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DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.46

Symmetric Algebraic Circuits and Homomorphism Polynomials

Authors: Anuj Dawar, Benedikt Pago, and Tim Seppelt

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)

Abstract

The central open question of algebraic complexity is whether VP ≠ VNP, which is saying that the permanent cannot be represented by families of polynomial-size algebraic circuits. For symmetric algebraic circuits, this has been confirmed by Dawar and Wilsenach (2020), who showed exponential lower bounds on the size of symmetric circuits for the permanent. In this work, we set out to develop a more general symmetric algebraic complexity theory. Our main result is that a family of symmetric polynomials admits small symmetric circuits if and only if they can be written as a linear combination of homomorphism counting polynomials of graphs of bounded treewidth. We also establish a relationship between the symmetric complexity of subgraph counting polynomials and the vertex cover number of the pattern graph. As a concrete example, we examine the symmetric complexity of immanant families (a generalisation of the determinant and permanent) and show that a known conditional dichotomy due to Curticapean (2021) holds unconditionally in the symmetric setting.

Cite as

Anuj Dawar, Benedikt Pago, and Tim Seppelt. Symmetric Algebraic Circuits and Homomorphism Polynomials. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 46:1-46:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{dawar_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.46,
  author =	{Dawar, Anuj and Pago, Benedikt and Seppelt, Tim},
  title =	{{Symmetric Algebraic Circuits and Homomorphism Polynomials}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{46:1--46:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.46},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253330},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.46},
  annote =	{Keywords: algebraic complexity, finite model theory, symmetric circuits, homomorphism counting, graph homomorphism, treewidth, counting width, first-order logic with counting quantifiers}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.49

Debordering Closure Results in Determinantal and Pfaffian Ideals

Authors: Anakin Dey and Zeyu Guo

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)

Abstract

One important question in algebraic complexity is understanding the complexity of polynomial ideals (Grochow, Bulletin of EATCS 131, 2020). Andrews and Forbes (STOC 2022) studied the determinantal ideals I^{det}_{n,m,r} generated by the r× r minors of n× m matrices. Over fields of characteristic zero or of sufficiently large characteristic, they showed that for any nonzero f ∈ I^{det}_{n,m,r}, the determinant of a t × t matrix of variables with t = Θ{r^{1/3}} is approximately computed by a constant-depth, polynomial-size f-oracle algebraic circuit, in the sense that the determinant lies in the border of such circuits. An analogous result was also obtained for Pfaffians in the same paper. In this work, we deborder the result of Andrews and Forbes by showing that when f has polynomial degree, the determinant is in fact exactly computed by a constant-depth, polynomial-size f-oracle algebraic circuit. We further establish an analogous result for Pfaffian ideals. Our results are established using the isolation lemma, combined with a careful analysis of straightening-law expansions of polynomials in determinantal and Pfaffian ideals.

Cite as

Anakin Dey and Zeyu Guo. Debordering Closure Results in Determinantal and Pfaffian Ideals. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 49:1-49:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{dey_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.49,
  author =	{Dey, Anakin and Guo, Zeyu},
  title =	{{Debordering Closure Results in Determinantal and Pfaffian Ideals}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{49:1--49:24},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.49},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253363},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.49},
  annote =	{Keywords: Algebraic circuit complexity, Isolation lemma, Debordering}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.99

AC⁰[p]-Frege Cannot Efficiently Prove That Constant-Depth Algebraic Circuit Lower Bounds Are Hard

Authors: Jiaqi Lu, Rahul Santhanam, and Iddo Tzameret

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)

