48 Search Results for "Vassilvitskii, Sergei"


Document
Incremental Strongly Connected Components with Predictions

Authors: Ronald Deng, Samuel McCauley, Aidin Niaparast, Helia Niaparast, Bennett Ptak, Shirel Quintanilla, Shikha Singh, and Nathan Vosburg

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


Abstract
Algorithms with predictions is a growing area that aims to leverage machine-learned predictions to design faster beyond-worst-case algorithms. In this paper, we use this framework to design a learned data structure for the incremental strongly connected components (SCC) problem. In this problem, the n vertices of a graph are known a priori and the m directed edges arrive over time. The goal is to efficiently maintain the strongly connected components of the graph after each insert. Our algorithm receives a possibly erroneous prediction of the edge sequence and uses it to precompute partial solutions to support fast inserts. We show that our algorithm achieves nearly optimal bounds with good predictions and its performance smoothly degrades with the prediction error. We also implement our data structure and perform experiments on real datasets. Our empirical results show that the theory is predictive of practical runtime improvements.

Cite as

Ronald Deng, Samuel McCauley, Aidin Niaparast, Helia Niaparast, Bennett Ptak, Shirel Quintanilla, Shikha Singh, and Nathan Vosburg. Incremental Strongly Connected Components with Predictions. In 20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 370, pp. 17:1-17:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{deng_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.17,
  author =	{Deng, Ronald and McCauley, Samuel and Niaparast, Aidin and Niaparast, Helia and Ptak, Bennett and Quintanilla, Shirel and Singh, Shikha and Vosburg, Nathan},
  title =	{{Incremental Strongly Connected Components with Predictions}},
  booktitle =	{20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026)},
  pages =	{17:1--17:16},
  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.2026.17},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-260530},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.17},
  annote =	{Keywords: algorithms with predictions, learning augmented algorithms, incremental graph algorithms, strongly connected components, data structures}
}
Document
Constant-Factor Approximations for Doubly Constrained Fair k-Center, k-Median and k-Means

Authors: Nicole Funk, Annika Hennes, Johanna Hillebrand, and Sarah Sturm

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


Abstract
We study discrete k-clustering problems in general metric spaces that are constrained by a combination of two different fairness conditions within the demographic fairness model. Given a metric space (P,d), where every point in P is equipped with a protected attribute, and a number k, the goal is to partition P into k clusters with a designated center each, such that a center-based objective function is minimized and the attributes are fairly distributed with respect to the following two fairness concepts: 1) group fairness: We aim for clusters with balanced numbers of attributes by specifying lower and upper bounds for the desired attribute proportions. 2) diverse center selection: Clusters have natural representatives, i.e., their centers. We ask for a balanced set of representatives by specifying the desired number of centers to choose from each attribute. Dickerson, Esmaeili, Morgenstern, and Pena [John P. Dickerson et al., 2023] denote the combination of these two constraints as doubly constrained fair clustering. They present algorithms whose guarantees depend on the best known approximation factors for either of these problems. Currently, this implies an 8-approximation with a small additive violation on the group fairness constraint. For k-center, we improve this approximation factor to 4 with a small additive violation. This guarantee also depends on the currently best algorithm for DS-fair k-center given by Jones, Nguyen and Nguyen [Matthew Jones et al., 2020]. For k-median and k-means, we propose the first constant-factor approximation algorithms. Our algorithms transform a solution that satisfies diverse center selection into a doubly constrained fair clustering using an LP-based approach. Furthermore, our results are generalizable to other center-selection constraints, such as matroid k-clustering and knapsack constraints.

Cite as

Nicole Funk, Annika Hennes, Johanna Hillebrand, and Sarah Sturm. Constant-Factor Approximations for Doubly Constrained Fair k-Center, k-Median and k-Means. In 20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 370, pp. 19:1-19:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{funk_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.19,
  author =	{Funk, Nicole and Hennes, Annika and Hillebrand, Johanna and Sturm, Sarah},
  title =	{{Constant-Factor Approximations for Doubly Constrained Fair k-Center, k-Median and k-Means}},
  booktitle =	{20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:19},
  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.2026.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-260551},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: Clustering, Fairness, Approximation Algorithms, k-center, k-median, k-means}
}
Document
Optimal Partition Selection with Rényi Differential Privacy

Authors: Charlie Harrison and Pasin Manurangsi

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 368, 7th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2026)


