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Documents authored by Demaine, Erik D.

Found 2 Possible Name Variants:

Demaine, Erik D.

Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.DNA.30.2
Domain-Based Nucleic-Acid Minimum Free Energy: Algorithmic Hardness and Parameterized Bounds

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Timothy Gomez, Elise Grizzell, Markus Hecher, Jayson Lynch, Robert Schweller, Ahmed Shalaby, and Damien Woods

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 314, 30th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA 30) (2024)

Abstract
Molecular programmers and nanostructure engineers use domain-level design to abstract away messy DNA/RNA sequence, chemical and geometric details. Such domain-level abstractions are enforced by sequence design principles and provide a key principle that allows scaling up of complex multistranded DNA/RNA programs and structures. Determining the most favoured secondary structure, or Minimum Free Energy (MFE), of a set of strands, is typically studied at the sequence level but has seen limited domain-level work. We analyse the computational complexity of MFE for multistranded systems in a simple setting were we allow only 1 or 2 domains per strand. On the one hand, with 2-domain strands, we find that the MFE decision problem is NP-complete, even without pseudoknots, and requires exponential time algorithms assuming SAT does. On the other hand, in the simplest case of 1-domain strands there are efficient MFE algorithms for various binding modes. However, even in this single-domain case, MFE is P-hard for promiscuous binding, where one domain may bind to multiple as experimentally used by Nikitin [Nat Chem., 2023], which in turn implies that strands consisting of a single domain efficiently implement arbitrary Boolean circuits.
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Erik D. Demaine, Timothy Gomez, Elise Grizzell, Markus Hecher, Jayson Lynch, Robert Schweller, Ahmed Shalaby, and Damien Woods. Domain-Based Nucleic-Acid Minimum Free Energy: Algorithmic Hardness and Parameterized Bounds. In 30th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA 30). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 314, pp. 2:1-2:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.DNA.30.2,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Gomez, Timothy and Grizzell, Elise and Hecher, Markus and Lynch, Jayson and Schweller, Robert and Shalaby, Ahmed and Woods, Damien},
  title =	{{Domain-Based Nucleic-Acid Minimum Free Energy: Algorithmic Hardness and Parameterized Bounds}},
  booktitle =	{30th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA 30)},
  pages =	{2:1--2:24},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-344-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{314},
  editor =	{Seki, Shinnosuke and Stewart, Jaimie Marie},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.DNA.30.2},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-209304},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.DNA.30.2},
  annote =	{Keywords: Domain-based DNA designs, minimum free energy, efficient algorithms, NP-hard, P-hard, NC, fixed-parameter tractable}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2024.34
Reconfiguration Algorithms for Cubic Modular Robots with Realistic Movement Constraints

Authors: MIT-NASA Space Robots Team, Josh Brunner, Kenneth C. Cheung, Erik D. Demaine, Jenny Diomidova, Christine Gregg, Della H. Hendrickson, and Irina Kostitsyna

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 294, 19th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2024)

Abstract
We introduce and analyze a model for self-reconfigurable robots made up of unit-cube modules. Compared to past models, our model aims to newly capture two important practical aspects of real-world robots. First, modules often do not occupy an exact unit cube, but rather have features like bumps extending outside the allotted space so that modules can interlock. Thus, for example, our model forbids modules from squeezing in between two other modules that are one unit distance apart. Second, our model captures the practical scenario of many passive modules assembled by a single robot, instead of requiring all modules to be able to move on their own. We prove two universality results. First, with a supply of auxiliary modules, we show that any connected polycube structure can be constructed by a carefully aligned plane sweep. Second, without additional modules, we show how to construct any structure for which a natural notion of external feature size is at least a constant; this property largely consolidates forbidden-pattern properties used in previous works on reconfigurable modular robots.
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MIT-NASA Space Robots Team, Josh Brunner, Kenneth C. Cheung, Erik D. Demaine, Jenny Diomidova, Christine Gregg, Della H. Hendrickson, and Irina Kostitsyna. Reconfiguration Algorithms for Cubic Modular Robots with Realistic Movement Constraints. In 19th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 294, pp. 34:1-34:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{mitnasaspacerobotsteam_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2024.34,
  author =	{MIT-NASA Space Robots Team and Brunner, Josh and Cheung, Kenneth C. and Demaine, Erik D. and Diomidova, Jenny and Gregg, Christine and Hendrickson, Della H. and Kostitsyna, Irina},
  title =	{{Reconfiguration Algorithms for Cubic Modular Robots with Realistic Movement Constraints}},
  booktitle =	{19th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2024)},
  pages =	{34:1--34:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-318-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{294},
  editor =	{Bodlaender, Hans L.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2024.34},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-200742},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2024.34},
  annote =	{Keywords: Modular robotics, programmable matter, digital materials, motion planning}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.21
PSPACE-Hard 2D Super Mario Games: Thirteen Doors

Authors: MIT Hardness Group, Hayashi Ani, Erik D. Demaine, Holden Hall, and Matias Korman

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 291, 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)

Abstract
We prove PSPACE-hardness for fifteen games in the Super Mario Bros. 2D platforming video game series. Previously, only the original Super Mario Bros. was known to be PSPACE-hard (FUN 2016), though several of the games we study were known to be NP-hard (FUN 2014). Our reductions build door gadgets with open, close, and traverse traversals, in each case using mechanics unique to the game. While some of our door constructions are similar to those from FUN 2016, those for Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Land 2, Super Mario World 2, and the New Super Mario Bros. series are quite different; notably, the Super Mario Bros. 2 door is extremely difficult. Doors remain elusive for just two 2D Mario games (Super Mario Land and Super Mario Run); we prove that these games are at least NP-hard.
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MIT Hardness Group, Hayashi Ani, Erik D. Demaine, Holden Hall, and Matias Korman. PSPACE-Hard 2D Super Mario Games: Thirteen Doors. In 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 291, pp. 21:1-21:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{mithardnessgroup_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2024.21,
  author =	{MIT Hardness Group and Ani, Hayashi and Demaine, Erik D. and Hall, Holden and Korman, Matias},
  title =	{{PSPACE-Hard 2D Super Mario Games: Thirteen Doors}},
  booktitle =	{12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)},
  pages =	{21:1--21:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-314-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{291},
  editor =	{Broder, Andrei Z. and Tamir, Tami},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.21},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-199295},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.21},
  annote =	{Keywords: video games, computational complexity, PSPACE}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.22
You Can't Solve These Super Mario Bros. Levels: Undecidable Mario Games

Authors: MIT Hardness Group, Hayashi Ani, Erik D. Demaine, Holden Hall, Ricardo Ruiz, and Naveen Venkat

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 291, 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)

Abstract
We prove RE-completeness (and thus undecidability) of several 2D games in the Super Mario Bros. platform video game series: the New Super Mario Bros. series (original, Wii, U, and 2), and both Super Mario Maker games in all five game styles (Super Mario Bros. 1 and 3, Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Mario 3D World). These results hold even when we restrict to constant-size levels and screens, but they do require generalizing to allow arbitrarily many enemies at each location and onscreen, as well as allowing for exponentially large (or no) timer. In our Super Mario Maker reductions, we work within the standard screen size and use the property that the game engine remembers offscreen objects that are global because they are supported by "global ground". To prove these Mario results, we build a new theory of counter gadgets in the motion-planning-through-gadgets framework, and provide a suite of simple gadgets for which reachability is RE-complete.
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MIT Hardness Group, Hayashi Ani, Erik D. Demaine, Holden Hall, Ricardo Ruiz, and Naveen Venkat. You Can't Solve These Super Mario Bros. Levels: Undecidable Mario Games. In 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 291, pp. 22:1-22:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{mithardnessgroup_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2024.22,
  author =	{MIT Hardness Group and Ani, Hayashi and Demaine, Erik D. and Hall, Holden and Ruiz, Ricardo and Venkat, Naveen},
  title =	{{You Can't Solve These Super Mario Bros. Levels: Undecidable Mario Games}},
  booktitle =	{12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)},
  pages =	{22:1--22:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-314-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{291},
  editor =	{Broder, Andrei Z. and Tamir, Tami},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.22},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-199302},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.22},
  annote =	{Keywords: video games, computational complexity, undecidability}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.23
ASP-Completeness of Hamiltonicity in Grid Graphs, with Applications to Loop Puzzles

Authors: MIT Hardness Group, Josh Brunner, Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Della Hendrickson, and Andy Tockman

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 291, 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)

Abstract
We prove that Hamiltonicity in maximum-degree-3 grid graphs (directed or undirected) is ASP-complete, i.e., it has a parsimonious reduction from every NP search problem (including a polynomial-time bijection between solutions). As a consequence, given k Hamiltonian cycles, it is NP-complete to find another; and counting Hamiltonian cycles is #P-complete. If we require the grid graph’s vertices to form a full m × n rectangle, then we show that Hamiltonicity remains ASP-complete if the edges are directed or if we allow removing some edges (whereas including all undirected edges is known to be easy). These results enable us to develop a stronger "T-metacell" framework for proving ASP-completeness of rectangular puzzles, which requires building just a single gadget representing a degree-3 grid-graph vertex. We apply this general theory to prove ASP-completeness of 37 pencil-and-paper puzzles where the goal is to draw a loop subject to given constraints: Slalom, Onsen-meguri, Mejilink, Detour, Tapa-Like Loop, Kouchoku, Icelom; Masyu, Yajilin, Nagareru, Castle Wall, Moon or Sun, Country Road, Geradeweg, Maxi Loop, Mid-loop, Balance Loop, Simple Loop, Haisu, Reflect Link, Linesweeper; Vertex/Touch Slitherlink, Dotchi-Loop, Ovotovata, Building Walk, Rail Pool, Disorderly Loop, Ant Mill, Koburin, Mukkonn Enn, Rassi Silai, (Crossing) Ichimaga, Tapa, Canal View, and Aqre. The last 13 of these puzzles were not even known to be NP-hard. Along the way, we prove ASP-completeness of some simple forms of Tree-Residue Vertex-Breaking (TRVB), including planar multigraphs with degree-6 breakable vertices, or with degree-4 breakable and degree-1 unbreakable vertices.
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MIT Hardness Group, Josh Brunner, Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Della Hendrickson, and Andy Tockman. ASP-Completeness of Hamiltonicity in Grid Graphs, with Applications to Loop Puzzles. In 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 291, pp. 23:1-23:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{mithardnessgroup_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2024.23,
  author =	{MIT Hardness Group and Brunner, Josh and Chung, Lily and Demaine, Erik D. and Hendrickson, Della and Tockman, Andy},
  title =	{{ASP-Completeness of Hamiltonicity in Grid Graphs, with Applications to Loop Puzzles}},
  booktitle =	{12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)},
  pages =	{23:1--23:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-314-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{291},
  editor =	{Broder, Andrei Z. and Tamir, Tami},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.23},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-199314},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.23},
  annote =	{Keywords: pencil-and-paper puzzles, computational complexity, parsimony}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.24
Tetris with Few Piece Types

Authors: MIT Hardness Group, Erik D. Demaine, Holden Hall, and Jeffery Li

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 291, 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)

Abstract
We prove NP-hardness and #P-hardness of Tetris clearing (clearing an initial board using a given sequence of pieces) with the Super Rotation System (SRS), even when the pieces are limited to any two of the seven Tetris piece types. This result is the first advance on a question posed twenty years ago: which piece sets are easy vs. hard? All previous Tetris NP-hardness proofs used five of the seven piece types. We also prove ASP-completeness of Tetris clearing, using three piece types, as well as versions of 3-Partition and Numerical 3-Dimensional Matching where all input integers are distinct. Finally, we prove NP-hardness of Tetris survival and clearing under the "hard drops only" and "20G" modes, using two piece types, improving on a previous "hard drops only" result that used five piece types.
Cite as

MIT Hardness Group, Erik D. Demaine, Holden Hall, and Jeffery Li. Tetris with Few Piece Types. In 12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 291, pp. 24:1-24:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{mithardnessgroup_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2024.24,
  author =	{MIT Hardness Group and Demaine, Erik D. and Hall, Holden and Li, Jeffery},
  title =	{{Tetris with Few Piece Types}},
  booktitle =	{12th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2024)},
  pages =	{24:1--24:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-314-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{291},
  editor =	{Broder, Andrei Z. and Tamir, Tami},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.24},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-199322},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2024.24},
  annote =	{Keywords: complexity, hardness, video games, counting}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2024.38
Graph Threading

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Yael Kirkpatrick, and Rebecca Lin

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

Abstract
Inspired by artistic practices such as beadwork and himmeli, we study the problem of threading a single string through a set of tubes, so that pulling the string forms a desired graph. More precisely, given a connected graph (where edges represent tubes and vertices represent junctions where they meet), we give a polynomial-time algorithm to find a minimum-length closed walk (representing a threading of string) that induces a connected graph of string at every junction. The algorithm is based on a surprising reduction to minimum-weight perfect matching. Along the way, we give tight worst-case bounds on the length of the optimal threading and on the maximum number of times this threading can visit a single edge. We also give more efficient solutions to two special cases: cubic graphs and the case when each edge can be visited at most twice.
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Erik D. Demaine, Yael Kirkpatrick, and Rebecca Lin. Graph Threading. In 15th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 287, pp. 38:1-38:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2024.38,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Kirkpatrick, Yael and Lin, Rebecca},
  title =	{{Graph Threading}},
  booktitle =	{15th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2024)},
  pages =	{38:1--38:18},
  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.2024.38},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-195665},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2024.38},
  annote =	{Keywords: Shortest walk, Eulerian cycle, perfect matching, beading}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.DNA.29.10
Complexity of Reconfiguration in Surface Chemical Reaction Networks

