DROPS

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2025.32

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)

Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@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

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2024.5

Online Sorting and Online TSP: Randomized, Stochastic, and High-Dimensional

Authors: Mikkel Abrahamsen, Ioana O. Bercea, Lorenzo Beretta, Jonas Klausen, and László Kozma

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 308, 32nd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2024)

Abstract

In the online sorting problem, n items are revealed one by one and have to be placed (immediately and irrevocably) into empty cells of a size-n array. The goal is to minimize the sum of absolute differences between items in consecutive cells. This natural problem was recently introduced by Aamand, Abrahamsen, Beretta, and Kleist (SODA 2023) as a tool in their study of online geometric packing problems. They showed that when the items are reals from the interval [0,1] a competitive ratio of O(√n) is achievable, and no deterministic algorithm can improve this ratio asymptotically. In this paper, we extend and generalize the study of online sorting in three directions: - randomized: we settle the open question of Aamand et al. by showing that the O(√n) competitive ratio for the online sorting of reals cannot be improved even with the use of randomness; - stochastic: we consider inputs consisting of n samples drawn uniformly at random from an interval, and give an algorithm with an improved competitive ratio of Õ(n^{1/4}). The result reveals connections between online sorting and the design of efficient hash tables; - high-dimensional: we show that Õ(√n)-competitive online sorting is possible even for items from ℝ^d, for arbitrary fixed d, in an adversarial model. This can be viewed as an online variant of the classical TSP problem where tasks (cities to visit) are revealed one by one and the salesperson assigns each task (immediately and irrevocably) to its timeslot. Along the way, we also show a tight O(log n)-competitiveness result for uniform metrics, i.e., where items are of different types and the goal is to order them so as to minimize the number of switches between consecutive items of different types.

Cite as

Mikkel Abrahamsen, Ioana O. Bercea, Lorenzo Beretta, Jonas Klausen, and László Kozma. Online Sorting and Online TSP: Randomized, Stochastic, and High-Dimensional. In 32nd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2024). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 308, pp. 5:1-5:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2024)

Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{abrahamsen_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2024.5,
  author =	{Abrahamsen, Mikkel and Bercea, Ioana O. and Beretta, Lorenzo and Klausen, Jonas and Kozma, L\'{a}szl\'{o}},
  title =	{{Online Sorting and Online TSP: Randomized, Stochastic, and High-Dimensional}},
  booktitle =	{32nd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2024)},
  pages =	{5:1--5:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-338-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2024},
  volume =	{308},
  editor =	{Chan, Timothy and Fischer, Johannes and Iacono, John 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.2024.5},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-210766},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2024.5},
  annote =	{Keywords: sorting, online algorithm, TSP}
}

Search Results

Documents authored by Klausen, Jonas

A Faster Algorithm for Constrained Correlation Clustering

Abstract

Cite as

Online Sorting and Online TSP: Randomized, Stochastic, and High-Dimensional

Abstract

Cite as

Thanks for your feedback!

Could not send message