Abstract

We study whether lower bounds against constant-depth algebraic circuits computing the Permanent over finite fields (Limaye-Srinivasan-Tavenas [J. ACM, 2025] and Forbes [CCC'24]) are hard to prove in certain proof systems. We focus on a DNF formula that expresses that such lower bounds are hard for constant-depth algebraic proofs. Using an adaptation of the diagonalization framework of Santhanam and Tzameret (SIAM J. Comput., 2025), we show unconditionally that this family of DNF formulas does not admit polynomial-size propositional AC⁰[p]-Frege proofs, infinitely often. This rules out the possibility that the DNF family is easy, and establishes that its status is either that of a hard tautology for AC⁰[p]-Frege or else unprovable (i.e., not a tautology). While it remains open whether the DNFs in question are tautologies, we provide evidence in this direction. In particular, under the plausible assumption that certain (weak) properties of multilinear algebra - specifically, those involving tensor rank - do not admit short constant-depth algebraic proofs, the DNFs are tautologies. We also observe that several weaker variants of the DNF formula are provably tautologies, and we show that the question of whether the DNFs are tautologies connects to conjectures of Razborov (ICALP'96) and Krajíček (J. Symb. Log., 2004). Additionally, our result has the following special features: ii) Existential depth amplification: the DNF formula considered is parameterised by a constant depth d bounding the depth of the algebraic proofs. We show that there exists some fixed depth d such that if there are no small depth-d algebraic proofs of certain circuit lower bounds for the Permanent, then there are no such small algebraic proofs in any constant depth. iii) Necessity: We show that our result is a necessary step towards establishing lower bounds against constant-depth algebraic proofs, and more generally against any sufficiently strong proof system. In particular, showing there are no short proofs for our DNF formulas, obtained by replacing "constant-depth algebraic circuits" with any "reasonable" algebraic circuit class C, is necessary in order to prove any super-polynomial lower bounds against algebraic proofs operating with circuits from C.

Cite as

Jiaqi Lu, Rahul Santhanam, and Iddo Tzameret. AC⁰[p]-Frege Cannot Efficiently Prove That Constant-Depth Algebraic Circuit Lower Bounds Are Hard. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 99:1-99:25, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{lu_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.99,
  author =	{Lu, Jiaqi and Santhanam, Rahul and Tzameret, Iddo},
  title =	{{AC⁰\lbrackp\rbrack-Frege Cannot Efficiently Prove That Constant-Depth Algebraic Circuit Lower Bounds Are Hard}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{99:1--99:25},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.99},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253865},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.99},
  annote =	{Keywords: Complexity, Lower bounds, Proof complexity, AC⁰\lbrackp\rbrack-Frege, Diagonalisation, Algebraic complexity}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.52

Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange from Commutativity to Group Laws

Authors: Dung Hoang Duong, Youming Qiao, and Chuanqi Zhang

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)

Abstract

In Diffie-Hellman key exchange, the commutativity of power operations is instrumental in the agreement of keys. Viewing commutativity as a law in abelian groups, we propose Diffie-Hellman key exchange in the group action framework (Brassard-Yung, Crypto'90; Ji-Qiao-Song-Yun, TCC'19), for actions of non-abelian groups with laws. The security of this protocol is shown, following Fischlin, Günther, Schmidt, and Warinschi (IEEE S&P'16), based on a pseudorandom group action assumption. A concrete instantiation is proposed based on the monomial code equivalence problem.

Cite as

Dung Hoang Duong, Youming Qiao, and Chuanqi Zhang. Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange from Commutativity to Group Laws. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 52:1-52:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{duong_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.52,
  author =	{Duong, Dung Hoang and Qiao, Youming and Zhang, Chuanqi},
  title =	{{Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange from Commutativity to Group Laws}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{52:1--52:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.52},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253396},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.52},
  annote =	{Keywords: Diffie-Hellman, Key Exchange, Group Laws, Group Actions, Code Equivalence}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.32

Vanishing Signatures, Orbit Closure, and the Converse of the Holant Theorem

Authors: Jin-Yi Cai and Ben Young

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 362, 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)

Abstract

Valiant’s Holant theorem is a powerful tool for algorithms and reductions for counting problems. It states that if two sets ℱ and 𝒢 of tensors (a.k.a. constraint functions or signatures) are related by a holographic transformation, then ℱ and 𝒢 are Holant-indistinguishable, i.e., every tensor network using tensors from ℱ, respectively from 𝒢, contracts to the same value. Xia (ICALP 2010) conjectured the converse of the Holant theorem, but a counterexample was found based on vanishing signatures, those which are Holant-indistinguishable from 0. We prove two near-converses of the Holant theorem using techniques from invariant theory. (I) Holant-indistinguishable ℱ and 𝒢 always admit two sequences of holographic transformations mapping them arbitrarily close to each other, i.e., their GL_q-orbit closures intersect. (II) We show that vanishing signatures are the only true obstacle to a converse of the Holant theorem. As corollaries of the two theorems we obtain the first characterization of homomorphism-indistinguishability over graphs of bounded degree, a long standing open problem, and show that two graphs with invertible adjacency matrices are isomorphic if and only if they are homomorphism-indistinguishable over graphs with maximum degree at most three. We also show that Holant-indistinguishability is complete for a complexity class TOCI introduced by Lysikov and Walter [Vladimir Lysikov and Michael Walter, 2024], and hence hard for graph isomorphism.