Authors: Robert M. Alaniz, Josh Brunner, Michael Coulombe, Erik D. Demaine, Jenny Diomidova, Timothy Gomez, Elise Grizzell, Ryan Knobel, Jayson Lynch, Andrew Rodriguez, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 276, 29th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA 29) (2023)

Abstract
We analyze the computational complexity of basic reconfiguration problems for the recently introduced surface Chemical Reaction Networks (sCRNs), where ordered pairs of adjacent species nondeterministically transform into a different ordered pair of species according to a predefined set of allowed transition rules (chemical reactions). In particular, two questions that are fundamental to the simulation of sCRNs are whether a given configuration of molecules can ever transform into another given configuration, and whether a given cell can ever contain a given species, given a set of transition rules. We show that these problems can be solved in polynomial time, are NP-complete, or are PSPACE-complete in a variety of different settings, including when adjacent species just swap instead of arbitrary transformation (swap sCRNs), and when cells can change species a limited number of times (k-burnout). Most problems turn out to be at least NP-hard except with very few distinct species (2 or 3).
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Robert M. Alaniz, Josh Brunner, Michael Coulombe, Erik D. Demaine, Jenny Diomidova, Timothy Gomez, Elise Grizzell, Ryan Knobel, Jayson Lynch, Andrew Rodriguez, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie. Complexity of Reconfiguration in Surface Chemical Reaction Networks. In 29th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA 29). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 276, pp. 10:1-10:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2023)

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@InProceedings{alaniz_et_al:LIPIcs.DNA.29.10,
  author =	{Alaniz, Robert M. and Brunner, Josh and Coulombe, Michael and Demaine, Erik D. and Diomidova, Jenny and Gomez, Timothy and Grizzell, Elise and Knobel, Ryan and Lynch, Jayson and Rodriguez, Andrew and Schweller, Robert and Wylie, Tim},
  title =	{{Complexity of Reconfiguration in Surface Chemical Reaction Networks}},
  booktitle =	{29th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA 29)},
  pages =	{10:1--10:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-297-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2023},
  volume =	{276},
  editor =	{Chen, Ho-Lin and Evans, Constantine G.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.DNA.29.10},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-187936},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.DNA.29.10},
  annote =	{Keywords: Chemical Reaction Networks, reconfiguration, hardness}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SAND.2023.5
Complexity of Motion Planning of Arbitrarily Many Robots: Gadgets, Petri Nets, and Counter Machines

Authors: Joshua Ani, Michael Coulombe, Erik D. Demaine, Yevhenii Diomidov, Timothy Gomez, Dylan Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 257, 2nd Symposium on Algorithmic Foundations of Dynamic Networks (SAND 2023)

Abstract
We extend the motion-planning-through-gadgets framework to several new scenarios involving various numbers of robots/agents, and analyze the complexity of the resulting motion-planning problems. While past work considers just one robot or one robot per player, most of our models allow for one or more locations to spawn new robots in each time step, leading to arbitrarily many robots. In the 0-player context, where all motion is deterministically forced, we prove that deciding whether any robot ever reaches a specified location is undecidable, by representing a counter machine. In the 1-player context, where the player can choose how to move the robots, we prove equivalence to Petri nets, EXPSPACE-completeness for reaching a specified location, PSPACE-completeness for reconfiguration, and ACKERMANN-completeness for reconfiguration when robots can be destroyed in addition to spawned. Finally, we consider a variation on the standard 2-player context where, instead of one robot per player, we have one robot shared by the players, along with a ko rule to prevent immediately undoing the previous move. We prove this impartial 2-player game EXPTIME-complete.
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Joshua Ani, Michael Coulombe, Erik D. Demaine, Yevhenii Diomidov, Timothy Gomez, Dylan Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch. Complexity of Motion Planning of Arbitrarily Many Robots: Gadgets, Petri Nets, and Counter Machines. In 2nd Symposium on Algorithmic Foundations of Dynamic Networks (SAND 2023). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 257, pp. 5:1-5:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2023)

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@InProceedings{ani_et_al:LIPIcs.SAND.2023.5,
  author =	{Ani, Joshua and Coulombe, Michael and Demaine, Erik D. and Diomidov, Yevhenii and Gomez, Timothy and Hendrickson, Dylan and Lynch, Jayson},
  title =	{{Complexity of Motion Planning of Arbitrarily Many Robots: Gadgets, Petri Nets, and Counter Machines}},
  booktitle =	{2nd Symposium on Algorithmic Foundations of Dynamic Networks (SAND 2023)},
  pages =	{5:1--5:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-275-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2023},
  volume =	{257},
  editor =	{Doty, David and Spirakis, Paul},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SAND.2023.5},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-179414},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SAND.2023.5},
  annote =	{Keywords: Gadgets, robots, undecidability, Petri nets}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2022.32
Lower Bounds on Retroactive Data Structures

Authors: Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Dylan Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 248, 33rd International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2022)

Abstract
We prove essentially optimal fine-grained lower bounds on the gap between a data structure and a partially retroactive version of the same data structure. Precisely, assuming any one of three standard conjectures, we describe a problem that has a data structure where operations run in O(T(n,m)) time per operation, but any partially retroactive version of that data structure requires T(n,m)⋅m^{1-o(1)} worst-case time per operation, where n is the size of the data structure at any time and m is the number of operations. Any data structure with operations running in O(T(n,m)) time per operation can be converted (via the "rollback method") into a partially retroactive data structure running in O(T(n,m)⋅m) time per operation, so our lower bound is tight up to an m^o(1) factor common in fine-grained complexity.
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Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Dylan Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch. Lower Bounds on Retroactive Data Structures. In 33rd International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2022). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 248, pp. 32:1-32:12, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2022)

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@InProceedings{chung_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2022.32,
  author =	{Chung, Lily and Demaine, Erik D. and Hendrickson, Dylan and Lynch, Jayson},
  title =	{{Lower Bounds on Retroactive Data Structures}},
  booktitle =	{33rd International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2022)},
  pages =	{32:1--32:12},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-258-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2022},
  volume =	{248},
  editor =	{Bae, Sang Won and Park, Heejin},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2022.32},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-173171},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2022.32},
  annote =	{Keywords: Retroactivity, time travel, rollback, fine-grained complexity}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2022.3
Hardness of Token Swapping on Trees

Authors: Oswin Aichholzer, Erik D. Demaine, Matias Korman, Anna Lubiw, Jayson Lynch, Zuzana Masárová, Mikhail Rudoy, Virginia Vassilevska Williams, and Nicole Wein

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 244, 30th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2022)

Abstract
Given a graph where every vertex has exactly one labeled token, how can we most quickly execute a given permutation on the tokens? In (sequential) token swapping, the goal is to use the shortest possible sequence of swaps, each of which exchanges the tokens at the two endpoints of an edge of the graph. In parallel token swapping, the goal is to use the fewest rounds, each of which consists of one or more swaps on the edges of a matching. We prove that both of these problems remain NP-hard when the graph is restricted to be a tree. These token swapping problems have been studied by disparate groups of researchers in discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science, robot motion planning, game theory, and engineering. Previous work establishes NP-completeness on general graphs (for both problems), constant-factor approximation algorithms, and some poly-time exact algorithms for simple graph classes such as cliques, stars, paths, and cycles. Sequential and parallel token swapping on trees were first studied over thirty years ago (as "sorting with a transposition tree") and over twenty-five years ago (as "routing permutations via matchings"), yet their complexities were previously unknown. We also show limitations on approximation of sequential token swapping on trees: we identify a broad class of algorithms that encompass all three known polynomial-time algorithms that achieve the best known approximation factor (which is 2) and show that no such algorithm can achieve an approximation factor less than 2.
Cite as

Oswin Aichholzer, Erik D. Demaine, Matias Korman, Anna Lubiw, Jayson Lynch, Zuzana Masárová, Mikhail Rudoy, Virginia Vassilevska Williams, and Nicole Wein. Hardness of Token Swapping on Trees. In 30th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2022). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 244, pp. 3:1-3:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2022)

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@InProceedings{aichholzer_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2022.3,
  author =	{Aichholzer, Oswin and Demaine, Erik D. and Korman, Matias and Lubiw, Anna and Lynch, Jayson and Mas\'{a}rov\'{a}, Zuzana and Rudoy, Mikhail and Vassilevska Williams, Virginia and Wein, Nicole},
  title =	{{Hardness of Token Swapping on Trees}},
  booktitle =	{30th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2022)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-247-1},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2022},
  volume =	{244},
  editor =	{Chechik, Shiri and Navarro, Gonzalo and Rotenberg, Eva and Herman, Grzegorz},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2022.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-169413},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2022.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: Sorting, Token swapping, Trees, NP-hard, Approximation}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2022.4
Compacting Squares: Input-Sensitive In-Place Reconfiguration of Sliding Squares

Authors: Hugo A. Akitaya, Erik D. Demaine, Matias Korman, Irina Kostitsyna, Irene Parada, Willem Sonke, Bettina Speckmann, Ryuhei Uehara, and Jules Wulms

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 227, 18th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2022)

Abstract
Edge-connected configurations of square modules, which can reconfigure through so-called sliding moves, are a well-established theoretical model for modular robots in two dimensions. Dumitrescu and Pach [Graphs and Combinatorics, 2006] proved that it is always possible to reconfigure one edge-connected configuration of n squares into any other using at most O(n²) sliding moves, while keeping the configuration connected at all times. For certain pairs of configurations, reconfiguration may require Ω(n²) sliding moves. However, significantly fewer moves may be sufficient. We prove that it is NP-hard to minimize the number of sliding moves for a given pair of edge-connected configurations. On the positive side we present Gather&Compact, an input-sensitive in-place algorithm that requires only O( ̄P n) sliding moves to transform one configuration into the other, where ̄P is the maximum perimeter of the two bounding boxes. The squares move within the bounding boxes only, with the exception of at most one square at a time which may move through the positions adjacent to the bounding boxes. The O( ̄P n) bound never exceeds O(n²), and is optimal (up to constant factors) among all bounds parameterized by just n and ̄P. Our algorithm is built on the basic principle that well-connected components of modular robots can be transformed efficiently. Hence we iteratively increase the connectivity within a configuration, to finally arrive at a single solid xy-monotone component. We implemented Gather&Compact and compared it experimentally to the in-place modification by Moreno and Sacristán [EuroCG 2020] of the Dumitrescu and Pach algorithm (MSDP). Our experiments show that Gather&Compact consistently outperforms MSDP by a significant margin, on all types of square configurations.
Cite as

Hugo A. Akitaya, Erik D. Demaine, Matias Korman, Irina Kostitsyna, Irene Parada, Willem Sonke, Bettina Speckmann, Ryuhei Uehara, and Jules Wulms. Compacting Squares: Input-Sensitive In-Place Reconfiguration of Sliding Squares. In 18th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2022). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 227, pp. 4:1-4:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2022)

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@InProceedings{a.akitaya_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2022.4,
  author =	{A. Akitaya, Hugo and Demaine, Erik D. and Korman, Matias and Kostitsyna, Irina and Parada, Irene and Sonke, Willem and Speckmann, Bettina and Uehara, Ryuhei and Wulms, Jules},
  title =	{{Compacting Squares: Input-Sensitive In-Place Reconfiguration of Sliding Squares}},
  booktitle =	{18th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2022)},
  pages =	{4:1--4:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-236-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2022},
  volume =	{227},
  editor =	{Czumaj, Artur and Xin, Qin},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2022.4},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-161644},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2022.4},
  annote =	{Keywords: Sliding cubes, Reconfiguration, Modular robots, NP-hardness}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2022.29
Flat Folding an Unassigned Single-Vertex Complex (Combinatorially Embedded Planar Graph with Specified Edge Lengths) Without Flat Angles

Authors: Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Dylan Hendrickson, and Victor Luo

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 224, 38th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2022)

Abstract
A foundational result in origami mathematics is Kawasaki and Justin’s simple, efficient characterization of flat foldability for unassigned single-vertex crease patterns (where each crease can fold mountain or valley) on flat material. This result was later generalized to cones of material, where the angles glued at the single vertex may not sum to 360^∘. Here we generalize these results to when the material forms a complex (instead of a manifold), and thus the angles are glued at the single vertex in the structure of an arbitrary planar graph (instead of a cycle). Like the earlier characterizations, we require all creases to fold mountain or valley, not remain unfolded flat; otherwise, the problem is known to be NP-complete (weakly for flat material and strongly for complexes). Equivalently, we efficiently characterize which combinatorially embedded planar graphs with prescribed edge lengths can fold flat, when all angles must be mountain or valley (not unfolded flat). Our algorithm runs in O(n log³ n) time, improving on the previous best algorithm of O(n² log n).
Cite as

Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Dylan Hendrickson, and Victor Luo. Flat Folding an Unassigned Single-Vertex Complex (Combinatorially Embedded Planar Graph with Specified Edge Lengths) Without Flat Angles. In 38th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2022). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 224, pp. 29:1-29:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2022)

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@InProceedings{chung_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2022.29,
  author =	{Chung, Lily and Demaine, Erik D. and Hendrickson, Dylan and Luo, Victor},
  title =	{{Flat Folding an Unassigned Single-Vertex Complex (Combinatorially Embedded Planar Graph with Specified Edge Lengths) Without Flat Angles}},
  booktitle =	{38th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2022)},
  pages =	{29:1--29:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-227-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2022},
  volume =	{224},
  editor =	{Goaoc, Xavier and Kerber, Michael},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2022.29},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-160371},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2022.29},
  annote =	{Keywords: Graph drawing, folding, origami, polyhedral complex, algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2022.3
Pushing Blocks via Checkable Gadgets: PSPACE-Completeness of Push-1F and Block/Box Dude