Abstract
A common problem in private data analysis is the partition selection problem, where each user holds a set of partitions (e.g. keys in a GROUP BY operation) from a possibly unbounded set. The challenge here is in maximizing the set of released partitions while respecting a differential privacy constraint. Previous work [Desfontaines et al., 2021] presented an optimal (ε, δ)-DP algorithm when each user submits only a single partition. We generalize this approach to find the optimal algorithm under δ-approximate (α, ε)-Rényi differential privacy (RDP), which allows much tighter analysis under composition. Motivated by the non-existence of a general optimality result in the case where users submit multiple partitions each, we present an extension of our optimal algorithm tuned for L² bounded weighted partition selection which can be used as a drop-in improvement over the Gaussian mechanism any time the partition frequency is not also needed. We show that our primitive can be easily plugged into state of the art partition selection algorithms (PolicyGaussian from [Gopi et al., 2020] and MAD2R from [Justin Y. Chen et al., 2025]), improving performance both for parallel and sequential adaptive algorithms. Finally, we show that there is an inherent cost to algorithms which do support releasing the frequency as well as the partitions. Specifically, we formulate a basic notion of optimal approximate RDP algorithm for partition selection using additive noise, and show that there is a numerical separation between additive and non-additive noise mechanisms for this problem.

Cite as

Charlie Harrison and Pasin Manurangsi. Optimal Partition Selection with Rényi Differential Privacy. In 7th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 368, pp. 16:1-16:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{harrison_et_al:LIPIcs.FORC.2026.16,
  author =	{Harrison, Charlie and Manurangsi, Pasin},
  title =	{{Optimal Partition Selection with R\'{e}nyi Differential Privacy}},
  booktitle =	{7th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2026)},
  pages =	{16:1--16:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-419-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{368},
  editor =	{Lin, Huijia (Rachel)},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FORC.2026.16},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-259894},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FORC.2026.16},
  annote =	{Keywords: Differentially Privacy, Partition Selection, Renyi Differentially Privacy}
}
Document
Packing Compact Subgraphs with Applications to Districting

Authors: Ho-Lin Chen, Po-Yu Chou, Prathamesh Dharangutte, Jie Gao, Shang-En Huang, and Fang-Yi Yu

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 368, 7th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2026)


Abstract
Packing disjoint subgraphs in a given graph is a fundamental problem with many applications. Motivated by political districting, we focus on connected subgraphs that are compact (e.g., having constant radius from a single center vertex) and that satisfy additional composition requirements, such as a minimum population/weight threshold or balanced weight types (e.g., political affiliations). We aim to maximize coverage by disjoint districts that meet these requirements. In this work, we present new results that substantially improve the previously known bounds on balanced star districts for planar and minor-free graphs [Prathamesh Dharangutte et al., 2025]. In particular, we improve the approximation factor from O(log n) to O(1) for packing balanced star districts using the exact same algorithm, but with a refined analysis. We also extend the results beyond planar graphs to minor-free graphs and an even broader family of graphs of bounded expansion. Additionally, we obtain an O(1) approximation for packing radius-k districts (with a constant k) in planar and apex-minor-free graphs. In order to get a (1+ε) approximation on the max coverage, we show that this can be achieved if we allow a slight relaxation of the balancedness parameters (by a factor that can be made arbitrarily close to 1), for bounded radius-k districts on planar and apex-minor-free graphs. We show that all of these results can also be obtained if we enforce a minimum weight threshold for each district as the composition requirement, rather than balancedness. We present various results on hardness and hardness of approximation for this variant, by graph and district types.

Cite as

Ho-Lin Chen, Po-Yu Chou, Prathamesh Dharangutte, Jie Gao, Shang-En Huang, and Fang-Yi Yu. Packing Compact Subgraphs with Applications to Districting. In 7th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 368, pp. 10:1-10:25, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{chen_et_al:LIPIcs.FORC.2026.10,
  author =	{Chen, Ho-Lin and Chou, Po-Yu and Dharangutte, Prathamesh and Gao, Jie and Huang, Shang-En and Yu, Fang-Yi},
  title =	{{Packing Compact Subgraphs with Applications to Districting}},
  booktitle =	{7th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2026)},
  pages =	{10:1--10:25},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-419-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{368},
  editor =	{Lin, Huijia (Rachel)},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FORC.2026.10},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-259820},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FORC.2026.10},
  annote =	{Keywords: Approximation algorithms, algorithmic fairness}
}
Document
Almost-Optimal Upper and Lower Bounds for Clustering in Low Dimensional Euclidean Spaces