Cite as

Jin-Yi Cai and Ben Young. Vanishing Signatures, Orbit Closure, and the Converse of the Holant Theorem. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 32:1-32:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{cai_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.32,
  author =	{Cai, Jin-Yi and Young, Ben},
  title =	{{Vanishing Signatures, Orbit Closure, and the Converse of the Holant Theorem}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{32:1--32:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-410-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{362},
  editor =	{Saraf, Shubhangi},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.32},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253198},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.32},
  annote =	{Keywords: Holant, Orbit Closure Intersection, Homomorphism Indistinguishability, Tensor Network}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.47

The Algebraic Cost of a Boolean Sum

Authors: Ian Orzel, Srikanth Srinivasan, Sébastien Tavenas, and Amir Yehudayoff

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 360, 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that the permanent polynomial is complete for the complexity class VNP, and it is largely suspected that the determinant does not share this property, despite its similar expression. We study the question of why the VNP-completeness proof of the permanent fails for the determinant. We isolate three fundamental properties that are sufficient to prove a polynomial sequence is VNP-hard, of which two are shared by both the permanent and the determinant. We proceed to show that the permanent satisfies the third property, which we refer to as the "cost of a boolean sum", while the determinant does not, showcasing the fundamental difference between the polynomial families. We further note that this differentiation also applies in the border complexity setting and that our results apply for counting complexity.

Cite as

Ian Orzel, Srikanth Srinivasan, Sébastien Tavenas, and Amir Yehudayoff. The Algebraic Cost of a Boolean Sum. In 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 360, pp. 47:1-47:13, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{orzel_et_al:LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.47,
  author =	{Orzel, Ian and Srinivasan, Srikanth and Tavenas, S\'{e}bastien and Yehudayoff, Amir},
  title =	{{The Algebraic Cost of a Boolean Sum}},
  booktitle =	{45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)},
  pages =	{47:1--47:13},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-406-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{360},
  editor =	{Aiswarya, C. and Mehta, Ruta and Roy, Subhajit},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.47},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251271},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.47},
  annote =	{Keywords: Algebraic Complexity, Computational Complexity, Permanent, Determinant}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.22

IPS Lower Bounds for Formulas and Sum of ROABPs

Authors: Prerona Chatterjee, Utsab Ghosal, Partha Mukhopadhyay, and Amit Sinhababu

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 360, 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)

Abstract

We give new lower bounds for the fragments of the Ideal Proof System (IPS) introduced by Grochow and Pitassi [Joshua A. Grochow and Toniann Pitassi, 2018]. The Ideal Proof System is a central topic in algebraic proof complexity developed in the context of Nullstellensatz refutation [Paul Beame et al., 1994] and simulates Extended Frege efficiently. Our main results are as follows. - mult-IPS_{Lin'}: We prove nearly quadratic-size formula lower bound for multilinear refutation (over the Boolean hypercube) of a variant of the subset-sum axiom polynomial. Extending this, we obtain a nearly matching qualitative statement for a constant degree target polynomial. - IPS_{Lin'}: Over the fields of characteristic zero, we prove exponential-size sum-of-ROABPs lower bound for the refutation of a variant of the subset-sum axiom polynomial. The result also extends over the fields of positive characteristics when the target polynomial is suitably modified. The modification is inspired by the recent results [Tuomas Hakoniemi et al., 2024; Amik Raj Behera et al., 2025]. The mult-IPS_{Lin'} lower bound result is obtained by combining the quadratic-size formula lower bound technique of Kalorkoti [Kalorkoti, 1985] with some additional ideas. The proof technique of IPS_{Lin'} lower bound result is inspired by the recent lower bound result of Chatterjee, Kush, Saraf and Shpilka [Prerona Chatterjee et al., 2024].