Authors: Joshua Ani, Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Yevhenii Diomidov, Dylan Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 226, 11th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2022)

Abstract
We prove PSPACE-completeness of the well-studied pushing-block puzzle Push-1F, a theoretical abstraction of many video games (first posed in 1999). We also prove PSPACE-completeness of two versions of the recently studied block-moving puzzle game with gravity, Block Dude - a video game dating back to 1994 - featuring either liftable blocks or pushable blocks. Two of our reductions are built on a new framework for "checkable" gadgets, extending the motion-planning-through-gadgets framework to support gadgets that can be misused, provided those misuses can be detected later.
Cite as

Joshua Ani, Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Yevhenii Diomidov, Dylan Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch. Pushing Blocks via Checkable Gadgets: PSPACE-Completeness of Push-1F and Block/Box Dude. In 11th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2022). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 226, pp. 3:1-3:30, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2022)

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@InProceedings{ani_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2022.3,
  author =	{Ani, Joshua and Chung, Lily and Demaine, Erik D. and Diomidov, Yevhenii and Hendrickson, Dylan and Lynch, Jayson},
  title =	{{Pushing Blocks via Checkable Gadgets: PSPACE-Completeness of Push-1F and Block/Box Dude}},
  booktitle =	{11th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2022)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:30},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-232-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2022},
  volume =	{226},
  editor =	{Fraigniaud, Pierre and Uno, Yushi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2022.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-159737},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2022.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: gadgets, motion planning, hardness of games}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2022.6
Rolling Polyhedra on Tessellations

Authors: Akira Baes, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Elizabeth Hartung, Stefan Langerman, Joseph O'Rourke, Ryuhei Uehara, Yushi Uno, and Aaron Williams

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 226, 11th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2022)

Abstract
We study the space reachable by rolling a 3D convex polyhedron on a 2D periodic tessellation in the xy-plane, where at every step a face of the polyhedron must coincide exactly with a tile of the tessellation it rests upon, and the polyhedron rotates around one of the incident edges of that face until the neighboring face hits the xy plane. If the whole plane can be reached by a sequence of such rolls, we call the polyhedron a plane roller for the given tessellation. We further classify polyhedra that reach a constant fraction of the plane, an infinite area but vanishing fraction of the plane, or a bounded area as hollow-plane rollers, band rollers, and bounded rollers respectively. We present a polynomial-time algorithm to determine the set of tiles in a given periodic tessellation reachable by a given polyhedron from a given starting position, which in particular determines the roller type of the polyhedron and tessellation. Using this algorithm, we compute the reachability for every regular-faced convex polyhedron on every regular-tiled (≤ 4)-uniform tessellation.
Cite as

Akira Baes, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Elizabeth Hartung, Stefan Langerman, Joseph O'Rourke, Ryuhei Uehara, Yushi Uno, and Aaron Williams. Rolling Polyhedra on Tessellations. In 11th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2022). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 226, pp. 6:1-6:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2022)

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@InProceedings{baes_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2022.6,
  author =	{Baes, Akira and Demaine, Erik D. and Demaine, Martin L. and Hartung, Elizabeth and Langerman, Stefan and O'Rourke, Joseph and Uehara, Ryuhei and Uno, Yushi and Williams, Aaron},
  title =	{{Rolling Polyhedra on Tessellations}},
  booktitle =	{11th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2022)},
  pages =	{6:1--6:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-232-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2022},
  volume =	{226},
  editor =	{Fraigniaud, Pierre and Uno, Yushi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2022.6},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-159761},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2022.6},
  annote =	{Keywords: polyhedra, tilings}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2021.10
Characterizing Universal Reconfigurability of Modular Pivoting Robots

Authors: Hugo A. Akitaya, Erik D. Demaine, Andrei Gonczi, Dylan H. Hendrickson, Adam Hesterberg, Matias Korman, Oliver Korten, Jayson Lynch, Irene Parada, and Vera Sacristán

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 189, 37th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2021)

Abstract
We give both efficient algorithms and hardness results for reconfiguring between two connected configurations of modules in the hexagonal grid. The reconfiguration moves that we consider are "pivots", where a hexagonal module rotates around a vertex shared with another module. Following prior work on modular robots, we define two natural sets of hexagon pivoting moves of increasing power: restricted and monkey moves. When we allow both moves, we present the first universal reconfiguration algorithm, which transforms between any two connected configurations using O(n³) monkey moves. This result strongly contrasts the analogous problem for squares, where there are rigid examples that do not have a single pivoting move preserving connectivity. On the other hand, if we only allow restricted moves, we prove that the reconfiguration problem becomes PSPACE-complete. Moreover, we show that, in contrast to hexagons, the reconfiguration problem for pivoting squares is PSPACE-complete regardless of the set of pivoting moves allowed. In the process, we strengthen the reduction framework of Demaine et al. [FUN'18] that we consider of independent interest.
Cite as

Hugo A. Akitaya, Erik D. Demaine, Andrei Gonczi, Dylan H. Hendrickson, Adam Hesterberg, Matias Korman, Oliver Korten, Jayson Lynch, Irene Parada, and Vera Sacristán. Characterizing Universal Reconfigurability of Modular Pivoting Robots. In 37th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2021). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 189, pp. 10:1-10:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2021)

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@InProceedings{a.akitaya_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2021.10,
  author =	{A. Akitaya, Hugo and Demaine, Erik D. and Gonczi, Andrei and Hendrickson, Dylan H. and Hesterberg, Adam and Korman, Matias and Korten, Oliver and Lynch, Jayson and Parada, Irene and Sacrist\'{a}n, Vera},
  title =	{{Characterizing Universal Reconfigurability of Modular Pivoting Robots}},
  booktitle =	{37th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2021)},
  pages =	{10:1--10:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-184-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2021},
  volume =	{189},
  editor =	{Buchin, Kevin and Colin de Verdi\`{e}re, \'{E}ric},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2021.10},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-138094},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2021.10},
  annote =	{Keywords: reconfiguration, geometric algorithm, PSPACE-hardness, pivoting hexagons, pivoting squares, modular robots}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.12
Arithmetic Expression Construction

Authors: Leo Alcock, Sualeh Asif, Jeffrey Bosboom, Josh Brunner, Charlotte Chen, Erik D. Demaine, Rogers Epstein, Adam Hesterberg, Lior Hirschfeld, William Hu, Jayson Lynch, Sarah Scheffler, and Lillian Zhang

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 181, 31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020)

Abstract
When can n given numbers be combined using arithmetic operators from a given subset of {+,-,×,÷} to obtain a given target number? We study three variations of this problem of Arithmetic Expression Construction: when the expression (1) is unconstrained; (2) has a specified pattern of parentheses and operators (and only the numbers need to be assigned to blanks); or (3) must match a specified ordering of the numbers (but the operators and parenthesization are free). For each of these variants, and many of the subsets of {+,-,×,÷}, we prove the problem NP-complete, sometimes in the weak sense and sometimes in the strong sense. Most of these proofs make use of a rational function framework which proves equivalence of these problems for values in rational functions with values in positive integers.
Cite as

Leo Alcock, Sualeh Asif, Jeffrey Bosboom, Josh Brunner, Charlotte Chen, Erik D. Demaine, Rogers Epstein, Adam Hesterberg, Lior Hirschfeld, William Hu, Jayson Lynch, Sarah Scheffler, and Lillian Zhang. Arithmetic Expression Construction. In 31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 181, pp. 12:1-12:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{alcock_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.12,
  author =	{Alcock, Leo and Asif, Sualeh and Bosboom, Jeffrey and Brunner, Josh and Chen, Charlotte and Demaine, Erik D. and Epstein, Rogers and Hesterberg, Adam and Hirschfeld, Lior and Hu, William and Lynch, Jayson and Scheffler, Sarah and Zhang, Lillian},
  title =	{{Arithmetic Expression Construction}},
  booktitle =	{31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020)},
  pages =	{12:1--12:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-173-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{181},
  editor =	{Cao, Yixin and Cheng, Siu-Wing and Li, Minming},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.12},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-133568},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.12},
  annote =	{Keywords: Hardness, algebraic complexity, expression trees}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.17
Complexity of Retrograde and Helpmate Chess Problems: Even Cooperative Chess Is Hard

Authors: Josh Brunner, Erik D. Demaine, Dylan Hendrickson, and Julian Wellman

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 181, 31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020)

Abstract
We prove PSPACE-completeness of two classic types of Chess problems when generalized to n × n boards. A "retrograde" problem asks whether it is possible for a position to be reached from a natural starting position, i.e., whether the position is "valid" or "legal" or "reachable". Most real-world retrograde Chess problems ask for the last few moves of such a sequence; we analyze the decision question which gets at the existence of an exponentially long move sequence. A "helpmate" problem asks whether it is possible for a player to become checkmated by any sequence of moves from a given position. A helpmate problem is essentially a cooperative form of Chess, where both players work together to cause a particular player to win; it also arises in regular Chess games, where a player who runs out of time (flags) loses only if they could ever possibly be checkmated from the current position (i.e., the helpmate problem has a solution). Our PSPACE-hardness reductions are from a variant of a puzzle game called Subway Shuffle.
Cite as

Josh Brunner, Erik D. Demaine, Dylan Hendrickson, and Julian Wellman. Complexity of Retrograde and Helpmate Chess Problems: Even Cooperative Chess Is Hard. In 31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 181, pp. 17:1-17:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{brunner_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.17,
  author =	{Brunner, Josh and Demaine, Erik D. and Hendrickson, Dylan and Wellman, Julian},
  title =	{{Complexity of Retrograde and Helpmate Chess Problems: Even Cooperative Chess Is Hard}},
  booktitle =	{31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020)},
  pages =	{17:1--17:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-173-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{181},
  editor =	{Cao, Yixin and Cheng, Siu-Wing and Li, Minming},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.17},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-133618},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.17},
  annote =	{Keywords: hardness, board games, PSPACE}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.50
Recursed Is Not Recursive: A Jarring Result

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Justin Kopinsky, and Jayson Lynch

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 181, 31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020)

Abstract
Recursed is a 2D puzzle platform video game featuring "treasure chests" that, when jumped into, instantiate a room that can later be exited (similar to function calls), optionally generating a "jar" that returns back to that room (similar to continuations). We prove that Recursed is RE-complete and thus undecidable (not recursive) by a reduction from the Post Correspondence Problem. Our reduction is "practical": the reduction from PCP results in fully playable levels that abide by all constraints governing levels (including the 15 × 20 room size) designed for the main game. Our reduction is also "efficient": a Turing machine can be simulated by a Recursed level whose size is linear in the encoding size of the Turing machine and whose solution length is polynomial in the running time of the Turing machine.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Justin Kopinsky, and Jayson Lynch. Recursed Is Not Recursive: A Jarring Result. In 31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 181, pp. 50:1-50:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.50,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Kopinsky, Justin and Lynch, Jayson},
  title =	{{Recursed Is Not Recursive: A Jarring Result}},
  booktitle =	{31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020)},
  pages =	{50:1--50:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-173-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{181},
  editor =	{Cao, Yixin and Cheng, Siu-Wing and Li, Minming},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.50},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-133940},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2020.50},
  annote =	{Keywords: Computational Complexity, Undecidable, Video Games}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.1
Tatamibari Is NP-Complete

Authors: Aviv Adler, Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Quanquan C. Liu, and Jayson Lynch

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 157, 10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021) (2020)

Abstract
In the Nikoli pencil-and-paper game Tatamibari, a puzzle consists of an m x n grid of cells, where each cell possibly contains a clue among ⊞, ⊟, ◫. The goal is to partition the grid into disjoint rectangles, where every rectangle contains exactly one clue, rectangles containing ⊞ are square, rectangles containing ⊟ are strictly longer horizontally than vertically, rectangles containing ◫ are strictly longer vertically than horizontally, and no four rectangles share a corner. We prove this puzzle NP-complete, establishing a Nikoli gap of 16 years. Along the way, we introduce a gadget framework for proving hardness of similar puzzles involving area coverage, and show that it applies to an existing NP-hardness proof for Spiral Galaxies. We also present a mathematical puzzle font for Tatamibari.
Cite as

Aviv Adler, Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Quanquan C. Liu, and Jayson Lynch. Tatamibari Is NP-Complete. In 10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 157, pp. 1:1-1:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{adler_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2021.1,
  author =	{Adler, Aviv and Bosboom, Jeffrey and Demaine, Erik D. and Demaine, Martin L. and Liu, Quanquan C. and Lynch, Jayson},
  title =	{{Tatamibari Is NP-Complete}},
  booktitle =	{10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021)},
  pages =	{1:1--1:24},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-145-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{157},
  editor =	{Farach-Colton, Martin and Prencipe, Giuseppe and Uehara, Ryuhei},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-127624},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: Nikoli puzzles, NP-hardness, rectangle covering}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.3
Walking Through Doors Is Hard, Even Without Staircases: Proving PSPACE-Hardness via Planar Assemblies of Door Gadgets

Authors: Joshua Ani, Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, Yenhenii Diomidov, Dylan Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 157, 10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021) (2020)

