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Track A: Algorithms, Complexity and Games

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2026.96

A 9/4-Approximation for Directed Feedback Vertex Sets in Quasi-Transitive Digraphs

Authors: Ebrahim Ghorbani and Matthias Mnich

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 374, 53rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2026)

Abstract

We provide the first non-trivial approximation algorithm for the fundamental directed feedback vertex set (DFVS) problem in the class of quasi-transitive digraphs. This class of digraphs encompasses both dense and sparse classes of digraphs, for which specialized DFVS algorithms were proposed in the literature, like tournaments or transitive orientations of bounded treewidth graphs. Our approximation algorithm can handle both dense graphs, as well as sparse graphs, by a single approach, which is based on carefully analysing the solutions to a linear programming relaxation of DFVS. It also handles the node-weighted DFVS problem, for which it computes a 9/4-approximation in polynomial time. Along the way, we improve and simplify the best-known deterministic polynomial-time approximation algorithms for DFVS in tournaments (Cai et al., SICOMP 2001; Mnich et al., ESA 2016).

Cite as

Ebrahim Ghorbani and Matthias Mnich. A 9/4-Approximation for Directed Feedback Vertex Sets in Quasi-Transitive Digraphs. In 53rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 374, pp. 96:1-96:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{ghorbani_et_al:LIPIcs.ICALP.2026.96,
  author =	{Ghorbani, Ebrahim and Mnich, Matthias},
  title =	{{A 9/4-Approximation for Directed Feedback Vertex Sets in Quasi-Transitive Digraphs}},
  booktitle =	{53rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP 2026)},
  pages =	{96:1--96:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-428-4},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{374},
  editor =	{Bhattacharya, Sayan and Nanongkai, Danupon and Benedikt, Michael 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.2026.96},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-264852},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ICALP.2026.96},
  annote =	{Keywords: directed feedback vertex set, tournaments, quasi-transitive digraphs}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.25

Parameterized Critical Node Cut Revisited

Authors: Dušan Knop, Nikolaos Melissinos, and Manolis Vasilakis

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 370, 20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026)

Abstract

We study how to sparsify connectivity in graphs under a tight deletion budget. Given a graph G and integers k,x ≥ 0, Critical Node Cut (CNC) asks whether we can delete at most k vertices so that the number of remaining unordered pairs of connected vertices is at most x. CNC generalizes Vertex Cover (the case x = 0) and models tasks in network design, epidemiology, and social network analysis. We comprehensively map the structural parameterized complexity landscape for Critical Node Cut. First, we prove W[1]-hardness for the combined parameter k + fes + Δ + pw, where fes is the feedback edge set number, Δ the maximum degree, and pw the pathwidth of the input graph, respectively. This significantly improves over the known W[1]-hardness for k+tw, where tw denotes the treewidth, and is tight in that tree-depth together with maximum degree trivially yields FPT. Second, we give new positive results. Specifically, we identify three structural parameters-max-leaf number, vertex integrity, and modular-width-that render the problem fixed-parameter tractable, and develop a polynomial-time algorithm for graphs of constant clique-width. Third, leveraging a technique introduced by Lampis [ICALP '14], we develop an FPT approximation scheme that, for any ε > 0, computes a (1+ε)-approximate solution in time (tw / ε)^{𝒪(tw)} n^{𝒪(1)}. Finally, we show that CNC admits no polynomial kernel when parameterized by vertex cover number, unless standard assumptions fail. Together, these results substantially sharpen the known complexity landscape for CNC.