Authors: Vincent Cohen-Addad, Karthik C. S., David Saulpic, and Chris Schwiegelshohn

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


Abstract
The k-median and k-means clustering objectives are classic objectives for modeling clustering in a metric space. Given a set of points in a metric space, the goal of the k-median (resp. k-means) problem is to find k representative points so as to minimize the sum of the distances (resp. sum of squared distances) from each point to its closest representative. Cohen-Addad, Feldmann, and Saulpic [JACM'21] showed how to obtain a (1+ε)-factor approximation in low-dimensional Euclidean metric for both the k-median and k-means problems in near-linear time 2^{(1/ε)^O(d²)} n ⋅ polylog(n) (where d is the dimension and n is the number of input points). We improve this running time to 2^{O(1/ε)^{d-1}} ⋅ n ⋅ polylog(n), and show an almost matching lower bound: under the Gap Exponential Time Hypothesis for 3-SAT, there is no 2^o(1/ε^{d-1}) n^O(1) algorithm achieving a (1+ε)-approximation for k-means.

Cite as

Vincent Cohen-Addad, Karthik C. S., David Saulpic, and Chris Schwiegelshohn. Almost-Optimal Upper and Lower Bounds for Clustering in Low Dimensional Euclidean Spaces. In 42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 367, pp. 34:1-34:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{cohenaddad_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.34,
  author =	{Cohen-Addad, Vincent and Karthik C. S. and Saulpic, David and Schwiegelshohn, Chris},
  title =	{{Almost-Optimal Upper and Lower Bounds for Clustering in Low Dimensional Euclidean Spaces}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2026)},
  pages =	{34:1--34:16},
  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.2026.34},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-258404},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2026.34},
  annote =	{Keywords: k-means clustering, k-median clustering, Euclidean space, Fine-Grained Complexity}
}
Document
Optimal Verification of a Minimum-Weight Basis in an Uncertainty Matroid

Authors: Haya Diwan, Lisa Hellerstein, Nicole Megow, and Jens Schlöter

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


Abstract
Research in explorable uncertainty addresses combinatorial optimization problems where there is partial information about the values of numeric input parameters, and exact values of these parameters can be determined by performing costly queries. The goal is to design an adaptive query strategy that minimizes the query cost incurred in computing an optimal solution. Solving such problems generally requires that we be able to solve the associated verification problem: given the answers to all queries in advance, find a minimum-cost set of queries that certifies an optimal solution to the combinatorial optimization problem. We present a polynomial-time algorithm for verifying a minimum-weight basis of a matroid, where each weight lies in a given uncertainty area. These areas may be finite sets, real intervals, or unions of open and closed intervals, strictly generalizing previous work by Erlebach and Hoffman which only handled the special case of open intervals. Our algorithm introduces new techniques to address the resulting challenges. Verification problems are of particular importance in the area of explorable uncertainty, as the structural insights and techniques used to solve the verification problem often heavily influence work on the corresponding online problem and its stochastic variant. In our case, we use structural results from the verification problem to give a best-possible algorithm for a promise variant of the corresponding adaptive online problem. Finally, we show that our algorithms can be applied to two learning-augmented variants of the minimum-weight basis problem under explorable uncertainty.

Cite as

Haya Diwan, Lisa Hellerstein, Nicole Megow, and Jens Schlöter. Optimal Verification of a Minimum-Weight Basis in an Uncertainty Matroid. In 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 364, pp. 32:1-32:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{diwan_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.32,
  author =	{Diwan, Haya and Hellerstein, Lisa and Megow, Nicole and Schl\"{o}ter, Jens},
  title =	{{Optimal Verification of a Minimum-Weight Basis in an Uncertainty Matroid}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{32:1--32:20},
  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.2026.32},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-255216},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.32},
  annote =	{Keywords: Matroid verification, minimum-weight basis, query strategy, uncertainty matroid, explorable uncertainty}
}
Document
Prior-Independent and Subgame Optimal Online Algorithms