Cite as

Prerona Chatterjee, Utsab Ghosal, Partha Mukhopadhyay, and Amit Sinhababu. IPS Lower Bounds for Formulas and Sum of ROABPs. In 45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 360, pp. 22:1-22:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{chatterjee_et_al:LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.22,
  author =	{Chatterjee, Prerona and Ghosal, Utsab and Mukhopadhyay, Partha and Sinhababu, Amit},
  title =	{{IPS Lower Bounds for Formulas and Sum of ROABPs}},
  booktitle =	{45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)},
  pages =	{22:1--22:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-406-2},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{360},
  editor =	{Aiswarya, C. and Mehta, Ruta and Roy, Subhajit},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.22},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251035},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.22},
  annote =	{Keywords: Ideal Proof System, Lower Bound, Algebraic Complexity}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.40

Symmetric Proofs in the Ideal Proof System

Authors: Anuj Dawar, Erich Grädel, Leon Kullmann, and Benedikt Pago

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

Abstract

We consider the Ideal Proof System (IPS) introduced by Grochow and Pitassi and pose the question of which tautologies admit symmetric proofs, and of what complexity. The symmetry requirement in proofs is inspired by recent work establishing lower bounds in other symmetric models of computation. We link the existence of symmetric IPS proofs to the expressive power of logics such as fixed-point logic with counting and Choiceless Polynomial Time, specifically regarding the graph isomorphism problem. We identify relationships and tradeoffs between the symmetry of proofs and other parameters of IPS proofs such as size, degree and linearity. We study these on a number of standard families of tautologies from proof complexity and finite model theory such as the pigeonhole principle, the subset sum problem and the Cai-Fürer-Immerman graphs, exhibiting non-trivial upper bounds on the size of symmetric IPS proofs.

Cite as

Anuj Dawar, Erich Grädel, Leon Kullmann, and Benedikt Pago. Symmetric Proofs in the Ideal Proof System. In 50th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 345, pp. 40:1-40:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{dawar_et_al:LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.40,
  author =	{Dawar, Anuj and Gr\"{a}del, Erich and Kullmann, Leon and Pago, Benedikt},
  title =	{{Symmetric Proofs in the Ideal Proof System}},
  booktitle =	{50th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2025)},
  pages =	{40:1--40:18},
  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.2025.40},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-241477},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.40},
  annote =	{Keywords: proof complexity, algebraic complexity, descriptive complexity, symmetric circuits, graph isomorphism}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.78

Strong Keys for Tensor Isomorphism Cryptography

Authors: Anand Kumar Narayanan

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

Abstract

Sampling a non degenerate (that is, invertible) square matrix over a finite field is easy, draw a random square matrix and discard if the determinant is zero. We address the problem in higher dimensions, and sample non degenerate boundary format tensors, which generalise square matrices. Testing degeneracy is conjectured to be hard in more than two dimensions [Hillar and Lim, 2013], precluding the "draw a random tensor and discard if degenerate" recipe. The difficulty is in computing hyperdeterminants, higher dimensional analogues of determinants. Instead, we start with a structured random non degenerate tensor and scramble it by infusing more randomness while still preserving non degeneracy. We propose two kinds of scrambling. The first is multiplication in each dimension by random invertible matrices, which preserves dimension and format. Assuming pseudo randomness of this action, which also underlies tensor isomorphism based cryptography, our samples are computationally indistinguishable from uniform non degenerate tensors. The second scrambling employs tensor convolution (that generalises multiplication by matrices) and can increase dimension. Inspired by hyperdeterminant multiplicativity, we devise a recursive sampler that uses tensor convolution to reduce the problem from arbitrary to three dimensions. Our sampling is a candidate solution for drawing public keys in tensor isomorphism based cryptography, since non degenerate tensors elude recent weak key attacks targeting public key tensors either containing geometric structures such as "triangles" [Lars Ran and Simona Samardjiska, 2024] or being deficient in tensor rank [Gilchrist et al., 2024]. To accommodate our sampling, tensor isomorphism based schemes need to be instantiated in boundary formats such as (2k+1) × (k+1) × (k+1), away from the more familiar k × k × k cubic formats. Our sampling (along with the recent tensor trapdoor one-way functions [Anand Kumar Narayanan, 2025]) makes an enticing case to transition tensor isomorphism cryptography to boundary formats tensors, which are true analogues of square matrices.

