the kernel size due to difficulties in applying the q-expansion technique.

Cite as

Marin Bougeret, Guilherme C. M. Gomes, Vinicius F. dos Santos, and Ignasi Sau. Enumeration Kernels for Vertex Cover and Feedback Vertex Set. In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 23:1-23:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{bougeret_et_al:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.23,
  author =	{Bougeret, Marin and C. M. Gomes, Guilherme and dos Santos, Vinicius F. and Sau, Ignasi},
  title =	{{Enumeration Kernels for Vertex Cover and Feedback Vertex Set}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{23:1--23:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.23},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251552},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.23},
  annote =	{Keywords: Kernelization, Enumeration, Vertex cover, Crown decomposition, Feedback vertex set}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.43

A Finer View of the Parameterized Landscape of Labeled Graph Contractions

Authors: Yashaswini Mathur and Prafullkumar Tale

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 360, 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)

Abstract

We study the Labeled Contractibility problem, where the input consists of two vertex-labeled graphs G and H, and the goal is to determine whether H can be obtained from G via a sequence of edge contractions. Lafond and Marchand [WADS 2025] initiated the parameterized complexity study of this problem, showing it to be W[1]-hard when parameterized by the number k of allowed contractions. They also proved that the problem is fixed-parameter tractable when parameterized by the tree-width tw of G, via an application of Courcelle’s theorem resulting in a non-constructive algorithm. In this work, we present a constructive fixed-parameter algorithm for Labeled Contractibility with running time 2^{𝒪(tw²)} ⋅ |V(G)|^{𝒪(1)}. We also prove that unless the Exponential Time Hypothesis ({ETH}) fails, it does not admit an algorithm running in time 2^{o(tw²)} ⋅ |V(G)|^{𝒪(1)}. This result adds Labeled Contractibility to a small list of problems that admit such a lower bound and matching algorithm. We further strengthen existing hardness results by showing that the problem remains NP-complete even when both input graphs have bounded maximum degree. We also investigate parameterizations by (k + δ(G)) where δ(G) denotes the degeneracy of G, and rule out the existence of subexponential-time algorithms. This answers question raised in Lafond and Marchand [WADS 2025]. We additionally provide an improved FPT algorithm with better dependence on (k + δ(G)) than previously known. Finally, we analyze a brute-force algorithm for Labeled Contractibility with running time |V(H)|^{𝒪(|V(G)|)}, and show that this running time is optimal under {ETH}.

Cite as

Yashaswini Mathur and Prafullkumar Tale. A Finer View of the Parameterized Landscape of Labeled Graph Contractions. In 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 360, pp. 43:1-43:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{mathur_et_al:LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.43,
  author =	{Mathur, Yashaswini and Tale, Prafullkumar},
  title =	{{A Finer View of the Parameterized Landscape of Labeled Graph Contractions}},
  booktitle =	{45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)},
  pages =	{43:1--43:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-406-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{360},
  editor =	{Aiswarya, C. and Mehta, Ruta and Roy, Subhajit},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.43},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251237},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.43},
  annote =	{Keywords: Labeled Contraction, ETH Lower-bound, Treewidth, NP-hard}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.39

Improved Approximation for Pathwidth One Vertex Deletion and Parameterized Complexity of Its Variants

Authors: Satyabrata Jana, Soumen Mandal, Ashutosh Rai, and Saket Saurabh

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 360, 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)

Abstract

The pathwidth of a graph is a measure of how path-like the graph is. The Pathwidth One Vertex Deletion (POVD) problem asks whether, given an undirected graph G and an integer k, one can delete at most k vertices from G so that the remaining graph has pathwidth at most one. This is a natural variation of the classical Feedback vertex Set (FVS) problem, where the deletion of at most k vertices results in a graph of treewidth at most one. In this work, we investigate POVD in the realm of approximation algorithms. We first design a 3-approximation algorithm for POVD running in polynomial time. Then, using this constant factor approximation algorithm, we obtain a randomized parameterized approximation algorithm for POVD running in time 𝒪^*((h_β)^k), that improves the fastest existing running times for approximation ratios in the range (1.76147,3). Here the constant h_β depends on the approximation factor β alone and has value 2^{(3-β)}, which lies in the range (1,2.3596), when β ∈ (1.76147,3). Taking inspiration from two extensively studied problems, namely Connected FVS and Independent FVS, we investigate two variations of the POVD problem from the perspective of parameterized algorithms. These variations are the connected variant, called Connected pathwidth One Vertex Deletion (CPOVD) and the independent variant, called Independent Pathwidth One Vertex Deletion (IPOVD). While in CPOVD the subgraph G[S] induced by the vertices to be deleted needs to be connected, in IPOVD it needs to be independent. Specifically, we show the following results. - CPOVD can be solved in {𝒪}^*(14^k) time and admits no polynomial kernel unless NP ⊆ {co-NP/poly}. - IPOVD can be solved in {𝒪}^*(7^k) time, and admits a kernel of size 𝒪(k³).

