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APPROX

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.19

On the Constant-Factor Approximability of Minimum Cost Constraint Satisfaction Problems

Authors: Ian DeHaan, Neng Huang, and Euiwoong Lee

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 353, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)

Abstract

We study minimum cost constraint satisfaction problems (MinCostCSP) through the algebraic lens. We show that for any constraint language Γ which has the dual discriminator operation as a polymorphism, there exists a |D|-approximation algorithm for MinCostCSP(Γ) where D is the domain. Complementing our algorithmic result, we show that any constraint language Γ where MinCostCSP(Γ) admits a constant-factor approximation must have a near-unanimity (NU) polymorphism unless P = NP, extending a similar result by Dalmau et al. on MinCSPs. These results imply a dichotomy of constant-factor approximability for constraint languages that contain all permutation relations (a natural generalization for Boolean CSPs that allow variable negation): either MinCostCSP(Γ) has an NU polymorphism and is |D|-approximable, or it does not have any NU polymorphism and is NP-hard to approximate within any constant factor. Finally, we present a constraint language which has a majority polymorphism, but is nonetheless NP-hard to approximate within any constant factor assuming the Unique Games Conjecture, showing that the condition of having an NU polymorphism is in general not sufficient unless UGC fails.

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Ian DeHaan, Neng Huang, and Euiwoong Lee. On the Constant-Factor Approximability of Minimum Cost Constraint Satisfaction Problems. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 353, pp. 19:1-19:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{dehaan_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.19,
  author =	{DeHaan, Ian and Huang, Neng and Lee, Euiwoong},
  title =	{{On the Constant-Factor Approximability of Minimum Cost Constraint Satisfaction Problems}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:24},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-397-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{353},
  editor =	{Ene, Alina and Chattopadhyay, Eshan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-243851},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: Constraint satisfaction problems, approximation algorithms, polymorphisms}
}

Document

APPROX

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.20

Approximating Maximum Cut on Interval Graphs and Split Graphs Beyond Goemans-Williamson

Authors: Jungho Ahn, Ian DeHaan, Eun Jung Kim, and Euiwoong Lee

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 353, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)

Abstract

We present a polynomial-time (α_{GW} + ε)-approximation algorithm for the Maximum Cut problem on interval graphs and split graphs, where α_{GW} ≈ 0.878 is the approximation guarantee of the Goemans-Williamson algorithm and ε > 10^{-34} is a fixed constant. To attain this, we give an improved analysis of a slight modification of the Goemans-Williamson algorithm for graphs in which triangles can be packed into a constant fraction of their edges. We then pair this analysis with structural results showing that both interval graphs and split graphs either have such a triangle packing or have maximum cut close to their number of edges. We also show that, subject to the Small Set Expansion Hypothesis, there exists a constant c > 0 such that there is no polyomial-time (1 - c)-approximation for Maximum Cut on split graphs.

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Jungho Ahn, Ian DeHaan, Eun Jung Kim, and Euiwoong Lee. Approximating Maximum Cut on Interval Graphs and Split Graphs Beyond Goemans-Williamson. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 353, pp. 20:1-20:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{ahn_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.20,
  author =	{Ahn, Jungho and DeHaan, Ian and Kim, Eun Jung and Lee, Euiwoong},
  title =	{{Approximating Maximum Cut on Interval Graphs and Split Graphs Beyond Goemans-Williamson}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)},
  pages =	{20:1--20:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-397-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{353},
  editor =	{Ene, Alina and Chattopadhyay, Eshan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.20},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-243869},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.20},
  annote =	{Keywords: Maximum cut, graph theory, interval graphs, split graphs}
}

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On the Constant-Factor Approximability of Minimum Cost Constraint Satisfaction Problems

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Approximating Maximum Cut on Interval Graphs and Split Graphs Beyond Goemans-Williamson

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