Cite as

Anand Kumar Narayanan. Strong Keys for Tensor Isomorphism Cryptography. In 50th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 345, pp. 78:1-78:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{narayanan:LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.78,
  author =	{Narayanan, Anand Kumar},
  title =	{{Strong Keys for Tensor Isomorphism Cryptography}},
  booktitle =	{50th International Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS 2025)},
  pages =	{78:1--78:18},
  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.2025.78},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-241857},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2025.78},
  annote =	{Keywords: tensors, finite fields, post-quantum cryptography}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2025.15

Algebraic Pseudorandomness in VNC⁰

Authors: Robert Andrews

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 339, 40th Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2025)

Abstract

We study the arithmetic complexity of hitting set generators, which are pseudorandom objects used for derandomization of the polynomial identity testing problem. We give new explicit constructions of hitting set generators whose outputs are computable in VNC⁰, i.e., can be computed by arithmetic formulas of constant size. Unconditionally, we construct a VNC⁰-computable generator that hits arithmetic circuits of constant depth and polynomial size. We also give conditional constructions, under strong but plausible hardness assumptions, of VNC⁰-computable generators that hit arithmetic formulas and arithmetic branching programs of polynomial size, respectively. As a corollary of our constructions, we derive lower bounds for subsystems of the Geometric Ideal Proof System of Grochow and Pitassi. Constructions of such generators are implicit in prior work of Kayal on lower bounds for the degree of annihilating polynomials. Our main contribution is a construction whose correctness relies on circuit complexity lower bounds rather than degree lower bounds.

Cite as

Robert Andrews. Algebraic Pseudorandomness in VNC⁰. In 40th Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 339, pp. 15:1-15:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{andrews:LIPIcs.CCC.2025.15,
  author =	{Andrews, Robert},
  title =	{{Algebraic Pseudorandomness in VNC⁰}},
  booktitle =	{40th Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2025)},
  pages =	{15:1--15:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-379-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{339},
  editor =	{Srinivasan, Srikanth},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2025.15},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-237092},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2025.15},
  annote =	{Keywords: Polynomial identity testing, Algebraic circuits, Ideal Proof System}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2025.9

Pseudorandom Bits for Non-Commutative Programs

Authors: Chin Ho Lee and Emanuele Viola

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 339, 40th Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2025)

Abstract

We obtain new explicit pseudorandom generators for several computational models involving groups. Our main results are as follows: 1) We consider read-once group-products over a finite group G, i.e., tests of the form ∏_{i=1}^n (g_i)^{x_i} where g_i ∈ G, a special case of read-once permutation branching programs. We give generators with optimal seed length c_G log(n/ε) over any p-group. The proof uses the small-bias plus noise paradigm, but derandomizes the noise to avoid the recursion in previous work. Our generator works when the bits are read in any order. Previously for any non-commutative group the best seed length was ≥ log n log(1/ε), even for a fixed order. 2) We give a reduction that "lifts" suitable generators for group products over G to a generator that fools width-w block products, i.e., tests of the form ∏ (g_i)^{f_i} where the f_i are arbitrary functions on disjoint blocks of w bits. Block products generalize several previously studied classes. The reduction applies to groups that are mixing in a representation-theoretic sense that we identify. 3) Combining (2) with (1) and other works we obtain new generators for block products over the quaternions or over any commutative group, with nearly optimal seed length. In particular, we obtain generators for read-once polynomials modulo any fixed m with nearly optimal seed length. Previously this was known only for m = 2. 4) We give a new generator for products over "mixing groups." The construction departs from previous work and uses representation theory. For constant error, we obtain optimal seed length, improving on previous work (which applied to any group). This paper identifies a challenge in the area that is reminiscent of a roadblock in circuit complexity - handling composite moduli - and points to several classes of groups to be attacked next.

Cite as

Chin Ho Lee and Emanuele Viola. Pseudorandom Bits for Non-Commutative Programs. In 40th Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 339, pp. 9:1-9:22, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{lee_et_al:LIPIcs.CCC.2025.9,
  author =	{Lee, Chin Ho and Viola, Emanuele},
  title =	{{Pseudorandom Bits for Non-Commutative Programs}},
  booktitle =	{40th Computational Complexity Conference (CCC 2025)},
  pages =	{9:1--9:22},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-379-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{339},
  editor =	{Srinivasan, Srikanth},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2025.9},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-237039},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2025.9},
  annote =	{Keywords: Group programs, Space-bounded derandomization, Representation theory}
}

Document

Track A: Algorithms, Complexity and Games

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2025.22

New Bounds for the Ideal Proof System in Positive Characteristic

Authors: Amik Raj Behera, Nutan Limaye, Varun Ramanathan, and Srikanth Srinivasan

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 334, 52nd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2025)