Abstract
A door gadget has two states and three tunnels that can be traversed by an agent (player, robot, etc.): the "open" and "close" tunnel sets the gadget’s state to open and closed, respectively, while the "traverse" tunnel can be traversed if and only if the door is in the open state. We prove that it is PSPACE-complete to decide whether an agent can move from one location to another through a planar assembly of such door gadgets, removing the traditional need for crossover gadgets and thereby simplifying past PSPACE-hardness proofs of Lemmings and Nintendo games Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong Country. Our result holds in all but one of the possible local planar embedding of the open, close, and traverse tunnels within a door gadget; in the one remaining case, we prove NP-hardness. We also introduce and analyze a simpler type of door gadget, called the self-closing door. This gadget has two states and only two tunnels, similar to the "open" and "traverse" tunnels of doors, except that traversing the traverse tunnel also closes the door. In a variant called the symmetric self-closing door, the "open" tunnel can be traversed if and only if the door is closed. We prove that it is PSPACE-complete to decide whether an agent can move from one location to another through a planar assembly of either type of self-closing door. Then we apply this framework to prove new PSPACE-hardness results for several 3D Mario games and Sokobond.
Cite as

Joshua Ani, Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, Yenhenii Diomidov, Dylan Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch. Walking Through Doors Is Hard, Even Without Staircases: Proving PSPACE-Hardness via Planar Assemblies of Door Gadgets. In 10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 157, pp. 3:1-3:23, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{ani_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2021.3,
  author =	{Ani, Joshua and Bosboom, Jeffrey and Demaine, Erik D. and Diomidov, Yenhenii and Hendrickson, Dylan and Lynch, Jayson},
  title =	{{Walking Through Doors Is Hard, Even Without Staircases: Proving PSPACE-Hardness via Planar Assemblies of Door Gadgets}},
  booktitle =	{10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:23},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-145-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{157},
  editor =	{Farach-Colton, Martin and Prencipe, Giuseppe and Uehara, Ryuhei},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-127642},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: gadgets, motion planning, hardness of games}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.7
1 X 1 Rush Hour with Fixed Blocks Is PSPACE-Complete

Authors: Josh Brunner, Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Dylan Hendrickson, Adam Hesterberg, Adam Suhl, and Avi Zeff

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 157, 10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021) (2020)

Abstract
Consider n²-1 unit-square blocks in an n × n square board, where each block is labeled as movable horizontally (only), movable vertically (only), or immovable - a variation of Rush Hour with only 1 × 1 cars and fixed blocks. We prove that it is PSPACE-complete to decide whether a given block can reach the left edge of the board, by reduction from Nondeterministic Constraint Logic via 2-color oriented Subway Shuffle. By contrast, polynomial-time algorithms are known for deciding whether a given block can be moved by one space, or when each block either is immovable or can move both horizontally and vertically. Our result answers a 15-year-old open problem by Tromp and Cilibrasi, and strengthens previous PSPACE-completeness results for Rush Hour with vertical 1 × 2 and horizontal 2 × 1 movable blocks and 4-color Subway Shuffle.
Cite as

Josh Brunner, Lily Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Dylan Hendrickson, Adam Hesterberg, Adam Suhl, and Avi Zeff. 1 X 1 Rush Hour with Fixed Blocks Is PSPACE-Complete. In 10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 157, pp. 7:1-7:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{brunner_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2021.7,
  author =	{Brunner, Josh and Chung, Lily and Demaine, Erik D. and Hendrickson, Dylan and Hesterberg, Adam and Suhl, Adam and Zeff, Avi},
  title =	{{1 X 1 Rush Hour with Fixed Blocks Is PSPACE-Complete}},
  booktitle =	{10th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2021)},
  pages =	{7:1--7:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-145-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{157},
  editor =	{Farach-Colton, Martin and Prencipe, Giuseppe and Uehara, Ryuhei},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.7},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-127681},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2021.7},
  annote =	{Keywords: puzzles, sliding blocks, PSPACE-hardness}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.33
Finding Closed Quasigeodesics on Convex Polyhedra

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Adam C. Hesterberg, and Jason S. Ku

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 164, 36th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2020)

Abstract
A closed quasigeodesic is a closed loop on the surface of a polyhedron with at most 180° of surface on both sides at all points; such loops can be locally unfolded straight. In 1949, Pogorelov proved that every convex polyhedron has at least three (non-self-intersecting) closed quasigeodesics, but the proof relies on a nonconstructive topological argument. We present the first finite algorithm to find a closed quasigeodesic on a given convex polyhedron, which is the first positive progress on a 1990 open problem by O'Rourke and Wyman. The algorithm’s running time is pseudopolynomial, namely O(n²/ε² L/𝓁 b) time, where ε is the minimum curvature of a vertex, L is the length of the longest edge, 𝓁 is the smallest distance within a face between a vertex and a nonincident edge (minimum feature size of any face), and b is the maximum number of bits of an integer in a constant-size radical expression of a real number representing the polyhedron. We take special care in the model of computation and needed precision, showing that we can achieve the stated running time on a pointer machine supporting constant-time w-bit arithmetic operations where w = Ω(lg b).
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Adam C. Hesterberg, and Jason S. Ku. Finding Closed Quasigeodesics on Convex Polyhedra. In 36th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2020). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 164, pp. 33:1-33:13, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.33,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Hesterberg, Adam C. and Ku, Jason S.},
  title =	{{Finding Closed Quasigeodesics on Convex Polyhedra}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2020)},
  pages =	{33:1--33:13},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-143-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{164},
  editor =	{Cabello, Sergio and Chen, Danny Z.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.33},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-121912},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2020.33},
  annote =	{Keywords: polyhedra, geodesic, pseudopolynomial, geometric precision}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2020.62
Toward a General Complexity Theory of Motion Planning: Characterizing Which Gadgets Make Games Hard

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Dylan H. Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 151, 11th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2020)

Abstract
We begin a general theory for characterizing the computational complexity of motion planning of robot(s) through a graph of "gadgets", where each gadget has its own state defining a set of allowed traversals which in turn modify the gadget’s state. We study two general families of such gadgets within this theory, one which naturally leads to motion planning problems with polynomially bounded solutions, and another which leads to polynomially unbounded (potentially exponential) solutions. We also study a range of competitive game-theoretic scenarios, from one player controlling one robot to teams of players each controlling their own robot and racing to achieve their team’s goal. Under certain restrictions on these gadgets, we fully characterize the complexity of bounded 1-player motion planning (NL vs. NP-complete), unbounded 1-player motion planning (NL vs. PSPACE-complete), and bounded 2-player motion planning (P vs. PSPACE-complete), and we partially characterize the complexity of unbounded 2-player motion planning (P vs. EXPTIME-complete), bounded 2-team motion planning (P vs. NEXPTIME-complete), and unbounded 2-team motion planning (P vs. undecidable). These results can be seen as an alternative to Constraint Logic (which has already proved useful as a basis for hardness reductions), providing a wide variety of agent-based gadgets, any one of which suffices to prove a problem hard.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Dylan H. Hendrickson, and Jayson Lynch. Toward a General Complexity Theory of Motion Planning: Characterizing Which Gadgets Make Games Hard. In 11th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2020). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 151, pp. 62:1-62:42, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2020.62,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Hendrickson, Dylan H. and Lynch, Jayson},
  title =	{{Toward a General Complexity Theory of Motion Planning: Characterizing Which Gadgets Make Games Hard}},
  booktitle =	{11th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2020)},
  pages =	{62:1--62:42},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-134-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{151},
  editor =	{Vidick, Thomas},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2020.62},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-117478},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2020.62},
  annote =	{Keywords: motion planning, computational complexity, NP, PSPACE, EXP, NEXP, undecidability, games}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2019.3
Universal Reconfiguration of Facet-Connected Modular Robots by Pivots: The O(1) Musketeers

Authors: Hugo A. Akitaya, Esther M. Arkin, Mirela Damian, Erik D. Demaine, Vida Dujmović, Robin Flatland, Matias Korman, Belen Palop, Irene Parada, André van Renssen, and Vera Sacristán

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 144, 27th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2019)

Abstract
We present the first universal reconfiguration algorithm for transforming a modular robot between any two facet-connected square-grid configurations using pivot moves. More precisely, we show that five extra "helper" modules ("musketeers") suffice to reconfigure the remaining n modules between any two given configurations. Our algorithm uses O(n^2) pivot moves, which is worst-case optimal. Previous reconfiguration algorithms either require less restrictive "sliding" moves, do not preserve facet-connectivity, or for the setting we consider, could only handle a small subset of configurations defined by a local forbidden pattern. Configurations with the forbidden pattern do have disconnected reconfiguration graphs (discrete configuration spaces), and indeed we show that they can have an exponential number of connected components. But forbidding the local pattern throughout the configuration is far from necessary, as we show that just a constant number of added modules (placed to be freely reconfigurable) suffice for universal reconfigurability. We also classify three different models of natural pivot moves that preserve facet-connectivity, and show separations between these models.
Cite as

Hugo A. Akitaya, Esther M. Arkin, Mirela Damian, Erik D. Demaine, Vida Dujmović, Robin Flatland, Matias Korman, Belen Palop, Irene Parada, André van Renssen, and Vera Sacristán. Universal Reconfiguration of Facet-Connected Modular Robots by Pivots: The O(1) Musketeers. In 27th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2019). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 144, pp. 3:1-3:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2019)

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@InProceedings{akitaya_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2019.3,
  author =	{Akitaya, Hugo A. and Arkin, Esther M. and Damian, Mirela and Demaine, Erik D. and Dujmovi\'{c}, Vida and Flatland, Robin and Korman, Matias and Palop, Belen and Parada, Irene and van Renssen, Andr\'{e} and Sacrist\'{a}n, Vera},
  title =	{{Universal Reconfiguration of Facet-Connected Modular Robots by Pivots: The O(1) Musketeers}},
  booktitle =	{27th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2019)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-124-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2019},
  volume =	{144},
  editor =	{Bender, Michael A. and Svensson, Ola and Herman, Grzegorz},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2019.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-111247},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2019.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: Reconfiguration, geometric algorithm, pivoting squares, modular robots}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2019.37
Structural Rounding: Approximation Algorithms for Graphs Near an Algorithmically Tractable Class

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Timothy D. Goodrich, Kyle Kloster, Brian Lavallee, Quanquan C. Liu, Blair D. Sullivan, Ali Vakilian, and Andrew van der Poel

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 144, 27th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2019)

Abstract
We develop a framework for generalizing approximation algorithms from the structural graph algorithm literature so that they apply to graphs somewhat close to that class (a scenario we expect is common when working with real-world networks) while still guaranteeing approximation ratios. The idea is to edit a given graph via vertex- or edge-deletions to put the graph into an algorithmically tractable class, apply known approximation algorithms for that class, and then lift the solution to apply to the original graph. We give a general characterization of when an optimization problem is amenable to this approach, and show that it includes many well-studied graph problems, such as Independent Set, Vertex Cover, Feedback Vertex Set, Minimum Maximal Matching, Chromatic Number, (l-)Dominating Set, Edge (l-)Dominating Set, and Connected Dominating Set. To enable this framework, we develop new editing algorithms that find the approximately-fewest edits required to bring a given graph into one of a few important graph classes (in some cases these are bicriteria algorithms which simultaneously approximate both the number of editing operations and the target parameter of the family). For bounded degeneracy, we obtain an O(r log{n})-approximation and a bicriteria (4,4)-approximation which also extends to a smoother bicriteria trade-off. For bounded treewidth, we obtain a bicriteria (O(log^{1.5} n), O(sqrt{log w}))-approximation, and for bounded pathwidth, we obtain a bicriteria (O(log^{1.5} n), O(sqrt{log w} * log n))-approximation. For treedepth 2 (related to bounded expansion), we obtain a 4-approximation. We also prove complementary hardness-of-approximation results assuming P != NP: in particular, these problems are all log-factor inapproximable, except the last which is not approximable below some constant factor 2 (assuming UGC).
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Timothy D. Goodrich, Kyle Kloster, Brian Lavallee, Quanquan C. Liu, Blair D. Sullivan, Ali Vakilian, and Andrew van der Poel. Structural Rounding: Approximation Algorithms for Graphs Near an Algorithmically Tractable Class. In 27th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2019). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 144, pp. 37:1-37:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2019)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2019.37,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Goodrich, Timothy D. and Kloster, Kyle and Lavallee, Brian and Liu, Quanquan C. and Sullivan, Blair D. and Vakilian, Ali and van der Poel, Andrew},
  title =	{{Structural Rounding: Approximation Algorithms for Graphs Near an Algorithmically Tractable Class}},
  booktitle =	{27th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2019)},
  pages =	{37:1--37:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-124-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2019},
  volume =	{144},
  editor =	{Bender, Michael A. and Svensson, Ola and Herman, Grzegorz},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2019.37},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-111583},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2019.37},
  annote =	{Keywords: structural rounding, graph editing, approximation algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2018.29
Coordinated Motion Planning: Reconfiguring a Swarm of Labeled Robots with Bounded Stretch

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Sándor P. Fekete, Phillip Keldenich, Christian Scheffer, and Henk Meijer

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 99, 34th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2018)

