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Documents authored by Wulf, Lasse

Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.19
On Finding 𝓁-Th Smallest Perfect Matchings

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

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 351, 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)

Abstract
Given an undirected weighted graph G and an integer k, Exact-Weight Perfect Matching (EWPM) is the problem of finding a perfect matching of weight exactly k in G. In this paper, we study EWPM and its variants. The EWPM problem is famous, since in the case of unary encoded weights, Mulmuley, Vazirani, and Vazirani showed almost 40 years ago that the problem can be solved in randomized polynomial time. However, up to this date no derandomization is known. Our first result is a simple deterministic algorithm for EWPM that runs in time n^𝒪(𝓁), where 𝓁 is the number of distinct weights that perfect matchings in G can take. In fact, we show how to find an 𝓁-th smallest perfect matching in any weighted graph (even if the weights are encoded in binary, in which case EWPM in general is known to be NP-complete) in time n^𝒪(𝓁) for any integer 𝓁. Similar next-to-optimal variants have also been studied recently for the shortest path problem. For our second result, we extend the list of problems that are known to be equivalent to EWPM. We show that EWPM is equivalent under a weight-preserving reduction to the Exact Cycle Sum problem (ECS) in undirected graphs with a conservative (i.e. no negative cycles) weight function. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to study this problem. As a consequence, the latter problem is contained in RP if the weights are encoded in unary. Finally, we identify a special case of EWPM, called BCPM, which was recently studied by El Maalouly, Steiner and Wulf. We show that BCPM is equivalent under a weight-preserving transformation to another problem recently studied by Schlotter and Sebő as well as Geelen and Kapadia: the Shortest Odd Cycle problem (SOC) in undirected graphs with conservative weights. Finally, our n^𝒪(𝓁) algorithm works in this setting as well, identifying a tractable special case of SOC, BCPM, and ECS.
Cite as

Nicolas El Maalouly, Sebastian Haslebacher, Adrian Taubner, and Lasse Wulf. On Finding 𝓁-Th Smallest Perfect Matchings. In 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 351, pp. 19:1-19:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{elmaalouly_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2025.19,
  author =	{El Maalouly, Nicolas and Haslebacher, Sebastian and Taubner, Adrian and Wulf, Lasse},
  title =	{{On Finding 𝓁-Th Smallest Perfect Matchings}},
  booktitle =	{33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-395-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{351},
  editor =	{Benoit, Anne and Kaplan, Haim and Wild, Sebastian 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.2025.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-244875},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: Exact Matching, Perfect Matching, Exact-Weight Perfect Matching, Shortest Odd Cycle, Exact Cycle Sum, l-th Smallest Solution, l-th Largest Solution, k-th Best Solution, Derandomization}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.24
Fréchet Distance in Unweighted Planar Graphs

Authors: Ivor van der Hoog, Thijs van der Horst, Eva Rotenberg, and Lasse Wulf

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 351, 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)

Abstract
The Fréchet distance is a distance measure between trajectories in ℝ^d or walks in a graph G. Given constant-time shortest path queries, the Discrete Fréchet distance D_G(P, Q) between two walks P and Q can be computed in O(|P|⋅|Q|) time using a dynamic program. Driemel, van der Hoog, and Rotenberg [SoCG'22] show that for weighted planar graphs this approach is likely tight, as there can be no strongly-subquadratic algorithm to compute a 1.01-approximation of D_G(P, Q) unless the Orthogonal Vector Hypothesis (OVH) fails. Such quadratic-time conditional lower bounds are common to many Fréchet distance variants. However, they can be circumvented by assuming that the input comes from some well-behaved class: There exist (1+ε)-approximations, both in weighted graphs and in ℝ^d, that take near-linear time for c-packed or κ-straight walks in the graph. In ℝ^d there also exists a near-linear time algorithm to compute the Fréchet distance whenever all input edges are long compared to the distance. We consider computing the Fréchet distance in unweighted planar graphs. We show that there exist no strongly-subquadratic 1.25-approximations of the discrete Fréchet distance between two disjoint simple paths in an unweighted planar graph in strongly subquadratic time, unless OVH fails. This improves the previous lower bound, both in terms of generality and approximation factor. We subsequently show that adding graph structure circumvents this lower bound: If the graph is a regular tiling with unit-weighted edges, then there exists an Õ((|P|+|Q|)^{1.5})-time algorithm to compute D_G(P, Q). Our result has natural implications in the plane, as it allows us to define a new class of well-behaved curves that facilitate (1+ε)-approximations of their discrete Fréchet distance in subquadratic time.
Cite as