Authors: Jason Hartline, Aleck Johnsen, and Anant Shah

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


Abstract
This paper develops two game-theoretic notions of beyond worst-case analysis that give better than worst-case guarantees on natural inputs. We illustrate them through the finite-horizon ski-rental problem. First, we consider prior-independent design and analysis of online algorithms where, rather than choosing a worst-case input, the adversary chooses a worst-case independent and identical distribution over inputs. Prior-independent online algorithms are generally analytically intractable; instead we give a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme to compute them. Second, we consider the worst-case design of algorithms. We define "subgame optimality" which is stronger than worst-case optimality in that it requires the algorithm to take advantage of an adversary not playing a worst-case input. Algorithms that focus only on the worst case can be far from subgame optimal. Highlighting the potential improvement from these paradigms for the finite-horizon ski-rental problem, we empirically compare worst-case, subgame optimal, and prior-independent algorithms in the prior-independent framework. Finally, we analyze the structure of their decisions across input sequences: the prior-independent algorithm exhibits more extreme adaptations to observed data, in contrast with the more conservative behavior of worst-case and subgame optimal algorithms.

Cite as

Jason Hartline, Aleck Johnsen, and Anant Shah. Prior-Independent and Subgame Optimal Online Algorithms. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 75:1-75:23, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{hartline_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.75,
  author =	{Hartline, Jason and Johnsen, Aleck and Shah, Anant},
  title =	{{Prior-Independent and Subgame Optimal Online Algorithms}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{75:1--75:23},
  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.2026.75},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253622},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.75},
  annote =	{Keywords: online algorithms, prior-independent algorithm design, zero-sum games}
}
Document
Testable Algorithms for Approximately Counting Edges and Triangles in Sublinear Time and Space

Authors: Talya Eden, Ronitt Rubinfeld, and Arsen Vasilyan

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


Abstract
We consider the fundamental problems of approximately counting the numbers of edges and triangles in a graph in sublinear time. Previous algorithms for these tasks are significantly more efficient under a promise that the arboricity of the graph is bounded by some parameter ̅α. However, when this promise is violated, the estimates given by these algorithms are no longer guaranteed to be correct. For the triangle counting task, we give an algorithm that requires no promise on the input graph G, and computes a (1±ε)-approximation for the number of triangles t in G in time O^*((m⋅ α(G))/t + m/(t^{2/3)}), where α(G) is the arboricity of the graph. The algorithm can be used on any graph G (no prior knowledge of the arboricity α(G) is required), and the algorithm adapts its run-time on the fly based on the graph G. We accomplish this by trying a sequence of candidate values α̃ for α(G) and using a novel algorithm in the framework of testable algorithms. This ensures that wrong candidates α̃ cannot lead to wrong estimates: if the advice is incorrect, the algorithm either succeeds despite this or detects this and continues with a new candidate. Once the algorithm accepts the candidate, its output is guaranteed to be correct with high probability. We prove that this approach preserves - up to an additive overhead - the dramatic efficiency gains obtainable when good arboricity bounds are known in advance, while ensuring robustness against misleading advice. We further complement this result with a lower bound, showing that such an overhead is unavoidable whenever the advice may be faulty. We further demonstrate implications of our results for triangle counting in the streaming model.

Cite as

Talya Eden, Ronitt Rubinfeld, and Arsen Vasilyan. Testable Algorithms for Approximately Counting Edges and Triangles in Sublinear Time and Space. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 54:1-54:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{eden_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.54,
  author =	{Eden, Talya and Rubinfeld, Ronitt and Vasilyan, Arsen},
  title =	{{Testable Algorithms for Approximately Counting Edges and Triangles in Sublinear Time and Space}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{54:1--54:24},
  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.2026.54},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253417},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.54},
  annote =	{Keywords: Sublinear Algorithms, Triangle Counting, Edge Counting, Arboricity}
}
Document
On Approximating the f-Divergence Between Two Ising Models

Authors: Weiming Feng and Yucheng Fu

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


Abstract
The f-divergence is a fundamental notion that measures the difference between two distributions. In this paper, we study the problem of approximating the f-divergence between two Ising models, which is a generalization of recent work on approximating the TV-distance. Given two Ising models ν and μ, which are specified by their interaction matrices and external fields, the problem is to approximate the f-divergence D_f (ν ‖ μ) within an arbitrary relative error e^{±ε}. For χ^α-divergence with a constant integer α, we establish both algorithmic and hardness results. The algorithm works in a parameter regime that matches the hardness result. Our algorithm can be extended to other f-divergences such as α-divergence, Kullback-Leibler divergence, Rényi divergence, Jensen-Shannon divergence, and squared Hellinger distance.