Abstract
We present a number of breakthroughs for coordinated motion planning, in which the objective is to reconfigure a swarm of labeled convex objects by a combination of parallel, continuous, collision-free translations into a given target arrangement. Problems of this type can be traced back to the classic work of Schwartz and Sharir (1983), who gave a method for deciding the existence of a coordinated motion for a set of disks between obstacles; their approach is polynomial in the complexity of the obstacles, but exponential in the number of disks. Despite a broad range of other non-trivial results for multi-object motion planning, previous work has largely focused on sequential schedules, in which one robot moves at a time, with objectives such as the number of moves; attempts to minimize the overall makespan of a coordinated parallel motion schedule (with many robots moving simultaneously) have defied all attempts at establishing the complexity in the absence of obstacles, as well as the existence of efficient approximation methods. We resolve these open problems by developing a framework that provides constant-factor approximation algorithms for minimizing the execution time of a coordinated, parallel motion plan for a swarm of robots in the absence of obstacles, provided their arrangement entails some amount of separability. In fact, our algorithm achieves constant stretch factor: If all robots want to move at most d units from their respective starting positions, then the total duration of the overall schedule (and hence the distance traveled by each robot) is O(d). Various extensions include unlabeled robots and different classes of robots. We also resolve the complexity of finding a reconfiguration plan with minimal execution time by proving that this is NP-hard, even for a grid arrangement without any stationary obstacles. On the other hand, we show that for densely packed disks that cannot be well separated, a stretch factor Omega(N^{1/4}) may be required. On the positive side, we establish a stretch factor of O(N^{1/2}) even in this case. The intricate difficulties of computing precise optimal solutions are demonstrated by the seemingly simple case of just two disks, which is shown to be excruciatingly difficult to solve to optimality.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Sándor P. Fekete, Phillip Keldenich, Christian Scheffer, and Henk Meijer. Coordinated Motion Planning: Reconfiguring a Swarm of Labeled Robots with Bounded Stretch. In 34th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 99, pp. 29:1-29:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2018.29,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Fekete, S\'{a}ndor P. and Keldenich, Phillip and Scheffer, Christian and Meijer, Henk},
  title =	{{Coordinated Motion Planning: Reconfiguring a Swarm of Labeled Robots with Bounded Stretch}},
  booktitle =	{34th International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2018)},
  pages =	{29:1--29:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-066-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{99},
  editor =	{Speckmann, Bettina and T\'{o}th, Csaba D.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2018.29},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-87423},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2018.29},
  annote =	{Keywords: Robot swarms, coordinated motion planning, parallel motion, makespan, bounded stretch, complexity, approximation}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.3
Who witnesses The Witness? Finding witnesses in The Witness is hard and sometimes impossible

Authors: Zachary Abel, Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, Linus Hamilton, Adam Hesterberg, Justin Kopinsky, Jayson Lynch, and Mikhail Rudoy

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 100, 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)

Abstract
We analyze the computational complexity of the many types of pencil-and-paper-style puzzles featured in the 2016 puzzle video game The Witness. In all puzzles, the goal is to draw a path in a rectangular grid graph from a start vertex to a destination vertex. The different puzzle types place different constraints on the path: preventing some edges from being visited (broken edges); forcing some edges or vertices to be visited (hexagons); forcing some cells to have certain numbers of incident path edges (triangles); or forcing the regions formed by the path to be partially monochromatic (squares), have exactly two special cells (stars), or be singly covered by given shapes (polyominoes) and/or negatively counting shapes (antipolyominoes). We show that any one of these clue types (except the first) is enough to make path finding NP-complete ("witnesses exist but are hard to find"), even for rectangular boards. Furthermore, we show that a final clue type (antibody), which necessarily "cancels" the effect of another clue in the same region, makes path finding Sigma_2-complete ("witnesses do not exist"), even with a single antibody (combined with many anti/polyominoes), and the problem gets no harder with many antibodies.
Cite as

Zachary Abel, Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, Linus Hamilton, Adam Hesterberg, Justin Kopinsky, Jayson Lynch, and Mikhail Rudoy. Who witnesses The Witness? Finding witnesses in The Witness is hard and sometimes impossible. In 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 100, pp. 3:1-3:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{abel_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2018.3,
  author =	{Abel, Zachary and Bosboom, Jeffrey and Demaine, Erik D. and Hamilton, Linus and Hesterberg, Adam and Kopinsky, Justin and Lynch, Jayson and Rudoy, Mikhail},
  title =	{{Who witnesses The Witness? Finding witnesses in The Witness is hard and sometimes impossible}},
  booktitle =	{9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-067-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{100},
  editor =	{Ito, Hiro and Leonardi, Stefano and Pagli, Linda and Prencipe, Giuseppe},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-87944},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: video games, puzzles, hardness}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.11
Computational Complexity of Generalized Push Fight

Authors: Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, and Mikhail Rudoy

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 100, 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)

Abstract
We analyze the computational complexity of optimally playing the two-player board game Push Fight, generalized to an arbitrary board and number of pieces. We prove that the game is PSPACE-hard to decide who will win from a given position, even for simple (almost rectangular) hole-free boards. We also analyze the mate-in-1 problem: can the player win in a single turn? One turn in Push Fight consists of up to two "moves" followed by a mandatory "push". With these rules, or generalizing the number of allowed moves to any constant, we show mate-in-1 can be solved in polynomial time. If, however, the number of moves per turn is part of the input, the problem becomes NP-complete. On the other hand, without any limit on the number of moves per turn, the problem becomes polynomially solvable again.
Cite as

Jeffrey Bosboom, Erik D. Demaine, and Mikhail Rudoy. Computational Complexity of Generalized Push Fight. In 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 100, pp. 11:1-11:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{bosboom_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2018.11,
  author =	{Bosboom, Jeffrey and Demaine, Erik D. and Rudoy, Mikhail},
  title =	{{Computational Complexity of Generalized Push Fight}},
  booktitle =	{9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)},
  pages =	{11:1--11:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-067-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{100},
  editor =	{Ito, Hiro and Leonardi, Stefano and Pagli, Linda and Prencipe, Giuseppe},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.11},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-88029},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.11},
  annote =	{Keywords: board games, hardness, mate-in-one}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.18
Computational Complexity of Motion Planning of a Robot through Simple Gadgets

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Isaac Grosof, Jayson Lynch, and Mikhail Rudoy

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 100, 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)

Abstract
We initiate a general theory for analyzing the complexity of motion planning of a single robot through a graph of "gadgets", each with their own state, set of locations, and allowed traversals between locations that can depend on and change the state. This type of setup is common to many robot motion planning hardness proofs. We characterize the complexity for a natural simple case: each gadget connects up to four locations in a perfect matching (but each direction can be traversable or not in the current state), has one or two states, every gadget traversal is immediately undoable, and that gadget locations are connected by an always-traversable forest, possibly restricted to avoid crossings in the plane. Specifically, we show that any single nontrivial four-location two-state gadget type is enough for motion planning to become PSPACE-complete, while any set of simpler gadgets (effectively two-location or one-state) has a polynomial-time motion planning algorithm. As a sample application, our results show that motion planning games with "spinners" are PSPACE-complete, establishing a new hard aspect of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Isaac Grosof, Jayson Lynch, and Mikhail Rudoy. Computational Complexity of Motion Planning of a Robot through Simple Gadgets. In 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 100, pp. 18:1-18:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2018.18,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Grosof, Isaac and Lynch, Jayson and Rudoy, Mikhail},
  title =	{{Computational Complexity of Motion Planning of a Robot through Simple Gadgets}},
  booktitle =	{9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)},
  pages =	{18:1--18:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-067-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{100},
  editor =	{Ito, Hiro and Leonardi, Stefano and Pagli, Linda and Prencipe, Giuseppe},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.18},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-88098},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.18},
  annote =	{Keywords: PSPACE, hardness, motion planning, puzzles}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.19
The Computational Complexity of Portal and Other 3D Video Games

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Joshua Lockhart, and Jayson Lynch

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 100, 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)

Abstract
We classify the computational complexity of the popular video games Portal and Portal 2. We isolate individual mechanics of the game and prove NP-hardness, PSPACE-completeness, or pseudo-polynomiality depending on the specific game mechanics allowed. One of our proofs generalizes to prove NP-hardness of many other video games such as Half-Life 2, Halo, Doom, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Grand Theft Auto, Left 4 Dead, Mass Effect, Deus Ex, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil. These results build on the established literature on the complexity of video games [Aloupis et al., 2014][Cormode, 2004][Forisek, 2010][Viglietta, 2014].
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Joshua Lockhart, and Jayson Lynch. The Computational Complexity of Portal and Other 3D Video Games. In 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 100, pp. 19:1-19:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2018.19,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Lockhart, Joshua and Lynch, Jayson},
  title =	{{The Computational Complexity of Portal and Other 3D Video Games}},
  booktitle =	{9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-067-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{100},
  editor =	{Ito, Hiro and Leonardi, Stefano and Pagli, Linda and Prencipe, Giuseppe},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-88104},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: video games, hardness, motion planning, NP, PSPACE}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.32
Tree-Residue Vertex-Breaking: a new tool for proving hardness

Authors: Erik D. Demaine and Mikhail Rudoy

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 101, 16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018)

Abstract
In this paper, we introduce a new problem called Tree-Residue Vertex-Breaking (TRVB): given a multigraph G some of whose vertices are marked "breakable," is it possible to convert G into a tree via a sequence of "vertex-breaking" operations (replacing a degree-k breakable vertex by k degree-1 vertices, disconnecting the k incident edges)? We characterize the computational complexity of TRVB with any combination of the following additional constraints: G must be planar, G must be a simple graph, the degree of every breakable vertex must belong to an allowed list B, and the degree of every unbreakable vertex must belong to an allowed list U. The two results which we expect to be most generally applicable are that (1) TRVB is polynomially solvable when breakable vertices are restricted to have degree at most 3; and (2) for any k >= 4, TRVB is NP-complete when the given multigraph is restricted to be planar and to consist entirely of degree-k breakable vertices. To demonstrate the use of TRVB, we give a simple proof of the known result that Hamiltonicity in max-degree-3 square grid graphs is NP-hard. We also demonstrate a connection between TRVB and the Hypergraph Spanning Tree problem. This connection allows us to show that the Hypergraph Spanning Tree problem in k-uniform 2-regular hypergraphs is NP-complete for any k >= 4, even when the incidence graph of the hypergraph is planar.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine and Mikhail Rudoy. Tree-Residue Vertex-Breaking: a new tool for proving hardness. In 16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 101, pp. 32:1-32:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.32,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Rudoy, Mikhail},
  title =	{{Tree-Residue Vertex-Breaking: a new tool for proving hardness}},
  booktitle =	{16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018)},
  pages =	{32:1--32:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-068-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{101},
  editor =	{Eppstein, David},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.32},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-88586},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.32},
  annote =	{Keywords: NP-hardness, graphs, Hamiltonicity, hypergraph spanning tree}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.33
Nearly Optimal Separation Between Partially and Fully Retroactive Data Structures

Authors: Lijie Chen, Erik D. Demaine, Yuzhou Gu, Virginia Vassilevska Williams, Yinzhan Xu, and Yuancheng Yu

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 101, 16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018)

Abstract
Since the introduction of retroactive data structures at SODA 2004, a major unsolved problem has been to bound the gap between the best partially retroactive data structure (where changes can be made to the past, but only the present can be queried) and the best fully retroactive data structure (where the past can also be queried) for any problem. It was proved in 2004 that any partially retroactive data structure with operation time T_{op}(n,m) can be transformed into a fully retroactive data structure with operation time O(sqrt{m} * T_{op}(n,m)), where n is the size of the data structure and m is the number of operations in the timeline [Demaine et al., 2004]. But it has been open for 14 years whether such a gap is necessary. In this paper, we prove nearly matching upper and lower bounds on this gap for all n and m. We improve the upper bound for n << sqrt m by showing a new transformation with multiplicative overhead n log m. We then prove a lower bound of min {n log m, sqrt m}^{1-o(1)} assuming any of the following conjectures: - Conjecture I: Circuit SAT requires 2^{n - o(n)} time on n-input circuits of size 2^{o(n)}. This conjecture is far weaker than the well-believed SETH conjecture from complexity theory, which asserts that CNF SAT with n variables and O(n) clauses already requires 2^{n-o(n)} time. - Conjecture II: Online (min,+) product between an integer n x n matrix and n vectors requires n^{3 - o(1)} time. This conjecture is weaker than the APSP conjectures widely used in fine-grained complexity. - Conjecture III (3-SUM Conjecture): Given three sets A,B,C of integers, each of size n, deciding whether there exist a in A, b in B, c in C such that a + b + c = 0 requires n^{2 - o(1)} time. This 1995 conjecture [Anka Gajentaan and Mark H. Overmars, 1995] was the first conjecture in fine-grained complexity. Our lower bound construction illustrates an interesting power of fully retroactive queries: they can be used to quickly solve batched pair evaluation. We believe this technique can prove useful for other data structure lower bounds, especially dynamic ones.
Cite as

Lijie Chen, Erik D. Demaine, Yuzhou Gu, Virginia Vassilevska Williams, Yinzhan Xu, and Yuancheng Yu. Nearly Optimal Separation Between Partially and Fully Retroactive Data Structures. In 16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 101, pp. 33:1-33:12, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{chen_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.33,
  author =	{Chen, Lijie and Demaine, Erik D. and Gu, Yuzhou and Williams, Virginia Vassilevska and Xu, Yinzhan and Yu, Yuancheng},
  title =	{{Nearly Optimal Separation Between Partially and Fully Retroactive Data Structures}},
  booktitle =	{16th Scandinavian Symposium and Workshops on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2018)},
  pages =	{33:1--33:12},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-068-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{101},
  editor =	{Eppstein, David},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.33},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-88593},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2018.33},
  annote =	{Keywords: retroactive data structure, conditional lower bound}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2018.24
Solving the Rubik's Cube Optimally is NP-complete

