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Documents authored by Chen, Zongchen

Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2024.30
Influence Maximization in Ising Models

Authors: Zongchen Chen and Elchanan Mossel

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 287, 15th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2024)

Abstract
Given a complex high-dimensional distribution over {± 1}ⁿ, what is the best way to increase the expected number of +1’s by controlling the values of only a small number of variables? Such a problem is known as influence maximization and has been widely studied in social networks, biology, and computer science. In this paper, we consider influence maximization on the Ising model which is a prototypical example of undirected graphical models and has wide applications in many real-world problems. We establish a sharp computational phase transition for influence maximization on sparse Ising models under a bounded budget: In the high-temperature regime, we give a linear-time algorithm for finding a small subset of variables and their values which achieve nearly optimal influence; In the low-temperature regime, we show that the influence maximization problem cannot be solved in polynomial time under commonly-believed complexity assumption. The critical temperature coincides with the tree uniqueness/non-uniqueness threshold for Ising models which is also a critical point for other computational problems including approximate sampling and counting.
Cite as

Zongchen Chen and Elchanan Mossel. Influence Maximization in Ising Models. In 15th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 287, pp. 30:1-30:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{chen_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2024.30,
  author =	{Chen, Zongchen and Mossel, Elchanan},
  title =	{{Influence Maximization in Ising Models}},
  booktitle =	{15th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2024)},
  pages =	{30:1--30:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-309-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{287},
  editor =	{Guruswami, Venkatesan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2024.30},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-195588},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2024.30},
  annote =	{Keywords: Influence maximization, Ising model, phase transition, correlation decay}
}
Document
RANDOM
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2021.43
The Swendsen-Wang Dynamics on Trees

Authors: Antonio Blanca, Zongchen Chen, Daniel Štefankovič, and Eric Vigoda

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 207, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2021)

Abstract
The Swendsen-Wang algorithm is a sophisticated, widely-used Markov chain for sampling from the Gibbs distribution for the ferromagnetic Ising and Potts models. This chain has proved difficult to analyze, due in part to the global nature of its updates. We present optimal bounds on the convergence rate of the Swendsen-Wang algorithm for the complete d-ary tree. Our bounds extend to the non-uniqueness region and apply to all boundary conditions. We show that the spatial mixing conditions known as Variance Mixing and Entropy Mixing, introduced in the study of local Markov chains by Martinelli et al. (2003), imply Ω(1) spectral gap and O(log n) mixing time, respectively, for the Swendsen-Wang dynamics on the d-ary tree. We also show that these bounds are asymptotically optimal. As a consequence, we establish Θ(log n) mixing for the Swendsen-Wang dynamics for all boundary conditions throughout the tree uniqueness region; in fact, our bounds hold beyond the uniqueness threshold for the Ising model, and for the q-state Potts model when q is small with respect to d. Our proofs feature a novel spectral view of the Variance Mixing condition inspired by several recent rapid mixing results on high-dimensional expanders and utilize recent work on block factorization of entropy under spatial mixing conditions.
Cite as

Antonio Blanca, Zongchen Chen, Daniel Štefankovič, and Eric Vigoda. The Swendsen-Wang Dynamics on Trees. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2021). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 207, pp. 43:1-43:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2021)

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@InProceedings{blanca_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2021.43,
  author =	{Blanca, Antonio and Chen, Zongchen and \v{S}tefankovi\v{c}, Daniel and Vigoda, Eric},
  title =	{{The Swendsen-Wang Dynamics on Trees}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2021)},
  pages =	{43:1--43:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-207-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2021},
  volume =	{207},
  editor =	{Wootters, Mary and Sanit\`{a}, Laura},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2021.43},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-147366},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2021.43},
  annote =	{Keywords: Markov Chains, mixing times, Ising and Potts models, Swendsen-Wang dynamics, trees}
}
Document
RANDOM
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2019.41
Fast Algorithms at Low Temperatures via Markov Chains

Authors: Zongchen Chen, Andreas Galanis, Leslie Ann Goldberg, Will Perkins, James Stewart, and Eric Vigoda

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 145, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2019)

Abstract
For spin systems, such as the hard-core model on independent sets weighted by fugacity lambda>0, efficient algorithms for the associated approximate counting/sampling problems typically apply in the high-temperature region, corresponding to low fugacity. Recent work of Jenssen, Keevash and Perkins (2019) yields an FPTAS for approximating the partition function (and an efficient sampling algorithm) on bounded-degree (bipartite) expander graphs for the hard-core model at sufficiently high fugacity, and also the ferromagnetic Potts model at sufficiently low temperatures. Their method is based on using the cluster expansion to obtain a complex zero-free region for the partition function of a polymer model, and then approximating this partition function using the polynomial interpolation method of Barvinok. We present a simple discrete-time Markov chain for abstract polymer models, and present an elementary proof of rapid mixing of this new chain under sufficient decay of the polymer weights. Applying these general polymer results to the hard-core and ferromagnetic Potts models on bounded-degree (bipartite) expander graphs yields fast algorithms with running time O(n log n) for the Potts model and O(n^2 log n) for the hard-core model, in contrast to typical running times of n^{O(log Delta)} for algorithms based on Barvinok’s polynomial interpolation method on graphs of maximum degree Delta. In addition, our approach via our polymer model Markov chain is conceptually simpler as it circumvents the zero-free analysis and the generalization to complex parameters. Finally, we combine our results for the hard-core and ferromagnetic Potts models with standard Markov chain comparison tools to obtain polynomial mixing time for the usual spin system Glauber dynamics restricted to even and odd or "red" dominant portions of the respective state spaces.
Cite as