Cite as

Weiming Feng and Yucheng Fu. On Approximating the f-Divergence Between Two Ising Models. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 59:1-59:23, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{feng_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.59,
  author =	{Feng, Weiming and Fu, Yucheng},
  title =	{{On Approximating the f-Divergence Between Two Ising Models}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{59:1--59:23},
  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.2026.59},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253469},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.59},
  annote =	{Keywords: Ising model, f-divergence, approximation algorithms, randomized algorithms}
}
Document
Fairness in the k-Server Problem

Authors: Mohammadreza Daneshvaramoli, Mohammad Hajiesmaili, Shahin Kamali, Helia Karisani, and Cameron Musco

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


Abstract
We initiate a formal study of fairness for the k-server problem, where the objective is not only to minimize the total movement cost, but also to distribute the cost equitably among servers. We first define a general notion of (α,β)-fairness, where, for parameters α ≥ 1 and β ≥ 0, no server incurs more than an α/k-fraction of the total cost plus an additive term β. We then show that fairness can be achieved without a loss in competitiveness in both the offline and online settings. In the offline setting, we give a deterministic algorithm that, for any ε > 0, transforms any optimal solution into an (α,β)-fair solution for α = 1 + ε and β = O(diam ⋅ log k / ε), while increasing the cost of the solution by just an additive O(diam ⋅ k log k / ε) term. Here diam is the diameter of the underlying metric space. We give a similar result in the online setting, showing that any competitive algorithm can be transformed into a randomized online algorithm that is fair with high probability against an oblivious adversary and still competitive up to a small loss. The above results leave open a significant question: can fairness be achieved in the online setting, either with a deterministic algorithm or a randomized algorithm, against a fully adaptive adversary? We make progress towards answering this question, showing that the classic deterministic Double Coverage Algorithm (DCA) is fair on line metrics and on tree metrics when k = 2. However, we also show a negative result: DCA fails to be fair for any non-vacuous parameters on general tree metrics. We further show that on uniform metrics (i.e., the paging problem), the deterministic First-In First-Out (FIFO) algorithm is fair. We show that any "marking algorithm", including the Least Recently Used (LRU) algorithm, also satisfies a weaker, but still meaningful notion of fairness.

Cite as

Mohammadreza Daneshvaramoli, Mohammad Hajiesmaili, Shahin Kamali, Helia Karisani, and Cameron Musco. Fairness in the k-Server Problem. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 45:1-45:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{daneshvaramoli_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.45,
  author =	{Daneshvaramoli, Mohammadreza and Hajiesmaili, Mohammad and Kamali, Shahin and Karisani, Helia and Musco, Cameron},
  title =	{{Fairness in the k-Server Problem}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{45:1--45:21},
  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.2026.45},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253328},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.45},
  annote =	{Keywords: k-server problem, online algorithms, fairness, competitive analysis}
}
Document
Delaunay Triangulations with Predictions

Authors: Sergio Cabello, Timothy M. Chan, and Panos Giannopoulos

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


Abstract
We investigate algorithms with predictions in computational geometry, specifically focusing on the basic problem of computing 2D Delaunay triangulations. Given a set P of n points in the plane and a triangulation G that serves as a "prediction" of the Delaunay triangulation, we would like to use G to compute the correct Delaunay triangulation DT(P) more quickly when G is "close" to DT(P). We obtain a variety of results of this type, under different deterministic and probabilistic settings, including the following: 1) Define D to be the number of edges in G that are not in DT(P). We present a deterministic algorithm to compute DT(P) from G in O(n + Dlog³ n) time, and a randomized algorithm in O(n+Dlog n) expected time, the latter of which is optimal in terms of D. 2) Let R be a random subset of the edges of DT(P), where each edge is chosen independently with probability ρ. Suppose G is any triangulation of P that contains R. We present an algorithm to compute DT(P) from G in O(nlog log n + nlog(1/ρ)) time with high probability. 3) Define d_{vio} to be the maximum number of points of P strictly inside the circumcircle of a triangle in G (the number is 0 if G is equal to DT(P)). We present a deterministic algorithm to compute DT(P) from G in O(nlog^*n + nlog d_{vio}) time. We also obtain results in similar settings for related problems such as 2D Euclidean minimum spanning trees, and hope that our work will open up a fruitful line of future research.