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, and Mikhail Rudoy

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 96, 35th Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2018)

Abstract
In this paper, we prove that optimally solving an n x n x n Rubik's Cube is NP-complete by reducing from the Hamiltonian Cycle problem in square grid graphs. This improves the previous result that optimally solving an n x n x n Rubik's Cube with missing stickers is NP-complete. We prove this result first for the simpler case of the Rubik's Square--an n x n x 1 generalization of the Rubik's Cube--and then proceed with a similar but more complicated proof for the Rubik's Cube case. Our results hold both when the goal is make the sides monochromatic and when the goal is to put each sticker into a specific location.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, and Mikhail Rudoy. Solving the Rubik's Cube Optimally is NP-complete. In 35th Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 96, pp. 24:1-24:13, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2018.24,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Eisenstat, Sarah and Rudoy, Mikhail},
  title =	{{Solving the Rubik's Cube Optimally is NP-complete}},
  booktitle =	{35th Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2018)},
  pages =	{24:1--24:13},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-062-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{96},
  editor =	{Niedermeier, Rolf and Vall\'{e}e, Brigitte},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2018.24},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-85336},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2018.24},
  annote =	{Keywords: combinatorial puzzles, NP-hardness, group theory, Hamiltonicity}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2018.34
Fine-grained I/O Complexity via Reductions: New Lower Bounds, Faster Algorithms, and a Time Hierarchy

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Andrea Lincoln, Quanquan C. Liu, Jayson Lynch, and Virginia Vassilevska Williams

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 94, 9th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2018)

Abstract
This paper initiates the study of I/O algorithms (minimizing cache misses) from the perspective of fine-grained complexity (conditional polynomial lower bounds). Specifically, we aim to answer why sparse graph problems are so hard, and why the Longest Common Subsequence problem gets a savings of a factor of the size of cache times the length of a cache line, but no more. We take the reductions and techniques from complexity and fine-grained complexity and apply them to the I/O model to generate new (conditional) lower bounds as well as new faster algorithms. We also prove the existence of a time hierarchy for the I/O model, which motivates the fine-grained reductions. - Using fine-grained reductions, we give an algorithm for distinguishing 2 vs. 3 diameter and radius that runs in O(|E|^2/(MB)) cache misses, which for sparse graphs improves over the previous O(|V|^2/B) running time. - We give new reductions from radius and diameter to Wiener index and median. These reductions are new in both the RAM and I/O models. - We show meaningful reductions between problems that have linear-time solutions in the RAM model. The reductions use low I/O complexity (typically O(n/B)), and thus help to finely capture between "I/O linear time" O(n/B) and RAM linear time O(n). - We generate new I/O assumptions based on the difficulty of improving sparse graph problem running times in the I/O model. We create conjectures that the current best known algorithms for Single Source Shortest Paths (SSSP), diameter, and radius are optimal. - From these I/O-model assumptions, we show that many of the known reductions in the word-RAM model can naturally extend to hold in the I/O model as well (e.g., a lower bound on the I/O complexity of Longest Common Subsequence that matches the best known running time). - We prove an analog of the Time Hierarchy Theorem in the I/O model, further motivating the study of fine-grained algorithmic differences.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Andrea Lincoln, Quanquan C. Liu, Jayson Lynch, and Virginia Vassilevska Williams. Fine-grained I/O Complexity via Reductions: New Lower Bounds, Faster Algorithms, and a Time Hierarchy. In 9th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 94, pp. 34:1-34:23, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2018.34,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Lincoln, Andrea and Liu, Quanquan C. and Lynch, Jayson and Vassilevska Williams, Virginia},
  title =	{{Fine-grained I/O Complexity via Reductions: New Lower Bounds, Faster Algorithms, and a Time Hierarchy}},
  booktitle =	{9th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2018)},
  pages =	{34:1--34:23},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-060-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{94},
  editor =	{Karlin, Anna R.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2018.34},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-83335},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2018.34},
  annote =	{Keywords: IO model, Fine-grained Complexity, Algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2017.34
Origamizer: A Practical Algorithm for Folding Any Polyhedron

Authors: Erik D. Demaine and Tomohiro Tachi

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 77, 33rd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2017)

Abstract
It was established at SoCG'99 that every polyhedral complex can be folded from a sufficiently large square of paper, but the known algorithms are extremely impractical, wasting most of the material and making folds through many layers of paper. At a deeper level, these foldings get the topology wrong, introducing many gaps (boundaries) in the surface, which results in flimsy foldings in practice. We develop a new algorithm designed specifically for the practical folding of real paper into complicated polyhedral models. We prove that the algorithm correctly folds any oriented polyhedral manifold, plus an arbitrarily small amount of additional structure on one side of the surface (so for closed manifolds, inside the model). This algorithm is the first to attain the watertight property: for a specified cutting of the manifold into a topological disk with boundary, the folding maps the boundary of the paper to within epsilon of the specified boundary of the surface (in Fréchet distance). Our foldings also have the geometric feature that every convex face is folded seamlessly, i.e., as one unfolded convex polygon of the piece of paper. This work provides the theoretical underpinnings for Origamizer, freely available software written by the second author, which has enabled practical folding of many complex polyhedral models such as the Stanford bunny.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine and Tomohiro Tachi. Origamizer: A Practical Algorithm for Folding Any Polyhedron. In 33rd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2017). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 77, pp. 34:1-34:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2017)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2017.34,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Tachi, Tomohiro},
  title =	{{Origamizer: A Practical Algorithm for Folding Any Polyhedron}},
  booktitle =	{33rd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2017)},
  pages =	{34:1--34:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-038-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2017},
  volume =	{77},
  editor =	{Aronov, Boris and Katz, Matthew J.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2017.34},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-72315},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2017.34},
  annote =	{Keywords: origami, folding, polyhedra, Voronoi diagram, computational geometry}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2016.24
The Complexity of Hex and the Jordan Curve Theorem

Authors: Aviv Adler, Constantinos Daskalakis, and Erik D. Demaine

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 55, 43rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2016)

Abstract
The Jordan curve theorem and Brouwer's fixed-point theorem are fundamental problems in topology. We study their computational relationship, showing that a stylized computational version of Jordan’s theorem is PPAD-complete, and therefore in a sense computationally equivalent to Brouwer’s theorem. As a corollary, our computational result implies that these two theorems directly imply each other mathematically, complementing Maehara's proof that Brouwer implies Jordan [Maehara, 1984]. We then turn to the combinatorial game of Hex which is related to Jordan's theorem, and where the existence of a winner can be used to show Brouwer's theorem [Gale,1979]. We establish that determining who won an (implicitly encoded) play of Hex is PSPACE-complete by adapting a reduction (due to Goldberg [Goldberg,2015]) from Quantified Boolean Formula (QBF). As this problem is analogous to evaluating the output of a canonical path-following algorithm for finding a Brouwer fixed point - and which is known to be PSPACE-complete [Goldberg/Papadimitriou/Savani, 2013] - we thereby establish a connection between Brouwer, Jordan and Hex higher in the complexity hierarchy.
Cite as

Aviv Adler, Constantinos Daskalakis, and Erik D. Demaine. The Complexity of Hex and the Jordan Curve Theorem. In 43rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2016). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 55, pp. 24:1-24:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2016)

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@InProceedings{adler_et_al:LIPIcs.ICALP.2016.24,
  author =	{Adler, Aviv and Daskalakis, Constantinos and Demaine, Erik D.},
  title =	{{The Complexity of Hex and the Jordan Curve Theorem}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2016)},
  pages =	{24:1--24:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-013-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2016},
  volume =	{55},
  editor =	{Chatzigiannakis, Ioannis and Mitzenmacher, Michael and Rabani, Yuval and Sangiorgi, Davide},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2016.24},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-63032},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2016.24},
  annote =	{Keywords: Jordan, Brouwer, Hex, PPAD, PSPACE}
}
Document
Complete Volume
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016
LIPIcs, Volume 49, FUN'16, Complete Volume

Authors: Erik D. Demaine and Fabrizio Grandoni

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 49, 8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)

Abstract
LIPIcs, Volume 49, FUN'16, Complete Volume
Cite as

8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 49, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2016)

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@Proceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2016,
  title =	{{LIPIcs, Volume 49, FUN'16, Complete Volume}},
  booktitle =	{8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-005-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2016},
  volume =	{49},
  editor =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Grandoni, Fabrizio},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-60579},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016},
  annote =	{Keywords: Nonnumerical Algorithms and Problems, Discrete Mathematics, Complexity Measures and Classes}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2016.3
Who Needs Crossings? Hardness of Plane Graph Rigidity

Authors: Zachary Abel, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Jayson Lynch, and Tao B. Schardl

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 51, 32nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2016)

Abstract
We exactly settle the complexity of graph realization, graph rigidity, and graph global rigidity as applied to three types of graphs: "globally noncrossing" graphs, which avoid crossings in all of their configurations; matchstick graphs, with unit-length edges and where only noncrossing configurations are considered; and unrestricted graphs (crossings allowed) with unit edge lengths (or in the global rigidity case, edge lengths in {1,2}). We show that all nine of these questions are complete for the class Exists-R, defined by the Existential Theory of the Reals, or its complement Forall-R; in particular, each problem is (co)NP-hard. One of these nine results - that realization of unit-distance graphs is Exists-R-complete - was shown previously by Schaefer (2013), but the other eight are new. We strengthen several prior results. Matchstick graph realization was known to be NP-hard (Eades & Wormald 1990, or Cabello et al. 2007), but its membership in NP remained open; we show it is complete for the (possibly) larger class Exists-R. Global rigidity of graphs with edge lengths in {1,2} was known to be coNP-hard (Saxe 1979); we show it is Forall-R-complete. The majority of the paper is devoted to proving an analog of Kempe's Universality Theorem - informally, "there is a linkage to sign your name" - for globally noncrossing linkages. In particular, we show that any polynomial curve phi(x,y)=0 can be traced by a noncrossing linkage, settling an open problem from 2004. More generally, we show that the nontrivial regions in the plane that may be traced by a noncrossing linkage are precisely the compact semialgebraic regions. Thus, no drawing power is lost by restricting to noncrossing linkages. We prove analogous results for matchstick linkages and unit-distance linkages as well.
Cite as

Zachary Abel, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Jayson Lynch, and Tao B. Schardl. Who Needs Crossings? Hardness of Plane Graph Rigidity. In 32nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2016). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 51, pp. 3:1-3:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2016)

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@InProceedings{abel_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2016.3,
  author =	{Abel, Zachary and Demaine, Erik D. and Demaine, Martin L. and Eisenstat, Sarah and Lynch, Jayson and Schardl, Tao B.},
  title =	{{Who Needs Crossings? Hardness of Plane Graph Rigidity}},
  booktitle =	{32nd International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2016)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-009-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2016},
  volume =	{51},
  editor =	{Fekete, S\'{a}ndor and Lubiw, Anna},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2016.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-58951},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2016.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: Graph Drawing, Graph Rigidity Theory, Graph Global Rigidity, Linkages, Complexity Theory, Computational Geometry}
}
Document
Front Matter
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.0
Front Matter, Table of Contents, Preface, Conference Organization

Authors: Erik D. Demaine and Fabrizio Grandoni

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 49, 8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)

Abstract
Front Matter, Table of Contents, Preface, Conference Organization
Cite as

8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 49, pp. 0:i-0:xvi, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2016)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2016.0,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Grandoni, Fabrizio},
  title =	{{Front Matter, Table of Contents, Preface, Conference Organization}},
  booktitle =	{8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)},
  pages =	{0:i--0:xvi},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-005-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2016},
  volume =	{49},
  editor =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Grandoni, Fabrizio},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.0},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-58624},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.0},
  annote =	{Keywords: Front Matter, Table of Contents, Preface, Conference Organization}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.12
The Fewest Clues Problem

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Fermi Ma, Ariel Schvartzman, Erik Waingarten, and Scott Aaronson

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 49, 8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)

Abstract
When analyzing the computational complexity of well-known puzzles, most papers consider the algorithmic challenge of solving a given instance of (a generalized form of) the puzzle. We take a different approach by analyzing the computational complexity of designing a "good" puzzle. We assume a puzzle maker designs part of an instance, but before publishing it, wants to ensure that the puzzle has a unique solution. Given a puzzle, we introduce the FCP (fewest clues problem) version of the problem: Given an instance to a puzzle, what is the minimum number of clues we must add in order to make the instance uniquely solvable? We analyze this question for the Nikoli puzzles Sudoku, Shakashaka, and Akari. Solving these puzzles is NP-complete, and we show their FCP versions are Sigma_2^P-complete. Along the way, we show that the FCP versions of 3SAT, 1-in-3SAT, Triangle Partition, Planar 3SAT, and Latin Square are all Sigma_2^P-complete. We show that even problems in P have difficult FCP versions, sometimes even Sigma_2^P-complete, though "closed under cluing" problems are in the (presumably) smaller class NP; for example, FCP 2SAT is NP-complete.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Fermi Ma, Ariel Schvartzman, Erik Waingarten, and Scott Aaronson. The Fewest Clues Problem. In 8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 49, pp. 12:1-12:12, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2016)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2016.12,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Ma, Fermi and Schvartzman, Ariel and Waingarten, Erik and Aaronson, Scott},
  title =	{{The Fewest Clues Problem}},
  booktitle =	{8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)},
  pages =	{12:1--12:12},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-005-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2016},
  volume =	{49},
  editor =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Grandoni, Fabrizio},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.12},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-58654},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.12},
  annote =	{Keywords: computational complexity, pencil-and-paper puzzles, hardness reductions}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.13
Super Mario Bros. is Harder/Easier Than We Thought