Zongchen Chen, Andreas Galanis, Leslie Ann Goldberg, Will Perkins, James Stewart, and Eric Vigoda. Fast Algorithms at Low Temperatures via Markov Chains. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2019). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 145, pp. 41:1-41:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2019)

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@InProceedings{chen_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2019.41,
  author =	{Chen, Zongchen and Galanis, Andreas and Goldberg, Leslie Ann and Perkins, Will and Stewart, James and Vigoda, Eric},
  title =	{{Fast Algorithms at Low Temperatures via Markov Chains}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2019)},
  pages =	{41:1--41:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-125-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2019},
  volume =	{145},
  editor =	{Achlioptas, Dimitris and V\'{e}gh, L\'{a}szl\'{o} A.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2019.41},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-112560},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2019.41},
  annote =	{Keywords: Markov chains, approximate counting, Potts model, hard-core model, expander graphs}
}
Document
RANDOM
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2019.64
Optimal Convergence Rate of Hamiltonian Monte Carlo for Strongly Logconcave Distributions

Authors: Zongchen Chen and Santosh S. Vempala

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 145, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2019)

Abstract
We study Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) for sampling from a strongly logconcave density proportional to e^{-f} where f:R^d -> R is mu-strongly convex and L-smooth (the condition number is kappa = L/mu). We show that the relaxation time (inverse of the spectral gap) of ideal HMC is O(kappa), improving on the previous best bound of O(kappa^{1.5}); we complement this with an example where the relaxation time is Omega(kappa). When implemented using a nearly optimal ODE solver, HMC returns an epsilon-approximate point in 2-Wasserstein distance using O~((kappa d)^{0.5} epsilon^{-1}) gradient evaluations per step and O~((kappa d)^{1.5}epsilon^{-1}) total time.
Cite as

Zongchen Chen and Santosh S. Vempala. Optimal Convergence Rate of Hamiltonian Monte Carlo for Strongly Logconcave Distributions. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2019). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 145, pp. 64:1-64:12, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2019)

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@InProceedings{chen_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2019.64,
  author =	{Chen, Zongchen and Vempala, Santosh S.},
  title =	{{Optimal Convergence Rate of Hamiltonian Monte Carlo for Strongly Logconcave Distributions}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2019)},
  pages =	{64:1--64:12},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-125-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2019},
  volume =	{145},
  editor =	{Achlioptas, Dimitris and V\'{e}gh, L\'{a}szl\'{o} A.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2019.64},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-112790},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2019.64},
  annote =	{Keywords: logconcave distribution, sampling, Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, spectral gap, strong convexity}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2018.32
Swendsen-Wang Dynamics for General Graphs in the Tree Uniqueness Region

Authors: Antonio Blanca, Zongchen Chen, and Eric Vigoda

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 116, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2018)

Abstract
The Swendsen-Wang dynamics is a popular algorithm for sampling from the Gibbs distribution for the ferromagnetic Ising model on a graph G=(V,E). The dynamics is a "global" Markov chain which is conjectured to converge to equilibrium in O(|V|^{1/4}) steps for any graph G at any (inverse) temperature beta. It was recently proved by Guo and Jerrum (2017) that the Swendsen-Wang dynamics has polynomial mixing time on any graph at all temperatures, yet there are few results providing o(|V|) upper bounds on its convergence time. We prove fast convergence of the Swendsen-Wang dynamics on general graphs in the tree uniqueness region of the ferromagnetic Ising model. In particular, when beta < beta_c(d) where beta_c(d) denotes the uniqueness/non-uniqueness threshold on infinite d-regular trees, we prove that the relaxation time (i.e., the inverse spectral gap) of the Swendsen-Wang dynamics is Theta(1) on any graph of maximum degree d >= 3. Our proof utilizes a version of the Swendsen-Wang dynamics which only updates isolated vertices. We establish that this variant of the Swendsen-Wang dynamics has mixing time O(log{|V|}) and relaxation time Theta(1) on any graph of maximum degree d for all beta < beta_c(d). We believe that this Markov chain may be of independent interest, as it is a monotone Swendsen-Wang type chain. As part of our proofs, we provide modest extensions of the technology of Mossel and Sly (2013) for analyzing mixing times and of the censoring result of Peres and Winkler (2013). Both of these results are for the Glauber dynamics, and we extend them here to general monotone Markov chains. This class of dynamics includes for example the heat-bath block dynamics, for which we obtain new tight mixing time bounds.
Cite as

Antonio Blanca, Zongchen Chen, and Eric Vigoda. Swendsen-Wang Dynamics for General Graphs in the Tree Uniqueness Region. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 116, pp. 32:1-32:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{blanca_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2018.32,
  author =	{Blanca, Antonio and Chen, Zongchen and Vigoda, Eric},
  title =	{{Swendsen-Wang Dynamics for General Graphs in the Tree Uniqueness Region}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2018)},
  pages =	{32:1--32:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-085-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{116},
  editor =	{Blais, Eric and Jansen, Klaus and D. P. Rolim, Jos\'{e} and Steurer, David},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2018.32},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-94365},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX-RANDOM.2018.32},
  annote =	{Keywords: Swendsen-Wang dynamics, mixing time, relaxation time, spatial mixing, censoring}
}
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