Abstract

In this work, we prove upper and lower bounds over fields of positive characteristics for several fragments of the Ideal Proof System (IPS), an algebraic proof system introduced by Grochow and Pitassi (J. ACM 2018). Our results extend the works of Forbes, Shpilka, Tzameret, and Wigderson (Theory of Computing 2021) and also of Govindasamy, Hakoniemi, and Tzameret (FOCS 2022). These works primarily focused on proof systems over fields of characteristic 0, and we are able to extend these results to positive characteristic. The question of proving general IPS lower bounds over positive characteristic is motivated by the important question of proving AC⁰[p]-Frege lower bounds. This connection was observed by Grochow and Pitassi (J. ACM 2018). Additional motivation comes from recent developments in algebraic complexity theory due to Forbes (CCC 2024) who showed how to extend previous lower bounds over characteristic 0 to positive characteristic. In our work, we adapt the functional lower bound method of Forbes et al. (Theory of Computing 2021) to prove exponential-size lower bounds for various subsystems of IPS. In order to establish these size lower bounds, we first prove a tight degree lower bound for a variant of Subset Sum over positive characteristic. This forms the core of all our lower bounds. Additionally, we derive upper bounds for the instances presented above. We show that they have efficient constant-depth IPS refutations. This demonstrates that constant-depth IPS refutations are stronger than the proof systems considered above even in positive characteristic. We also show that constant-depth IPS can efficiently refute a general class of instances, namely all symmetric instances, thereby further uncovering the strength of these algebraic proofs in positive characteristic.

Cite as

Amik Raj Behera, Nutan Limaye, Varun Ramanathan, and Srikanth Srinivasan. New Bounds for the Ideal Proof System in Positive Characteristic. In 52nd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 334, pp. 22:1-22:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{behera_et_al:LIPIcs.ICALP.2025.22,
  author =	{Behera, Amik Raj and Limaye, Nutan and Ramanathan, Varun and Srinivasan, Srikanth},
  title =	{{New Bounds for the Ideal Proof System in Positive Characteristic}},
  booktitle =	{52nd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2025)},
  pages =	{22:1--22:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-372-0},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{334},
  editor =	{Censor-Hillel, Keren and Grandoni, Fabrizio and Ouaknine, Jo\"{e}l and Puppis, Gabriele},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2025.22},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-233992},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2025.22},
  annote =	{Keywords: Ideal Proof Systems, Algebraic Complexity, Positive Characteristic}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.58

Tracking the Persistence of Harmonic Chains: Barcode and Stability

Authors: Tao Hou, Salman Parsa, and Bei Wang

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 332, 41st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2025)

Abstract

The persistence barcode is a topological descriptor of data that plays a fundamental role in topological data analysis. Given a filtration of data, the persistence barcode tracks the evolution of its homology groups. In this paper, we introduce a new type of barcode, called the harmonic chain barcode, which tracks the evolution of harmonic chains. In addition, we show that the harmonic chain barcode is stable. Given a filtration of a simplicial complex of size m, we present an algorithm to compute its harmonic chain barcode in O(m³) time. Consequently, the harmonic chain barcode can enrich the family of topological descriptors in applications where a persistence barcode is applicable, such as feature vectorization and machine learning.

Cite as

Tao Hou, Salman Parsa, and Bei Wang. Tracking the Persistence of Harmonic Chains: Barcode and Stability. In 41st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 332, pp. 58:1-58:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{hou_et_al:LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.58,
  author =	{Hou, Tao and Parsa, Salman and Wang, Bei},
  title =	{{Tracking the Persistence of Harmonic Chains: Barcode and Stability}},
  booktitle =	{41st International Symposium on Computational Geometry (SoCG 2025)},
  pages =	{58:1--58:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-370-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{332},
  editor =	{Aichholzer, Oswin and Wang, Haitao},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.58},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-232100},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2025.58},
  annote =	{Keywords: Persistent homology, harmonic chains, topological data analysis}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2025.18

Finite Matrix Multiplication Algorithms from Infinite Groups

Authors: Jonah Blasiak, Henry Cohn, Joshua A. Grochow, Kevin Pratt, and Chris Umans

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 325, 16th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2025)