Cite as

Satyabrata Jana, Soumen Mandal, Ashutosh Rai, and Saket Saurabh. Improved Approximation for Pathwidth One Vertex Deletion and Parameterized Complexity of Its Variants. In 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 360, pp. 39:1-39:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{jana_et_al:LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.39,
  author =	{Jana, Satyabrata and Mandal, Soumen and Rai, Ashutosh and Saurabh, Saket},
  title =	{{Improved Approximation for Pathwidth One Vertex Deletion and Parameterized Complexity of Its Variants}},
  booktitle =	{45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)},
  pages =	{39:1--39:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-406-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{360},
  editor =	{Aiswarya, C. and Mehta, Ruta and Roy, Subhajit},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.39},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251192},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.39},
  annote =	{Keywords: Pathwidth, Parameterized complexity, Approximation, Kernelization}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.45

A Characterization of Spartan Graphs and New Lower Bounds for Eternal Vertex Cover

Authors: Neeldhara Misra and Saraswati Girish Nanoti

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 360, 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)

Abstract

The eternal vertex cover game is played between an attacker and a defender on an undirected graph G. The defender identifies k vertices to position guards initially. The attacker, on their turn, attacks an edge e, and the defender must move a guard along e to defend the attack. The defender may move other guards as well, under the constraint that every guard moves at most once and to a neighboring vertex. The smallest number of guards required to defend attacks forever is called the eternal vertex cover number of G, denoted evc(G). For any graph G, evc(G) is at least mvc(G) (the vertex cover number of G). A graph is Spartan if evc(G) = mvc(G). It is known that a bipartite graph is Spartan if and only if every edge belongs to a perfect matching. We show that the only König graphs that are Spartan are the bipartite Spartan graphs. We also give new lower bounds for evc(G), generalizing a known lower bound based on cut vertices. We finally show a new matching-based characterization of all Spartan graphs.

Cite as

Neeldhara Misra and Saraswati Girish Nanoti. A Characterization of Spartan Graphs and New Lower Bounds for Eternal Vertex Cover. In 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 360, pp. 45:1-45:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{misra_et_al:LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.45,
  author =	{Misra, Neeldhara and Nanoti, Saraswati Girish},
  title =	{{A Characterization of Spartan Graphs and New Lower Bounds for Eternal Vertex Cover}},
  booktitle =	{45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)},
  pages =	{45:1--45:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-406-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{360},
  editor =	{Aiswarya, C. and Mehta, Ruta and Roy, Subhajit},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.45},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251250},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.45},
  annote =	{Keywords: Eternal Vertex Cover, Vertex Cover, K\"{o}nig Graphs, Spartan Graphs, Matchings}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.48

Quadratic Kernel for Cliques or Trees Vertex Deletion

Authors: Soh Kumabe

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 359, 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)

Abstract

We consider Cliques or Trees Vertex Deletion, which is a hybrid of two fundamental parameterized problems: Cluster Vertex Deletion and Feedback Vertex Set. In this problem, we are given an undirected graph G and an integer k, and asked to find a vertex subset X of size at most k such that each connected component of G-X is either a clique or a tree. Jacob et al. (ISAAC, 2024) provided a kernel of O(k⁵) vertices for this problem, which was recently improved to O(k⁴) by Tsur (IPL, 2025). Our main result is a kernel of O(k²) vertices. This result closes the gap between the kernelization result for Feedback Vertex Set, which corresponds to the case where each connected component of G-X must be a tree. Although both cluster vertex deletion number and feedback vertex set number are well-studied structural parameters, little attention has been given to parameters that generalize both of them. In fact, the lowest common well-known generalization of them is clique-width, which is a highly general parameter. To fill the gap here, we initiate the study of the cliques or trees vertex deletion number as a structural parameter. We prove that Longest Cycle, which is a fundamental problem that does not admit o(n^k)-time algorithm unless ETH fails when k is the clique-width, becomes fixed-parameter tractable when parameterized by the cliques or trees vertex deletion number.

Cite as

Soh Kumabe. Quadratic Kernel for Cliques or Trees Vertex Deletion. In 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 359, pp. 48:1-48:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{kumabe:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.48,
  author =	{Kumabe, Soh},
  title =	{{Quadratic Kernel for Cliques or Trees Vertex Deletion}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)},
  pages =	{48:1--48:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-408-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{359},
  editor =	{Chen, Ho-Lin and Hon, Wing-Kai and Tsai, Meng-Tsung},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.48},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-249568},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.48},
  annote =	{Keywords: Fixed-Parameter Tractability, Kernelization, Deletion to Scattered Graph Classes, Cluster Vertex Deletion, Feedback Vertex Set}
}

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