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DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FORC.2025.4

Hardness and Approximation Algorithms for Balanced Districting Problems

Authors: Prathamesh Dharangutte, Jie Gao, Shang-En Huang, and Fang-Yi Yu

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 329, 6th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2025)

Abstract

We introduce and study the problem of balanced districting, where given an undirected graph with vertices carrying two types of weights (different population, resource types, etc) the goal is to maximize the total weights covered in vertex disjoint districts such that each district is a star or (in general) a connected induced subgraph with the two weights to be balanced. This problem is strongly motivated by political redistricting, where contiguity, population balance, and compactness are essential. We provide hardness and approximation algorithms for this problem. In particular, we show NP-hardness for an approximation better than n^{1/2-δ} for any constant δ > 0 in general graphs even when the districts are star graphs, as well as NP-hardness on complete graphs, tree graphs, planar graphs and other restricted settings. On the other hand, we develop an algorithm for balanced star districting that gives an O(√n)-approximation on any graph (which is basically tight considering matching hardness of approximation results), an O(log n) approximation on planar graphs with extensions to minor-free graphs. Our algorithm uses a modified Whack-a-Mole algorithm [Bhattacharya, Kiss, and Saranurak, SODA 2023] to find a sparse solution of a fractional packing linear program (despite exponentially many variables) which requires a new design of a separation oracle specific for our balanced districting problem. To turn the fractional solution to a feasible integer solution, we adopt the randomized rounding algorithm by [Chan and Har-Peled, SoCG 2009]. To get a good approximation ratio of the rounding procedure, a crucial element in the analysis is the balanced scattering separators for planar graphs and minor-free graphs - separators that can be partitioned into a small number of k-hop independent sets for some constant k - which may find independent interest in solving other packing style problems. Further, our algorithm is versatile - the very same algorithm can be analyzed in different ways on various graph classes, which leads to class-dependent approximation ratios. We also provide a FPTAS algorithm for complete graphs and tree graphs, as well as greedy algorithms and approximation ratios when the district cardinality is bounded, the graph has bounded degree or the weights are binary. We refer the readers to the full version of the paper for complete set of results and proofs.

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Prathamesh Dharangutte, Jie Gao, Shang-En Huang, and Fang-Yi Yu. Hardness and Approximation Algorithms for Balanced Districting Problems. In 6th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 329, pp. 4:1-4:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{dharangutte_et_al:LIPIcs.FORC.2025.4,
  author =	{Dharangutte, Prathamesh and Gao, Jie and Huang, Shang-En and Yu, Fang-Yi},
  title =	{{Hardness and Approximation Algorithms for Balanced Districting Problems}},
  booktitle =	{6th Symposium on Foundations of Responsible Computing (FORC 2025)},
  pages =	{4:1--4:24},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-367-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{329},
  editor =	{Bun, Mark},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FORC.2025.4},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-231310},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FORC.2025.4},
  annote =	{Keywords: Approximation algorithms, algorithmic fairness}
}

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APPROX

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2024.24

Learning-Augmented Maximum Independent Set

Authors: Vladimir Braverman, Prathamesh Dharangutte, Vihan Shah, and Chen Wang

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 317, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2024)

Abstract

We study the Maximum Independent Set (MIS) problem on general graphs within the framework of learning-augmented algorithms. The MIS problem is known to be NP-hard and is also NP-hard to approximate to within a factor of n^(1-δ) for any δ > 0. We show that we can break this barrier in the presence of an oracle obtained through predictions from a machine learning model that answers vertex membership queries for a fixed MIS with probability 1/2+ε. In the first setting we consider, the oracle can be queried once per vertex to know if a vertex belongs to a fixed MIS, and the oracle returns the correct answer with probability 1/2 + ε. Under this setting, we show an algorithm that obtains an Õ((√Δ)/ε)-approximation in O(m) time where Δ is the maximum degree of the graph. In the second setting, we allow multiple queries to the oracle for a vertex, each of which is correct with probability 1/2 + ε. For this setting, we show an O(1)-approximation algorithm using O(n/ε²) total queries and Õ(m) runtime.

Cite as

Vladimir Braverman, Prathamesh Dharangutte, Vihan Shah, and Chen Wang. Learning-Augmented Maximum Independent Set. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 317, pp. 24:1-24:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

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@InProceedings{braverman_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2024.24,
  author =	{Braverman, Vladimir and Dharangutte, Prathamesh and Shah, Vihan and Wang, Chen},
  title =	{{Learning-Augmented Maximum Independent Set}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2024)},
  pages =	{24:1--24:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-348-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{317},
  editor =	{Kumar, Amit and Ron-Zewi, Noga},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2024.24},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-210179},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2024.24},
  annote =	{Keywords: Learning-augmented algorithms, maximum independent set, graph algorithms}
}

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Hardness and Approximation Algorithms for Balanced Districting Problems

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Learning-Augmented Maximum Independent Set

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