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Documents authored by Kipouridis, Evangelos


Document
A Faster Algorithm for Constrained Correlation Clustering

Authors: Nick Fischer, Evangelos Kipouridis, Jonas Klausen, and Mikkel Thorup

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 327, 42nd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2025)


Abstract
In the Correlation Clustering problem we are given n nodes, and a preference for each pair of nodes indicating whether we prefer the two endpoints to be in the same cluster or not. The output is a clustering inducing the minimum number of violated preferences. In certain cases, however, the preference between some pairs may be too important to be violated. The constrained version of this problem specifies pairs of nodes that must be in the same cluster as well as pairs that must not be in the same cluster (hard constraints). The output clustering has to satisfy all hard constraints while minimizing the number of violated preferences. Constrained Correlation Clustering is APX-Hard and has been approximated within a factor 3 by van Zuylen et al. [SODA '07]. Their algorithm is based on rounding an LP with Θ(n³) constraints, resulting in an Ω(n^{3ω}) running time. In this work, using a more combinatorial approach, we show how to approximate this problem significantly faster at the cost of a slightly weaker approximation factor. In particular, our algorithm runs in Õ(n³) time (notice that the input size is Θ(n²)) and approximates Constrained Correlation Clustering within a factor 16. To achieve our result we need properties guaranteed by a particular influential algorithm for (unconstrained) Correlation Clustering, the CC-PIVOT algorithm. This algorithm chooses a pivot node u, creates a cluster containing u and all its preferred nodes, and recursively solves the rest of the problem. It is known that selecting pivots at random gives a 3-approximation. As a byproduct of our work, we provide a derandomization of the CC-PIVOT algorithm that still achieves the 3-approximation; furthermore, we show that there exist instances where no ordering of the pivots can give a (3-ε)-approximation, for any constant ε. Finally, we introduce a node-weighted version of Correlation Clustering, which can be approximated within factor 3 using our insights on Constrained Correlation Clustering. As the general weighted version of Correlation Clustering would require a major breakthrough to approximate within a factor o(log n), Node-Weighted Correlation Clustering may be a practical alternative.

Cite as

Nick Fischer, Evangelos Kipouridis, Jonas Klausen, and Mikkel Thorup. A Faster Algorithm for Constrained Correlation Clustering. In 42nd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 327, pp. 32:1-32:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)


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@InProceedings{fischer_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2025.32,
  author =	{Fischer, Nick and Kipouridis, Evangelos and Klausen, Jonas and Thorup, Mikkel},
  title =	{{A Faster Algorithm for Constrained Correlation Clustering}},
  booktitle =	{42nd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2025)},
  pages =	{32:1--32:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-365-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{327},
  editor =	{Beyersdorff, Olaf and Pilipczuk, Micha{\l} and Pimentel, Elaine and Thắng, Nguy\~{ê}n Kim},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2025.32},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-228585},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2025.32},
  annote =	{Keywords: Clustering, Constrained Correlation Clustering, Approximation}
}
Document
Fitting Tree Metrics with Minimum Disagreements

Authors: Evangelos Kipouridis

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 274, 31st Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2023)


Abstract
In the L₀ Fitting Tree Metrics problem, we are given all pairwise distances among the elements of a set V and our output is a tree metric on V. The goal is to minimize the number of pairwise distance disagreements between the input and the output. We provide an O(1) approximation for L₀ Fitting Tree Metrics, which is asymptotically optimal as the problem is APX-Hard. For p ≥ 1, solutions to the related L_p Fitting Tree Metrics have typically used a reduction to L_p Fitting Constrained Ultrametrics. Even though in FOCS '22 Cohen-Addad et al. solved L₀ Fitting (unconstrained) Ultrametrics within a constant approximation factor, their results did not extend to tree metrics. We identify two possible reasons, and provide simple techniques to circumvent them. Our framework does not modify the algorithm from Cohen-Addad et al. It rather extends any ρ approximation for L₀ Fitting Ultrametrics to a 6ρ approximation for L₀ Fitting Tree Metrics in a blackbox fashion.

Cite as

Evangelos Kipouridis. Fitting Tree Metrics with Minimum Disagreements. In 31st Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2023). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 274, pp. 70:1-70:10, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2023)


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@InProceedings{kipouridis:LIPIcs.ESA.2023.70,
  author =	{Kipouridis, Evangelos},
  title =	{{Fitting Tree Metrics with Minimum Disagreements}},
  booktitle =	{31st Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2023)},
  pages =	{70:1--70:10},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-295-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2023},
  volume =	{274},
  editor =	{G{\o}rtz, Inge Li and Farach-Colton, Martin and Puglisi, Simon J. 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.2023.70},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-187233},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2023.70},
  annote =	{Keywords: Hierarchical Clustering, Tree Metrics, Minimum Disagreements}
}
Document
Longest Common Subsequence on Weighted Sequences

Authors: Evangelos Kipouridis and Kostas Tsichlas

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 161, 31st Annual Symposium on Combinatorial Pattern Matching (CPM 2020)


Abstract
We consider the general problem of the Longest Common Subsequence (LCS) on weighted sequences. Weighted sequences are an extension of classical strings, where in each position every letter of the alphabet may occur with some probability. Previous results presented a PTAS and noticed that no FPTAS is possible unless P=NP. In this paper we essentially close the gap between upper and lower bounds by improving both. First of all, we provide an EPTAS for bounded alphabets (which is the most natural case), and prove that there does not exist any EPTAS for unbounded alphabets unless FPT=W[1]. Furthermore, under the Exponential Time Hypothesis, we provide a lower bound which shows that no significantly better PTAS can exist for unbounded alphabets. As a side note, we prove that it is sufficient to work with only one threshold in the general variant of the problem.

Cite as

Evangelos Kipouridis and Kostas Tsichlas. Longest Common Subsequence on Weighted Sequences. In 31st Annual Symposium on Combinatorial Pattern Matching (CPM 2020). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 161, pp. 19:1-19:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2020)


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@InProceedings{kipouridis_et_al:LIPIcs.CPM.2020.19,
  author =	{Kipouridis, Evangelos and Tsichlas, Kostas},
  title =	{{Longest Common Subsequence on Weighted Sequences}},
  booktitle =	{31st Annual Symposium on Combinatorial Pattern Matching (CPM 2020)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-149-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2020},
  volume =	{161},
  editor =	{G{\o}rtz, Inge Li and Weimann, Oren},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.CPM.2020.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-121443},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.CPM.2020.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: WLCS, LCS, weighted sequences, approximation algorithms, lower bound}
}
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