Search Results

Documents authored by El Maalouly, Nicolas

Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2024.33
On the Exact Matching Problem in Dense Graphs

Authors: Nicolas El Maalouly, Sebastian Haslebacher, and Lasse Wulf

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 289, 41st International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2024)

Abstract
In the Exact Matching problem, we are given a graph whose edges are colored red or blue and the task is to decide for a given integer k, if there is a perfect matching with exactly k red edges. Since 1987 it is known that the Exact Matching Problem can be solved in randomized polynomial time. Despite numerous efforts, it is still not known today whether a deterministic polynomial-time algorithm exists as well. In this paper, we make substantial progress by solving the problem for a multitude of different classes of dense graphs. We solve the Exact Matching problem in deterministic polynomial time for complete r-partite graphs, for unit interval graphs, for bipartite unit interval graphs, for graphs of bounded neighborhood diversity, for chain graphs, and for graphs without a complete bipartite t-hole. We solve the problem in quasi-polynomial time for Erdős-Rényi random graphs G(n, 1/2). We also reprove an earlier result for bounded independence number/bipartite independence number. We use two main tools to obtain these results: A local search algorithm as well as a generalization of an earlier result by Karzanov.
Cite as

Nicolas El Maalouly, Sebastian Haslebacher, and Lasse Wulf. On the Exact Matching Problem in Dense Graphs. In 41st International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 289, pp. 33:1-33:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{elmaalouly_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2024.33,
  author =	{El Maalouly, Nicolas and Haslebacher, Sebastian and Wulf, Lasse},
  title =	{{On the Exact Matching Problem in Dense Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{41st International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2024)},
  pages =	{33:1--33:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-311-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{289},
  editor =	{Beyersdorff, Olaf and Kant\'{e}, Mamadou Moustapha and Kupferman, Orna and Lokshtanov, Daniel},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2024.33},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-197437},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2024.33},
  annote =	{Keywords: Exact Matching, Perfect Matching, Red-Blue Matching, Bounded Color Matching, Local Search, Derandomization}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2023.28
Exact Matching: Correct Parity and FPT Parameterized by Independence Number

Authors: Nicolas El Maalouly, Raphael Steiner, and Lasse Wulf

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 283, 34th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2023)

Abstract
Given an integer k and a graph where every edge is colored either red or blue, the goal of the exact matching problem is to find a perfect matching with the property that exactly k of its edges are red. Soon after Papadimitriou and Yannakakis (JACM 1982) introduced the problem, a randomized polynomial-time algorithm solving the problem was described by Mulmuley et al. (Combinatorica 1987). Despite a lot of effort, it is still not known today whether a deterministic polynomial-time algorithm exists. This makes the exact matching problem an important candidate to test the popular conjecture that the complexity classes P and RP are equal. In a recent article (MFCS 2022), progress was made towards this goal by showing that for bipartite graphs of bounded bipartite independence number, a polynomial time algorithm exists. In terms of parameterized complexity, this algorithm was an XP-algorithm parameterized by the bipartite independence number. In this article, we introduce novel algorithmic techniques that allow us to obtain an FPT-algorithm. If the input is a general graph we show that one can at least compute a perfect matching M which has the correct number of red edges modulo 2, in polynomial time. This is motivated by our last result, in which we prove that an FPT algorithm for general graphs, parameterized by the independence number, reduces to the problem of finding in polynomial time a perfect matching M with at most k red edges and the correct number of red edges modulo 2.
Cite as

Nicolas El Maalouly, Raphael Steiner, and Lasse Wulf. Exact Matching: Correct Parity and FPT Parameterized by Independence Number. In 34th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2023). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 283, pp. 28:1-28:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2023)

Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{elmaalouly_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2023.28,
  author =	{El Maalouly, Nicolas and Steiner, Raphael and Wulf, Lasse},
  title =	{{Exact Matching: Correct Parity and FPT Parameterized by Independence Number}},
  booktitle =	{34th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2023)},
  pages =	{28:1--28:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-289-1},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2023},
  volume =	{283},
  editor =	{Iwata, Satoru and Kakimura, Naonori},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2023.28},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-193302},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2023.28},
  annote =	{Keywords: Perfect Matching, Exact Matching, Independence Number, Parameterized Complexity}
}
Document
APPROX
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2023.18
An Approximation Algorithm for the Exact Matching Problem in Bipartite Graphs

Authors: Anita Dürr, Nicolas El Maalouly, and Lasse Wulf

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 275, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2023)

Abstract
In 1982 Papadimitriou and Yannakakis introduced the Exact Matching problem, in which given a red and blue edge-colored graph G and an integer k one has to decide whether there exists a perfect matching in G with exactly k red edges. Even though a randomized polynomial-time algorithm for this problem was quickly found a few years later, it is still unknown today whether a deterministic polynomial-time algorithm exists. This makes the Exact Matching problem an important candidate to test the RP=P hypothesis. In this paper we focus on approximating Exact Matching. While there exists a simple algorithm that computes in deterministic polynomial-time an almost perfect matching with exactly k red edges, not a lot of work focuses on computing perfect matchings with almost k red edges. In fact such an algorithm for bipartite graphs running in deterministic polynomial-time was published only recently (STACS'23). It outputs a perfect matching with k' red edges with the guarantee that 0.5k ≤ k' ≤ 1.5k. In the present paper we aim at approximating the number of red edges without exceeding the limit of k red edges. We construct a deterministic polynomial-time algorithm, which on bipartite graphs computes a perfect matching with k' red edges such that k/3 ≤ k' ≤ k.
Cite as