Cite as

Sergio Cabello, Timothy M. Chan, and Panos Giannopoulos. Delaunay Triangulations with Predictions. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 31:1-31:23, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{cabello_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.31,
  author =	{Cabello, Sergio and Chan, Timothy M. and Giannopoulos, Panos},
  title =	{{Delaunay Triangulations with Predictions}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{31:1--31:23},
  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.2026.31},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253186},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.31},
  annote =	{Keywords: Delaunay Triangulation, Minimum Spanning Tree, Algorithms with Predictions}
}
Document
The Secretary Problem with Predictions and a Chosen Order

Authors: Helia Karisani, Mohammadreza Daneshvaramoli, Hedyeh Beyhaghi, Mohammad Hajiesmaili, and Cameron Musco

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


Abstract
We study a learning-augmented variant of the secretary problem, recently introduced by Fujii and Yoshida (2023). In this variant, the decision-maker has access to machine-learned predictions of candidate values in advance. The key challenge is to balance consistency and robustness: when the predictions are accurate, the algorithm should hire a near-best secretary; however, if they are inaccurate, the algorithm should still achieve a bounded competitive ratio. We consider both the standard Random Order Secretary Problem (ROSP), where candidates arrive in a uniform random order, and a more natural model in the learning-augmented setting, where the decision-maker can choose the arrival order based on the predicted candidate values. This model, which we call the Chosen Order Secretary Problem (COSP), can capture scenarios such as an interview schedule that is set by the decision-maker. We propose a novel algorithm that applies to both ROSP and COSP. Building on the approach of Fujii and Yoshida, our method switches from fully trusting predictions to a threshold-based rule when a large deviation of a prediction is observed. Importantly, unlike the algorithm of Fujii and Yoshida, our algorithm uses randomization as part of its decision logic. We show that if ε ∈ [0,1] denotes the maximum multiplicative prediction error, then for ROSP our algorithm achieves competitive ratio max {0.221, (1-ε)/(1+ε)}, improving on a previous bound of max {0.215, (1-ε)/(1+ε)} due to Fujii and Yoshida [Fujii and Yoshida, 2023]. For COSP, our algorithm achieves max {0.262, (1-ε)/(1+ε)}. This surpasses a 0.25 upper bound on the worst-case competitive ratio that applies to the approach of Fujii and Yoshida, and gets closer to the classical secretary benchmark of 1/e ≈ 0.368, which is an upper bound for any algorithm. Our result for COSP highlights the benefit of integrating predictions with arrival-order control in online decision-making.

Cite as

Helia Karisani, Mohammadreza Daneshvaramoli, Hedyeh Beyhaghi, Mohammad Hajiesmaili, and Cameron Musco. The Secretary Problem with Predictions and a Chosen Order. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 86:1-86:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{karisani_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.86,
  author =	{Karisani, Helia and Daneshvaramoli, Mohammadreza and Beyhaghi, Hedyeh and Hajiesmaili, Mohammad and Musco, Cameron},
  title =	{{The Secretary Problem with Predictions and a Chosen Order}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{86:1--86:24},
  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.2026.86},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253734},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.86},
  annote =	{Keywords: Secretary problem, learning-augmented algorithms, online algorithms}
}
Document
Learned Predictions for Data Structures and Running Time (Dagstuhl Seminar 25181)

Authors: Inge Li Gørtz, Benjamin J. Moseley, Shikha Singh, and Sergei Vassilvitskii

Published in: Dagstuhl Reports, Volume 15, Issue 4 (2025)


Abstract
This report documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 25181 "Learned Predictions for Data Structures and Running Time". The focus of the seminar was applying the new algorithms-with-predictions framework to improve worst-case running time of algorithms and data structures. This seminar brought together researchers from the data structures, combinatorial optimization and learned predictions communities to address the challenges of adopting learned machine-learned predictions for improving running time guarantees.

