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DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2026.37

Finding Shortest Reconfiguration Sequences on Independent Set Polytopes

Authors: Jean Cardinal, Kevin Mann, Akira Suzuki, Takahiro Suzuki, Yuma Tamura, and Xiao Zhou

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 386, 51st International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2026)

Abstract

We initiate the study of the shortest reconfiguration problem for independent sets under the adjacency relation derived from the independent set polytope. Given a graph and two independent sets, the problem asks for a shortest sequence transforming one into the other such that the subgraph induced by the symmetric difference of any two consecutive sets is connected. This is equivalent to finding a shortest path on the 1-skeleton of the independent set polytope. We prove that the problem is NP-hard even on planar graphs of bounded degree, as well as on split graphs. Notably, the hardness for planar graphs of bounded degree still holds even when deciding whether the target can be reached in at most two steps. For split graphs, we further show the W[2]-hardness when parameterized by the number of steps, as well as the inapproximability of the optimal length. As a consequence, we prove that the length of a shortest path between two vertices of a 0/1 polytope in ℝⁿ described by O(n) linear inequalities is hard to approximate within a factor of (1-ε)ln n for any constant ε > 0, unless P = NP. On the positive side, we provide polynomial-time algorithms for block graphs, cographs, and bipartite chain graphs. Moreover, for paths and cycles, we show that the optimal length of the shortest reconfiguration sequence exactly matches a trivial upper bound.

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Jean Cardinal, Kevin Mann, Akira Suzuki, Takahiro Suzuki, Yuma Tamura, and Xiao Zhou. Finding Shortest Reconfiguration Sequences on Independent Set Polytopes. In 51st International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 386, pp. 37:1-37:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{cardinal_et_al:LIPIcs.MFCS.2026.37,
  author =	{Cardinal, Jean and Mann, Kevin and Suzuki, Akira and Suzuki, Takahiro and Tamura, Yuma and Zhou, Xiao},
  title =	{{Finding Shortest Reconfiguration Sequences on Independent Set Polytopes}},
  booktitle =	{51st International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2026)},
  pages =	{37:1--37:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-442-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{386},
  editor =	{Kouck\'{y}, Michal and Petrișan, Daniela},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2026.37},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-274180},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2026.37},
  annote =	{Keywords: combinatorial reconfiguration, independent set, combinatorial shortest path, NP-completeness}
}

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DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.33

Coloring Reconfiguration Under Color Swapping

Authors: Janosch Fuchs, Rin Saito, Tatsuhiro Suga, Takahiro Suzuki, and Yuma Tamura

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 359, 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)

Abstract

In the Coloring Reconfiguration problem, we are given two proper k-colorings of a graph and asked to decide whether one can be transformed into the other by repeatedly applying a specified recoloring rule, while maintaining a proper coloring throughout. For this problem, two recoloring rules have been widely studied: single-vertex recoloring and Kempe chain recoloring. In this paper, we introduce a new rule, called color swapping, where two adjacent vertices may exchange their colors, so that the resulting coloring remains proper, and study the computational complexity of the problem under this rule. We first establish a complexity dichotomy with respect to k: the problem is solvable in polynomial time for k ≤ 2, and is PSPACE-complete for k ≥ 3. We further show that the problem remains PSPACE-complete even on restricted graph classes, including bipartite graphs, split graphs, and planar graphs of bounded degree. In contrast, we present polynomial-time algorithms for several graph classes: for paths when k = 3, for split graphs when k is fixed, and for cographs when k is arbitrary.

Cite as

Janosch Fuchs, Rin Saito, Tatsuhiro Suga, Takahiro Suzuki, and Yuma Tamura. Coloring Reconfiguration Under Color Swapping. In 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 359, pp. 33:1-33:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{fuchs_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.33,
  author =	{Fuchs, Janosch and Saito, Rin and Suga, Tatsuhiro and Suzuki, Takahiro and Tamura, Yuma},
  title =	{{Coloring Reconfiguration Under Color Swapping}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)},
  pages =	{33:1--33:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-408-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{359},
  editor =	{Chen, Ho-Lin and Hon, Wing-Kai and Tsai, Meng-Tsung},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.33},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-249411},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.33},
  annote =	{Keywords: Combinatorial reconfiguration, graph coloring, PSPACE-complete, graph algorithm}
}

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Documents authored by Suzuki, Takahiro

Finding Shortest Reconfiguration Sequences on Independent Set Polytopes

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Coloring Reconfiguration Under Color Swapping

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