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Giovanni Viglietta, and Aaron Williams

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 49, 8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)

Abstract
Mario is back! In this sequel, we prove that solving a generalized level of Super Mario Bros. is PSPACE-complete, strengthening the previous NP-hardness result (FUN 2014). Both our PSPACE-hardness and the previous NP-hardness use levels of arbitrary dimensions and require either arbitrarily large screens or a game engine that remembers the state of off-screen sprites. We also analyze the complexity of the less general case where the screen size is constant, the number of on-screen sprites is constant, and the game engine forgets the state of everything substantially off-screen, as in most, if not all, Super Mario Bros. video games. In this case we prove that the game is solvable in polynomial time, assuming levels are explicitly encoded; on the other hand, if levels can be represented using run-length encoding, then the problem is weakly NP-hard (even if levels have only constant height, as in the video games). All of our hardness proofs are also resilient to known glitches in Super Mario Bros., unlike the previous NP-hardness proof.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Giovanni Viglietta, and Aaron Williams. Super Mario Bros. is Harder/Easier Than We Thought. In 8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 49, pp. 13:1-13:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2016)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2016.13,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Viglietta, Giovanni and Williams, Aaron},
  title =	{{Super Mario Bros. is Harder/Easier Than We Thought}},
  booktitle =	{8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)},
  pages =	{13:1--13:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-005-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2016},
  volume =	{49},
  editor =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Grandoni, Fabrizio},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.13},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-58802},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.13},
  annote =	{Keywords: video games, computational complexity, PSPACE}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SOCG.2015.16
Tilt: The Video - Designing Worlds to Control Robot Swarms with Only Global Signals

Authors: Aaron T. Becker, Erik D. Demaine, Sándor P. Fekete, Hamed Mohtasham Shad, and Rose Morris-Wright

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 34, 31st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2015)

Abstract
We present fundamental progress on the computational universality of swarms of micro- or nano-scale robots in complex environments, controlled not by individual navigation, but by a uniform global, external force. More specifically, we consider a 2D grid world, in which all obstacles and robots are unit squares, and for each actuation, robots move maximally until they collide with an obstacle or another robot. The objective is to control robot motion within obstacles, design obstacles in order to achieve desired permutation of robots, and establish controlled interaction that is complex enough to allow arbitrary computations. In this video, we illustrate progress on all these challenges: we demonstrate NP-hardness of parallel navigation, we describe how to construct obstacles that allow arbitrary permutations, and we establish the necessary logic gates for performing arbitrary in-system computations.
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Aaron T. Becker, Erik D. Demaine, Sándor P. Fekete, Hamed Mohtasham Shad, and Rose Morris-Wright. Tilt: The Video - Designing Worlds to Control Robot Swarms with Only Global Signals. In 31st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2015). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 34, pp. 16-18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2015)

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@InProceedings{becker_et_al:LIPIcs.SOCG.2015.16,
  author =	{Becker, Aaron T. and Demaine, Erik D. and Fekete, S\'{a}ndor P. and Shad, Hamed Mohtasham and Morris-Wright, Rose},
  title =	{{Tilt: The Video - Designing Worlds to Control Robot Swarms with Only Global Signals}},
  booktitle =	{31st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2015)},
  pages =	{16--18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-939897-83-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2015},
  volume =	{34},
  editor =	{Arge, Lars and Pach, J\'{a}nos},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SOCG.2015.16},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-50870},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SOCG.2015.16},
  annote =	{Keywords: Particle swarms, global control, complexity, geometric computation}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagRep.3.3.51
Bidimensional Structures: Algorithms, Combinatorics and Logic (Dagstuhl Seminar 13121)

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Fedor V. Fomin, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, and Dimitrios M. Thilikos

Published in: Dagstuhl Reports, Volume 3, Issue 3 (2013)

Abstract
We provide a report on the Dagstuhl Seminar 13121: "Bidimensional Structures: Algorithms, Combinatorics and Logic" held at Schloss Dagstuhl in Wadern, Germany between Monday 18 and Friday 22 of March 2013. The report contains the motivation of the seminar, the abstracts of the talks given during the seminar, and the list of open problems.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Fedor V. Fomin, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, and Dimitrios M. Thilikos. Bidimensional Structures: Algorithms, Combinatorics and Logic (Dagstuhl Seminar 13121). In Dagstuhl Reports, Volume 3, Issue 3, pp. 51-74, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2013)

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@Article{demaine_et_al:DagRep.3.3.51,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Fomin, Fedor V. and Hajiaghayi, MohammadTaghi and Thilikos, Dimitrios M.},
  title =	{{Bidimensional Structures: Algorithms, Combinatorics and Logic (Dagstuhl Seminar 13121)}},
  pages =	{51--74},
  journal =	{Dagstuhl Reports},
  ISSN =	{2192-5283},
  year =	{2013},
  volume =	{3},
  number =	{3},
  editor =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Fomin, Fedor V. and Hajiaghayi, MohammadTaghi and Thilikos, Dimitrios M.},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagRep.3.3.51},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-40131},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagRep.3.3.51},
  annote =	{Keywords: Graph Minors, Treewidth, Graph algorithms, Parameterized Algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.172
Two Hands Are Better Than One (up to constant factors): Self-Assembly In The 2HAM vs. aTAM

Authors: Sarah Cannon, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Matthew J. Patitz, Robert T. Schweller, Scott M Summers, and Andrew Winslow

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 20, 30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013)

Abstract
We study the difference between the standard seeded model (aTAM) of tile self-assembly, and the "seedless" two-handed model of tile self-assembly (2HAM). Most of our results suggest that the two-handed model is more powerful. In particular, we show how to simulate any seeded system with a two-handed system that is essentially just a constant factor larger. We exhibit finite shapes with a busy-beaver separation in the number of distinct tiles required by seeded versus two-handed, and exhibit an infinite shape that can be constructed two-handed but not seeded. Finally, we show that verifying whether a given system uniquely assembles a desired supertile is co-NP-complete in the two-handed model, while it was known to be polynomially solvable in the seeded model.
Cite as

Sarah Cannon, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Matthew J. Patitz, Robert T. Schweller, Scott M Summers, and Andrew Winslow. Two Hands Are Better Than One (up to constant factors): Self-Assembly In The 2HAM vs. aTAM. In 30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 20, pp. 172-184, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2013)

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@InProceedings{cannon_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2013.172,
  author =	{Cannon, Sarah and Demaine, Erik D. and Demaine, Martin L. and Eisenstat, Sarah and Patitz, Matthew J. and Schweller, Robert T. and Summers, Scott M and Winslow, Andrew},
  title =	{{Two Hands Are Better Than One (up to constant factors): Self-Assembly In The 2HAM vs. aTAM}},
  booktitle =	{30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013)},
  pages =	{172--184},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-939897-50-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2013},
  volume =	{20},
  editor =	{Portier, Natacha and Wilke, Thomas},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.172},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-39321},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.172},
  annote =	{Keywords: abstract tile assembly model, hierarchical tile assembly model, two-handed tile assembly model, algorithmic self-assembly, DNA computing, biocomputing}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.269
Algorithms for Designing Pop-Up Cards

Authors: Zachary Abel, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Anna Lubiw, André Schulz, Diane L. Souvaine, Giovanni Viglietta, and Andrew Winslow

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 20, 30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013)

Abstract
We prove that every simple polygon can be made as a (2D) pop-up card/book that opens to any desired angle between 0 and 360°. More precisely, given a simple polygon attached to the two walls of the open pop-up, our polynomial-time algorithm subdivides the polygon into a single-degree-of-freedom linkage structure, such that closing the pop-up flattens the linkage without collision. This result solves an open problem of Hara and Sugihara from 2009. We also show how to obtain a more efficient construction for the special case of orthogonal polygons, and how to make 3D orthogonal polyhedra, from pop-ups that open to 90°, 180°, 270°, or 360°.
Cite as

Zachary Abel, Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Sarah Eisenstat, Anna Lubiw, André Schulz, Diane L. Souvaine, Giovanni Viglietta, and Andrew Winslow. Algorithms for Designing Pop-Up Cards. In 30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 20, pp. 269-280, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2013)

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@InProceedings{abel_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2013.269,
  author =	{Abel, Zachary and Demaine, Erik D. and Demaine, Martin L. and Eisenstat, Sarah and Lubiw, Anna and Schulz, Andr\'{e} and Souvaine, Diane L. and Viglietta, Giovanni and Winslow, Andrew},
  title =	{{Algorithms for Designing Pop-Up Cards}},
  booktitle =	{30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2013)},
  pages =	{269--280},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-939897-50-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2013},
  volume =	{20},
  editor =	{Portier, Natacha and Wilke, Thomas},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.269},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-39407},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2013.269},
  annote =	{Keywords: geometric folding, linkages, universality}
}
Document
Extended Abstract
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2011.201
Self-Assembly of Arbitrary Shapes Using RNAse Enzymes: Meeting the Kolmogorov Bound with Small Scale Factor (Extended Abstract)

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Matthew J. Patitz, Robert T. Schweller, and Scott M. Summers

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 9, 28th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2011)

Abstract
We consider a model of algorithmic self-assembly of geometric shapes out of square Wang tiles studied in SODA 2010, in which there are two types of tiles (e.g., constructed out of DNA and RNA material) and one operation that destroys all tiles of a particular type (e.g., an RNAse enzyme destroys all RNA tiles). We show that a single use of this destruction operation enables much more efficient construction of arbitrary shapes. In particular, an arbitrary shape can be constructed using an asymptotically optimal number of distinct tile type (related to the shape's Kolmogorov complexity), after scaling the shape by only a logarithmic factor. By contrast, without the destruction operation, the best such result has a scale factor at least linear in the size of the shape and is connected only by a spanning tree of the scaled tiles. We also characterize a large collection of shapes that can be constructed efficiently without any scaling.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Matthew J. Patitz, Robert T. Schweller, and Scott M. Summers. Self-Assembly of Arbitrary Shapes Using RNAse Enzymes: Meeting the Kolmogorov Bound with Small Scale Factor (Extended Abstract). In 28th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2011). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 9, pp. 201-212, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2011)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2011.201,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Patitz, Matthew J. and Schweller, Robert T. and Summers, Scott M.},
  title =	{{Self-Assembly of Arbitrary Shapes Using RNAse Enzymes: Meeting the Kolmogorov Bound with Small Scale Factor}},
  booktitle =	{28th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2011)},
  pages =	{201--212},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-939897-25-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2011},
  volume =	{9},
  editor =	{Schwentick, Thomas and D\"{u}rr, Christoph},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2011.201},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-30118},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2011.201},
  annote =	{Keywords: Biomolecular computation, RNAse enzyme self-assembly, algorithmic self-assembly, Komogorov complexity}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemProc.10091.1
10091 Abstracts Collection – Data Structures

Authors: Lars Arge, Erik D. Demaine, and Raimund Seidel

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 10091, Data Structures (2010)

Abstract
From February 28th to March 5th 2010, the Dagstuhl Seminar 10091 "Data Structures" was held in Schloss Dagstuhl~--~Leibniz Center for Informatics. It brought together 45 international researchers to discuss recent developments concerning data structures in terms of research, but also in terms of new technologies that impact how data can be stored, updated, and retrieved. During the seminar a fair number of participants presented their current research and open problems where discussed. This document first briefly describes the seminar topics and then gives the abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar.
Cite as

Lars Arge, Erik D. Demaine, and Raimund Seidel. 10091 Abstracts Collection – Data Structures. In Data Structures. Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 10091, pp. 1-16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2010)

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@InProceedings{arge_et_al:DagSemProc.10091.1,
  author =	{Arge, Lars and Demaine, Erik D. and Seidel, Raimund},
  title =	{{10091 Abstracts Collection – Data Structures}},
  booktitle =	{Data Structures},
  pages =	{1--16},
  series =	{Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings (DagSemProc)},
  ISSN =	{1862-4405},
  year =	{2010},
  volume =	{10091},
  editor =	{Lars Arge and Erik D. Demaine and Raimund Seidel},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemProc.10091.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-26864},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemProc.10091.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: Data structures, information retrieval, complexity, algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.1
09511 Abstracts Collection – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, and Dániel Marx

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 9511, Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms (2010)

Abstract
From 14. 12. 2009 to 17. 12. 2009., the Dagstuhl Seminar 09511 ``Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms '' was held in Schloss Dagstuhl~--~Leibniz Center for Informatics. During the seminar, several participants presented their current research, and ongoing work and open problems were discussed. Abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar as well as abstracts of seminar results and ideas are put together in this paper. The first section describes the seminar topics and goals in general. Links to extended abstracts or full papers are provided, if available.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, and Dániel Marx. 09511 Abstracts Collection – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms. In Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms. Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 9511, pp. 1-14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2010)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:DagSemProc.09511.1,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Hajiaghayi, MohammadTaghi and Marx, D\'{a}niel},
  title =	{{09511 Abstracts Collection – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms}},
  booktitle =	{Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms},
  pages =	{1--14},
  series =	{Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings (DagSemProc)},
  ISSN =	{1862-4405},
  year =	{2010},
  volume =	{9511},
  editor =	{Erik D. Demaine and MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi and D\'{a}niel Marx},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-25025},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: Parameterized complexity, Approximation algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.2
09511 Executive Summary – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, and Dániel Marx