Cite as

Inge Li Gørtz, Benjamin J. Moseley, Shikha Singh, and Sergei Vassilvitskii. Learned Predictions for Data Structures and Running Time (Dagstuhl Seminar 25181). In Dagstuhl Reports, Volume 15, Issue 4, pp. 112-125, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)


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@Article{gortz_et_al:DagRep.15.4.112,
  author =	{G{\o}rtz, Inge Li and Moseley, Benjamin J. and Singh, Shikha and Vassilvitskii, Sergei},
  title =	{{Learned Predictions for Data Structures and Running Time (Dagstuhl Seminar 25181)}},
  pages =	{112--125},
  journal =	{Dagstuhl Reports},
  ISSN =	{2192-5283},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{15},
  number =	{4},
  editor =	{G{\o}rtz, Inge Li and Moseley, Benjamin J. and Singh, Shikha and Vassilvitskii, Sergei},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagRep.15.4.112},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-252544},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagRep.15.4.112},
  annote =	{Keywords: algorithms with predictions, approximation algorithms, beyond-worst-case analysis, data structures, learning-augmented algorithms}
}
Document
Clustering in Varying Metrics

Authors: Deeparnab Chakrabarty, Jonathan Conroy, and Ankita Sarkar

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


Abstract
We introduce the aggregated clustering problem, where one is given T instances of a center-based clustering task over the same n points, but under different metrics. The goal is to open k centers to minimize an aggregate of the clustering costs - e.g., the average or maximum - where the cost is measured via k-center/median/means objectives. More generally, we minimize a norm Ψ over the T cost values. We show that for T ≥ 3, the problem is inapproximable to any finite factor in polynomial time. For T = 2, we give constant-factor approximations. We also show W[2]-hardness when parameterized by k, but obtain f(k,T)poly(n)-time 3-approximations when parameterized by both k and T. When the metrics have structure, we obtain efficient parameterized approximation schemes (EPAS). If all T metrics have bounded ε-scatter dimension, we achieve a (1+ε)-approximation in f(k,T,ε)poly(n) time. If the metrics are induced by edge weights on a common graph G of bounded treewidth tw, and Ψ is the sum function, we get an EPAS in f(T,ε,tw)poly(n,k) time. Conversely, unless (randomized) ETH is false, any finite factor approximation is impossible if parametrized by only T, even when the treewidth is tw = Ω(polylog n).

Cite as

Deeparnab Chakrabarty, Jonathan Conroy, and Ankita Sarkar. Clustering in Varying Metrics. 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. 19:1-19:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)


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@InProceedings{chakrabarty_et_al:LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.19,
  author =	{Chakrabarty, Deeparnab and Conroy, Jonathan and Sarkar, Ankita},
  title =	{{Clustering in Varying Metrics}},
  booktitle =	{45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:21},
  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.2025.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251007},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: Clustering, approximation algorithms, LP rounding, parameterized and exact algorithms, dynamic programming, fixed parameter tractability, hardness of approximation}
}
Document
Complexity Landscape for Local Certification

Authors: Nicolas Bousquet, Laurent Feuilloley, and Sébastien Zeitoun

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


Abstract
An impressive recent line of work has charted the complexity landscape of distributed graph algorithms. For many settings, it has been determined which time complexities exist, and which do not (in the sense that no local problem could have an optimal algorithm with that complexity). In this paper, we initiate the study of the landscape for space complexity of distributed graph algorithms. More precisely, we focus on the local certification setting, where a prover assigns certificates to nodes to certify a property, and where the space complexity is measured by the size of the certificates. Already for anonymous paths and cycles, we unveil a surprising landscape: - There is a gap between complexity O(1) and Θ(log log n) in paths. This is the first gap established in local certification. - There exists a property that has complexity Θ(log log n) in paths, a regime that was not known to exist for a natural property. - There is a gap between complexity O(1) and Θ(log n) in cycles, hence a gap that is exponentially larger than for paths. We then generalize our result for paths to the class of trees. Namely, we show that there is a gap between complexity O(1) and Θ(log log d) in trees, where d is the diameter. We finally describe some settings where there are no gaps at all. To prove our results we develop a new toolkit, based on various results of automata theory and arithmetic, which is of independent interest.

Cite as

Nicolas Bousquet, Laurent Feuilloley, and Sébastien Zeitoun. Complexity Landscape for Local Certification. In 39th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 356, pp. 18:1-18:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)


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@InProceedings{bousquet_et_al:LIPIcs.DISC.2025.18,
  author =	{Bousquet, Nicolas and Feuilloley, Laurent and Zeitoun, S\'{e}bastien},
  title =	{{Complexity Landscape for Local Certification}},
  booktitle =	{39th International Symposium on Distributed Computing (DISC 2025)},
  pages =	{18:1--18:21},
  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.2025.18},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-248350},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.DISC.2025.18},
  annote =	{Keywords: Local certification, proof-labeling schemes, locally checkable proofs, space complexity, distributed graph algorithms, complexity gap}
}
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