Anita Dürr, Nicolas El Maalouly, and Lasse Wulf. An Approximation Algorithm for the Exact Matching Problem in Bipartite Graphs. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2023). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 275, pp. 18:1-18:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2023)

Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{durr_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2023.18,
  author =	{D\"{u}rr, Anita and El Maalouly, Nicolas and Wulf, Lasse},
  title =	{{An Approximation Algorithm for the Exact Matching Problem in Bipartite Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2023)},
  pages =	{18:1--18:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-296-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2023},
  volume =	{275},
  editor =	{Megow, Nicole and Smith, Adam},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2023.18},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-188436},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2023.18},
  annote =	{Keywords: Perfect Matching, Exact Matching, Red-Blue Matching, Approximation Algorithms, Bounded Color Matching}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2023.29
Exact Matching: Algorithms and Related Problems

Authors: Nicolas El Maalouly

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 254, 40th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2023)

Abstract
In 1982, Papadimitriou and Yannakakis introduced the Exact Matching (EM) problem where given an edge colored graph, with colors red and blue, and an integer k, the goal is to decide whether or not the graph contains a perfect matching with exactly k red edges. Although they conjectured it to be NP-complete, soon after it was shown to be solvable in randomized polynomial time in the seminal work of Mulmuley et al., placing it in the complexity class RP. Since then, all attempts at finding a deterministic algorithm for EM have failed, thus leaving it as one of the few natural combinatorial problems in RP but not known to be contained in P, and making it an interesting instance for testing the hypothesis RP = P. Progress has been lacking even on very restrictive classes of graphs despite the problem being quite well known as evidenced by the number of works citing it. In this paper we aim to gain more insight into EM by studying a new optimization problem we call Top-k Perfect Matching (TkPM) which we show to be polynomially equivalent to EM. By virtue of being an optimization problem, it is more natural to approximate TkPM so we provide approximation algorithms for it. Some of the approximation algorithms rely on a relaxation of EM on bipartite graphs where the output is required to be a perfect matching with a number of red edges differing from k by at most k/2, which is of independent interest and generalizes to the Exact Weight Perfect Matching (EWPM) problem. We also consider parameterized algorithms and show that TkPM can be solved in FPT time parameterized by k and the independence number of the graph. This result again relies on new tools developed for EM which are also of independent interest.
Cite as

Nicolas El Maalouly. Exact Matching: Algorithms and Related Problems. In 40th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2023). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 254, pp. 29:1-29:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2023)

Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{elmaalouly:LIPIcs.STACS.2023.29,
  author =	{El Maalouly, Nicolas},
  title =	{{Exact Matching: Algorithms and Related Problems}},
  booktitle =	{40th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2023)},
  pages =	{29:1--29:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-266-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2023},
  volume =	{254},
  editor =	{Berenbrink, Petra and Bouyer, Patricia and Dawar, Anuj and Kant\'{e}, Mamadou Moustapha},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2023.29},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-176811},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2023.29},
  annote =	{Keywords: Perfect Matching, Exact Matching, Approximation algorithms, Independence number, Parameterized complexity}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2022.46
Exact Matching in Graphs of Bounded Independence Number

Authors: Nicolas El Maalouly and Raphael Steiner

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 241, 47th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2022)

Abstract
In the Exact Matching Problem (EM), we are given a graph equipped with a fixed coloring of its edges with two colors (red and blue), as well as a positive integer k. The task is then to decide whether the given graph contains a perfect matching exactly k of whose edges have color red. EM generalizes several important algorithmic problems such as perfect matching and restricted minimum weight spanning tree problems. When introducing the problem in 1982, Papadimitriou and Yannakakis conjectured EM to be NP-complete. Later however, Mulmuley et al. presented a randomized polynomial time algorithm for EM, which puts EM in RP. Given that to decide whether or not RP=P represents a big open challenge in complexity theory, this makes it unlikely for EM to be NP-complete, and in fact indicates the possibility of a deterministic polynomial time algorithm. EM remains one of the few natural combinatorial problems in RP which are not known to be contained in P, making it an interesting instance for testing the hypothesis RP=P. Despite EM being quite well-known, attempts to devise deterministic polynomial algorithms have remained illusive during the last 40 years and progress has been lacking even for very restrictive classes of input graphs. In this paper we push the frontier of positive results forward by proving that EM can be solved in deterministic polynomial time for input graphs of bounded independence number, and for bipartite input graphs of bounded bipartite independence number. This generalizes previous positive results for complete (bipartite) graphs which were the only known results for EM on dense graphs.
Cite as

Nicolas El Maalouly and Raphael Steiner. Exact Matching in Graphs of Bounded Independence Number. In 47th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2022). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 241, pp. 46:1-46:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2022)

Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{elmaalouly_et_al:LIPIcs.MFCS.2022.46,
  author =	{El Maalouly, Nicolas and Steiner, Raphael},
  title =	{{Exact Matching in Graphs of Bounded Independence Number}},
  booktitle =	{47th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2022)},
  pages =	{46:1--46:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-256-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2022},
  volume =	{241},
  editor =	{Szeider, Stefan and Ganian, Robert and Silva, Alexandra},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2022.46},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-168447},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2022.46},
  annote =	{Keywords: Perfect Matching, Exact Matching, Independence Number, Parameterized Complexity}
}
Questions / Remarks / Feedback
X

Feedback for Dagstuhl Publishing


Thanks for your feedback!

Feedback submitted

Could not send message

Please try again later or send an E-mail
© 2023-2024 Schloss Dagstuhl – LZI GmbH Imprint Privacy Contact