Ivor van der Hoog, Thijs van der Horst, Eva Rotenberg, and Lasse Wulf. Fréchet Distance in Unweighted Planar Graphs. In 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 351, pp. 24:1-24:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{vanderhoog_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2025.24,
  author =	{van der Hoog, Ivor and van der Horst, Thijs and Rotenberg, Eva and Wulf, Lasse},
  title =	{{Fr\'{e}chet Distance in Unweighted Planar Graphs}},
  booktitle =	{33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)},
  pages =	{24:1--24:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-395-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{351},
  editor =	{Benoit, Anne and Kaplan, Haim and Wild, Sebastian 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.2025.24},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-244924},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.24},
  annote =	{Keywords: Fr\'{e}chet distance, planar graphs, lower bounds, approximation algorithms}
}
Document
DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.52
On the Complexity of Recoverable Robust Optimization in the Polynomial Hierarchy

Authors: Christoph Grüne and Lasse Wulf

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 345, 50th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2025)

Abstract
Recoverable robust optimization is a popular multi-stage approach, in which it is possible to adjust a first-stage solution after the uncertain cost scenario is revealed. We consider recoverable robust optimization in combination with discrete budgeted uncertainty. In this setting, it seems plausible that many problems become Σ^p₃-complete and therefore it is impossible to find compact IP formulations of them (unless the unlikely conjecture NP = Σ^p₃ holds). Even though this seems plausible, few concrete results of this kind are known. In this paper, we fill that gap of knowledge. We consider recoverable robust optimization for the nominal problems of Sat, 3Sat, vertex cover, dominating set, set cover, hitting set, feedback vertex set, feedback arc set, uncapacitated facility location, p-center, p-median, independent set, clique, subset sum, knapsack, partition, scheduling, Hamiltonian path/cycle (directed/undirected), TSP, k-directed disjoint path (k ≥ 2), and Steiner tree. We show that for each of these problems, and for each of three widely used distance measures, the recoverable robust problem becomes Σ^p₃-complete. Concretely, we show that all these problems share a certain abstract property and prove that this property implies that their robust recoverable counterpart is Σ^p₃-complete. This reveals the insight that all the above problems are Σ^p₃-complete "for the same reason". Our result extends a recent framework by Grüne and Wulf.
Cite as

Christoph Grüne and Lasse Wulf. On the Complexity of Recoverable Robust Optimization in the Polynomial Hierarchy. In 50th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 345, pp. 52:1-52:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{grune_et_al:LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.52,
  author =	{Gr\"{u}ne, Christoph and Wulf, Lasse},
  title =	{{On the Complexity of Recoverable Robust Optimization in the Polynomial Hierarchy}},
  booktitle =	{50th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2025)},
  pages =	{52:1--52:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-388-1},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{345},
  editor =	{Gawrychowski, Pawe{\l} and Mazowiecki, Filip and Skrzypczak, Micha{\l}},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.52},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-241596},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.52},
  annote =	{Keywords: Complexity, Robust Optimization, Recoverable Robust Optimization, Two-Stage Problems, Polynomial Hierarchy, Sigma 2, Sigma 3}
}
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)

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@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)

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@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)

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@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}
}
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