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 9511, Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms (2010)

Abstract
Many of the computational problems that arise in practice are optimization problems: the task is to find a solution where the cost, quality, size, profit, or some other measure is as large or small as possible. The NP-hardness of an optimization problem implies that, unless P = NP, there is no polynomial-time algorithm that finds the exact value of the optimum. Various approaches have been proposed in the literature to cope with NP-hard problems. When designing approximation algorithms, we relax the requirement that the algorithm produces an optimum solution, and our aim is to devise a polynomial-time algorithm such that the solution it produces is not necessarily optimal, but there is some worst-case bound on the solution quality.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, and Dániel Marx. 09511 Executive Summary – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms. In Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms. Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 9511, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2010)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:DagSemProc.09511.2,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Hajiaghayi, MohammadTaghi and Marx, D\'{a}niel},
  title =	{{09511 Executive Summary – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms}},
  booktitle =	{Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms},
  series =	{Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings (DagSemProc)},
  ISSN =	{1862-4405},
  year =	{2010},
  volume =	{9511},
  editor =	{Erik D. Demaine and MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi and D\'{a}niel Marx},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.2},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-25011},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.2},
  annote =	{Keywords: Parameterized complexity, Approximation algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.3
09511 Open Problems – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, and Dániel Marx

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 9511, Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms (2010)

Abstract
The paper contains a list of the problems presented on Monday, December 14, 2009 at the open problem session of the Seminar on Parameterized Complexity and Approximation Algorithms, held at Schloss Dagstuhl in Wadern, Germany.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, and Dániel Marx. 09511 Open Problems – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms. In Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms. Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 9511, pp. 1-10, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2010)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:DagSemProc.09511.3,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Hajiaghayi, MohammadTaghi and Marx, D\'{a}niel},
  title =	{{09511 Open Problems – Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms}},
  booktitle =	{Parameterized complexity and approximation algorithms},
  pages =	{1--10},
  series =	{Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings (DagSemProc)},
  ISSN =	{1862-4405},
  year =	{2010},
  volume =	{9511},
  editor =	{Erik D. Demaine and MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi and D\'{a}niel Marx},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-24992},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemProc.09511.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: Parameterized complexity, approximation algorithms, open problems}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2009.1835
Polynomial-Time Approximation Schemes for Subset-Connectivity Problems in Bounded-Genus Graphs

Authors: Glencora Borradaile, Erik D. Demaine, and Siamak Tazari

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 3, 26th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (2009)

Abstract
We present the first polynomial-time approximation schemes (PTASes) for the following subset-connectivity problems in edge-weighted graphs of bounded genus: Steiner tree, low-connectivity survivable-network design, and subset TSP. The schemes run in $O(n \log n)$ time for graphs embedded on both orientable and non-orientable surfaces. This work generalizes the PTAS frameworks of Borradaile, Klein, and Mathieu (2007 and 2006) from planar graphs to bounded-genus graphs: any future problems shown to admit the required structure theorem for planar graphs will similarly extend to bounded-genus graphs.
Cite as

Glencora Borradaile, Erik D. Demaine, and Siamak Tazari. Polynomial-Time Approximation Schemes for Subset-Connectivity Problems in Bounded-Genus Graphs. In 26th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science. Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 3, pp. 171-182, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2009)

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@InProceedings{borradaile_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2009.1835,
  author =	{Borradaile, Glencora and Demaine, Erik D. and Tazari, Siamak},
  title =	{{Polynomial-Time Approximation Schemes for Subset-Connectivity Problems in Bounded-Genus Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{26th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science},
  pages =	{171--182},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-939897-09-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2009},
  volume =	{3},
  editor =	{Albers, Susanne and Marion, Jean-Yves},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2009.1835},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-18355},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2009.1835},
  annote =	{Keywords: Polynomial-time approximation scheme, Bounded-genus graph, Embedded graph, Steiner tree, Survivable-network design, Subset TSP}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2009.1839
The Price of Anarchy in Cooperative Network Creation Games

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, Hamid Mahini, and Morteza Zadimoghaddam

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 3, 26th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (2009)

Abstract
We analyze the structure of equilibria and the price of anarchy in the family of network creation games considered extensively in the past few years, which attempt to unify the network design and network routing problems by modeling both creation and usage costs. In general, the games are played on a host graph, where each node is a selfish independent agent (player) and each edge has a fixed link creation cost~$\alpha$. Together the agents create a network (a subgraph of the host graph) while selfishly minimizing the link creation costs plus the sum of the distances to all other players (usage cost). In this paper, we pursue two important facets of the network creation~game. First, we study extensively a natural version of the game, called the cooperative model, where nodes can collaborate and share the cost of creating any edge in the host graph. We prove the first nontrivial bounds in this model, establishing that the price of anarchy is polylogarithmic in $n$ for all values of~$\alpha$ in complete host graphs. This bound is the first result of this type for any version of the network creation game; most previous general upper bounds are polynomial in~$n$. Interestingly, we also show that equilibrium graphs have polylogarithmic diameter for the most natural range of~$\alpha$ (at most $n \mathop{\rm polylg}\nolimits n$). Second, we study the impact of the natural assumption that the host graph is a general graph, not necessarily complete. This model is a simple example of nonuniform creation costs among the edges (effectively allowing weights of $\alpha$ and~$\infty$). We prove the first assemblage of upper and lower bounds for this context, establishing nontrivial tight bounds for many ranges of~$\alpha$, for both the unilateral and cooperative versions of network creation. In particular, we establish polynomial lower bounds for both versions and many ranges of~$\alpha$, even for this simple nonuniform cost model, which sharply contrasts the conjectured constant bounds for these games in complete (uniform) graphs.
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, MohammadTaghi Hajiaghayi, Hamid Mahini, and Morteza Zadimoghaddam. The Price of Anarchy in Cooperative Network Creation Games. In 26th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science. Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 3, pp. 301-312, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2009)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2009.1839,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Hajiaghayi, MohammadTaghi and Mahini, Hamid and Zadimoghaddam, Morteza},
  title =	{{The Price of Anarchy in Cooperative Network Creation Games}},
  booktitle =	{26th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science},
  pages =	{301--312},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-939897-09-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2009},
  volume =	{3},
  editor =	{Albers, Susanne and Marion, Jean-Yves},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2009.1839},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-18390},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2009.1839},
  annote =	{Keywords: }
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemRep.334
Algorithmic Combinatorial Game Theory (Dagstuhl Seminar 02081)

Authors: Erik D. Demaine, Rudolf Fleischer, Avierzi Fraenkel, and Richard Nowakowski

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Reports. Dagstuhl Seminar Reports, Volume 1 (2021)

Abstract
Cite as

Erik D. Demaine, Rudolf Fleischer, Avierzi Fraenkel, and Richard Nowakowski. Algorithmic Combinatorial Game Theory (Dagstuhl Seminar 02081). Dagstuhl Seminar Report 334, pp. 1-39, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2002)

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@TechReport{demaine_et_al:DagSemRep.334,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Fleischer, Rudolf and Fraenkel, Avierzi and Nowakowski, Richard},
  title =	{{Algorithmic Combinatorial Game Theory (Dagstuhl Seminar 02081)}},
  pages =	{1--39},
  ISSN =	{1619-0203},
  year =	{2002},
  type = 	{Dagstuhl Seminar Report},
  number =	{334},
  institution =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemRep.334},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-152169},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemRep.334},
}

Demaine, Erik

Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemProc.09111.2
A Pseudopolynomial Algorithm for Alexandrov's Theorem

Authors: Daniel Kane, Gregory Nathan Price, and Erik Demaine

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 9111, Computational Geometry (2009)

Abstract
Alexandrov's Theorem states that every metric with the global topology and local geometry required of a convex polyhedron is in fact the intrinsic metric of some convex polyhedron. Recent work by Bobenko and Izmestiev describes a differential equation whose solution is the polyhedron corresponding to a given metric. We describe an algorithm based on this differential equation to compute the polyhedron given the metric, and prove a pseudopolynomial bound on its running time.
Cite as

Daniel Kane, Gregory Nathan Price, and Erik Demaine. A Pseudopolynomial Algorithm for Alexandrov's Theorem. In Computational Geometry. Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 9111, pp. 1-22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2009)

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@InProceedings{kane_et_al:DagSemProc.09111.2,
  author =	{Kane, Daniel and Price, Gregory Nathan and Demaine, Erik},
  title =	{{A Pseudopolynomial Algorithm for Alexandrov's Theorem}},
  booktitle =	{Computational Geometry},
  pages =	{1--22},
  series =	{Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings (DagSemProc)},
  ISSN =	{1862-4405},
  year =	{2009},
  volume =	{9111},
  editor =	{Pankaj Kumar Agarwal and Helmut Alt and Monique Teillaud},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemProc.09111.2},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-20328},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemProc.09111.2},
  annote =	{Keywords: Folding, metrics, pseudopolynomial, algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemProc.07281.2
07281 Open Problems – Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmcs for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs

Authors: Erik Demaine, Gregory Z. Gutin, Daniel Marx, and Ulrike Stege

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 7281, Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs (2007)

Abstract
The following is a list of the problems presented on Monday, July 9, 2007 at the open-problem session of the Seminar on Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs, held at Schloss Dagstuhl in Wadern, Germany.
Cite as

Erik Demaine, Gregory Z. Gutin, Daniel Marx, and Ulrike Stege. 07281 Open Problems – Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmcs for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs. In Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs. Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 7281, pp. 1-6, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2007)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:DagSemProc.07281.2,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik and Gutin, Gregory Z. and Marx, Daniel and Stege, Ulrike},
  title =	{{07281 Open Problems – Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmcs for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs}},
  booktitle =	{Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs},
  pages =	{1--6},
  series =	{Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings (DagSemProc)},
  ISSN =	{1862-4405},
  year =	{2007},
  volume =	{7281},
  editor =	{Erik Demaine and Gregory Z. Gutin and Daniel Marx and Ulrike Stege},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemProc.07281.2},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-12542},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemProc.07281.2},
  annote =	{Keywords: }
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemProc.07281.1
07281 Abstracts Collection – Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs

Authors: Erik Demaine, Gregory Z. Gutin, Daniel Marx, and Ulrike Stege

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 7281, Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs (2007)

Abstract
From 8th to 13th July 2007, the Dagstuhl Seminar ``Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs'' was held in the International Conference and Research Center (IBFI), Schloss Dagstuhl. During the seminar, several participants presented their current research, and ongoing work and open problems were discussed. Abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar as well as abstracts of seminar results and ideas are put together in this paper. The first section describes the seminar topics and goals in general. Links to extended abstracts or full papers are provided, if available.
Cite as

Erik Demaine, Gregory Z. Gutin, Daniel Marx, and Ulrike Stege. 07281 Abstracts Collection – Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs. In Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs. Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 7281, pp. 1-14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2007)

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@InProceedings{demaine_et_al:DagSemProc.07281.1,
  author =	{Demaine, Erik and Gutin, Gregory Z. and Marx, Daniel and Stege, Ulrike},
  title =	{{07281 Abstracts Collection – Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs}},
  booktitle =	{Structure Theory and FPT Algorithmics for Graphs, Digraphs and Hypergraphs},
  pages =	{1--14},
  series =	{Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings (DagSemProc)},
  ISSN =	{1862-4405},
  year =	{2007},
  volume =	{7281},
  editor =	{Erik Demaine and Gregory Z. Gutin and Daniel Marx and Ulrike Stege},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemProc.07281.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-12450},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemProc.07281.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: Parameterized complexity, fixed-parameter tractability, graph structure theory}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/DagSemProc.04301.1
04301 Abstracts Collection – Cache-Oblivious and Cache-Aware Algorithms

Authors: Lars Arge, Michael A. Bender, Erik Demaine, Charles Leiserson, and Kurt Mehlhorn

Published in: Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 4301, Cache-Oblivious and Cache-Aware Algorithms (2005)

Abstract
The Dagstuhl Seminar 04301 ``Cache-Oblivious and Cache-Aware Algorithms'' was held in the International Conference and Research Center (IBFI), Schloss Dagstuhl, from 18.07.2004 to 23.07.2004. During the seminar, several participants presented their current research, and ongoing work and open problems were discussed. Abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar as well as abstracts of seminar results and ideas are put together in this paper. The first section describes the seminar topics and goals in general. Links to extended abstracts or full papers are provided, if available.
Cite as

Lars Arge, Michael A. Bender, Erik Demaine, Charles Leiserson, and Kurt Mehlhorn. 04301 Abstracts Collection – Cache-Oblivious and Cache-Aware Algorithms. In Cache-Oblivious and Cache-Aware Algorithms. Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Volume 4301, pp. 1-14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2005)

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@InProceedings{arge_et_al:DagSemProc.04301.1,
  author =	{Arge, Lars and Bender, Michael A. and Demaine, Erik and Leiserson, Charles and Mehlhorn, Kurt},
  title =	{{04301 Abstracts Collection – Cache-Oblivious and Cache-Aware Algorithms}},
  booktitle =	{Cache-Oblivious and Cache-Aware Algorithms},
  pages =	{1--14},
  series =	{Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings (DagSemProc)},
  ISSN =	{1862-4405},
  year =	{2005},
  volume =	{4301},
  editor =	{Lars Arge and Michael A. Bender and Erik Demaine and Charles Leiserson and Kurt Mehlhorn},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/DagSemProc.04301.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-1576},
  doi =		{10.4230/DagSemProc.04301.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: Cache oblivious , cache aware , external memory , I/O-efficient algorithms , data structures}
}
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