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When Darwin Met Ianus: Dichotomies of Expressivity

Authors: Johanna Brunar, Michael Pinsker, and Moritz Schöbi

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 386, 51st International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2026)


Abstract
The classifications of temporal and phylogeny constraint languages stand among the most seminal complexity classifications within infinite-domain Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs), yet remain the most mysterious in terms of algorithms and algebraic invariants for the tractable cases. We show that those languages which do not pp-construct EVERYTHING (and thus by the classifications are solvable in polynomial time) have, in fact, very limited expressive power as measured by the graphs and hypergraphs they can pp-interpret. This limitation yields many previously unknown algebraic consequences, while also providing new, uniform proofs for known invariance properties. In particular, we show that such temporal and phylogeny constraint languages admit 4-ary pseudo-Siggers polymorphisms - a result that sustains the possibility that the existence of such polymorphisms extends to the much broader context of the Bodirsky-Pinsker conjecture. Although temporal and phylogeny constraint languages appear to follow fundamentally different algorithmic principles, our proofs reveal a common core and proceed along strikingly similar lines. When Ianus can't express it all He tries in vain, he hits a wall When for 𝕂₃ no way he knows His face of pseudo-loops he shows. As Darwin finds such twisted edge To pines and vines he makes this pledge: "Should free of pseudo-loops you shine All finite structures shall be thine!"

Cite as

Johanna Brunar, Michael Pinsker, and Moritz Schöbi. When Darwin Met Ianus: Dichotomies of Expressivity. In 51st International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 386, pp. 100:1-100:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)


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@InProceedings{brunar_et_al:LIPIcs.MFCS.2026.100,
  author =	{Brunar, Johanna and Pinsker, Michael and Sch\"{o}bi, Moritz},
  title =	{{When Darwin Met Ianus: Dichotomies of Expressivity}},
  booktitle =	{51st International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2026)},
  pages =	{100:1--100:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-442-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{386},
  editor =	{Kouck\'{y}, Michal and Petrișan, Daniela},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2026.100},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-274824},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2026.100},
  annote =	{Keywords: Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP), Temporal Constraint language, Phylogeny Constraint language, pseudo-loop, primitive positive interpretation, polymorphism, oligomorphic permutation group, identity}
}
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