Abstract

The Cohn-Umans (FOCS '03) group-theoretic framework for matrix multiplication produces fast matrix multiplication algorithms from three subsets of a finite group G satisfying a simple combinatorial condition (the Triple Product Property). The complexity of such an algorithm then depends on the representation theory of G. In this paper we extend the group-theoretic framework to the setting of infinite groups. In particular, this allows us to obtain constructions in Lie groups, with favorable parameters, that are provably impossible in finite groups of Lie type (Blasiak, Cohn, Grochow, Pratt, and Umans, ITCS '23). Previously the Lie group setting was investigated purely as an analogue of the finite group case; a key contribution in this paper is a fully developed framework for obtaining bona fide matrix multiplication algorithms directly from Lie group constructions. As part of this framework, we introduce "separating functions" as a necessary new design component, and show that when the underlying group is G = GL_n, these functions are polynomials with their degree being the key parameter. In particular, we show that a construction with "half-dimensional" subgroups and optimal degree would imply ω = 2. We then build up machinery that reduces the problem of constructing optimal-degree separating polynomials to the problem of constructing a single polynomial (and a corresponding set of group elements) in a ring of invariant polynomials determined by two out of the three subgroups that satisfy the Triple Product Property. This machinery combines border rank with the Lie algebras associated with the Lie subgroups in a critical way. We give several constructions illustrating the main components of the new framework, culminating in a construction in a special unitary group that achieves separating polynomials of optimal degree, meeting one of the key challenges. The subgroups in this construction have dimension approaching half the ambient dimension, but (just barely) too slowly. We argue that features of the classical Lie groups make it unlikely that constructions in these particular groups could produce nontrivial bounds on ω unless they prove ω = 2. One way to get ω = 2 via our new framework would be to lift our existing construction from the special unitary group to GL_n, and improve the dimension of the subgroups from (dim G)/2 - Θ(n) to (dim G)/2 - o(n).

Cite as

Jonah Blasiak, Henry Cohn, Joshua A. Grochow, Kevin Pratt, and Chris Umans. Finite Matrix Multiplication Algorithms from Infinite Groups. In 16th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 325, pp. 18:1-18:23, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{blasiak_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2025.18,
  author =	{Blasiak, Jonah and Cohn, Henry and Grochow, Joshua A. and Pratt, Kevin and Umans, Chris},
  title =	{{Finite Matrix Multiplication Algorithms from Infinite Groups}},
  booktitle =	{16th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2025)},
  pages =	{18:1--18:23},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-361-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{325},
  editor =	{Meka, Raghu},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2025.18},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-226460},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2025.18},
  annote =	{Keywords: Fast matrix multiplication, representation theory, infinite groups}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2025.62

A High Dimensional Cramer’s Rule Connecting Homogeneous Multilinear Equations to Hyperdeterminants

Authors: Antoine Joux and Anand Kumar Narayanan

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 325, 16th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2025)

Abstract

We present a new algorithm for solving homogeneous multilinear equations, which are high dimensional generalisations of solving homogeneous linear equations. First, we present a linear time reduction from solving generic homogeneous multilinear equations to computing hyperdeterminants, via a high dimensional Cramer’s rule. Hyperdeterminants are generalisations of determinants, associated with tensors of formats generalising square matrices. Second, we devise arithmetic circuits to compute hyperdeterminants of boundary format tensors. Boundary format tensors are those that generalise square matrices in the strictest sense. Consequently, we obtain arithmetic circuits for solving generic homogeneous boundary format multilinear equations. The complexity as a function of the input dimension varies across boundary format families, ranging from quasi-polynomial to sub exponential. Curiously, the quasi-polynomial complexity arises for families of increasing dimension, including the family of multipartite quantum systems made of d qubits and one qudit. Finally, we identify potential directions to resolve the hardness the hyperdeterminants, notably modulo prime numbers through the cryptographically significant tensor isomorphism complexity class.

Cite as

Antoine Joux and Anand Kumar Narayanan. A High Dimensional Cramer’s Rule Connecting Homogeneous Multilinear Equations to Hyperdeterminants. In 16th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 325, pp. 62:1-62:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{joux_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2025.62,
  author =	{Joux, Antoine and Narayanan, Anand Kumar},
  title =	{{A High Dimensional Cramer’s Rule Connecting Homogeneous Multilinear Equations to Hyperdeterminants}},
  booktitle =	{16th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2025)},
  pages =	{62:1--62:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-361-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{325},
  editor =	{Meka, Raghu},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2025.62},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-226904},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2025.62},
  annote =	{Keywords: arithmetic circuits, tensors, determinants, hyperdeterminants}
}

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