Cite as

Dušan Knop, Nikolaos Melissinos, and Manolis Vasilakis. Parameterized Critical Node Cut Revisited. In 20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 370, pp. 25:1-25:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{knop_et_al:LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.25,
  author =	{Knop, Du\v{s}an and Melissinos, Nikolaos and Vasilakis, Manolis},
  title =	{{Parameterized Critical Node Cut Revisited}},
  booktitle =	{20th Scandinavian Symposium on Algorithm Theory (SWAT 2026)},
  pages =	{25:1--25:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-421-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{370},
  editor =	{Fraigniaud, Pierre},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.25},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-260617},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.SWAT.2026.25},
  annote =	{Keywords: Critical Node Cut, Parameterized Complexity, Treewidth}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.19

Sinks and Ladders: ARRIVAL and SSG with Two Vertices per Level

Authors: Bernd Gärtner, Sebastian Haslebacher, and Hung P. Hoang

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 366, 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)

Abstract

ARRIVAL is the problem of deciding whether a token, following a deterministic process, eventually reaches a designated destination. While the problem is known to lie in NP ∩ CoNP, whether it can be solved in polynomial time remains a major open question. In this article, we study ladders, a class of graphs that constitutes a family of worst-case instances for many existing algorithms, including the currently best known algorithm by Gärtner, Haslebacher, and Hoang (ICALP 2021). We show that ARRIVAL restricted to ladders can be solved in polynomial time, and we further extend this result to stopping binary simple stochastic games (SSG).

Cite as

Bernd Gärtner, Sebastian Haslebacher, and Hung P. Hoang. Sinks and Ladders: ARRIVAL and SSG with Two Vertices per Level. In 13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 366, pp. 19:1-19:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{gartner_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2026.19,
  author =	{G\"{a}rtner, Bernd and Haslebacher, Sebastian and Hoang, Hung P.},
  title =	{{Sinks and Ladders: ARRIVAL and SSG with Two Vertices per Level}},
  booktitle =	{13th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2026)},
  pages =	{19:1--19:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-417-8},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{366},
  editor =	{Iacono, John},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.19},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-257385},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2026.19},
  annote =	{Keywords: ARRIVAL, Rotor-Routing, Simple Stochastic Games}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.51

Structural Parameterization of Steiner Tree Packing

Authors: Niko Hastrich and Kirill Simonov

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 364, 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)

Abstract

Steiner Tree Packing (STP) is a notoriously hard problem in classical complexity theory, which is of practical relevance to VLSI circuit design. Previous research has approached this problem by providing heuristic or approximate algorithms. In this paper, we show the first FPT algorithms for STP parameterized by structural parameters of the input graph. In particular, we show that STP is fixed-parameter tractable by the tree-cut width as well as the fracture number of the input graph. To achieve our results, we generalize techniques from Edge-Disjoint Paths (EDP) to Generalized Steiner Tree Packing (GSTP), which generalizes both STP and EDP. First, we derive the notion of the augmented graph for GSTP analogous to EDP. We then show that GSTP is FPT by - the tree-cut width of the augmented graph, - the fracture number of the augmented graph, - the slim tree-cut width of the input graph. The latter two results were previously known for EDP; our results generalize these to GSTP and improve the running time for the parameter fracture number. On the other hand, it was open whether EDP is FPT parameterized by the tree-cut width of the augmented graph, despite extensive research on the structural complexity of the problem. We settle this question affirmatively.

Cite as

Niko Hastrich and Kirill Simonov. Structural Parameterization of Steiner Tree Packing. In 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 364, pp. 51:1-51:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{hastrich_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.51,
  author =	{Hastrich, Niko and Simonov, Kirill},
  title =	{{Structural Parameterization of Steiner Tree Packing}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{51:1--51:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-412-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2026},
  volume =	{364},
  editor =	{Mahajan, Meena and Manea, Florin and McIver, Annabelle 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.2026.51},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-255405},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.51},
  annote =	{Keywords: Steiner tree packing, structural parameters, fixed-parameter tractability}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.66

A Parameterized-Complexity Framework for Finding Local Optima

Authors: Robert Ganian, Hung P. Hoang, Christian Komusiewicz, and Nils Morawietz

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

Abstract

Local search is a fundamental optimization technique that is both widely used in practice and deeply studied in theory, yet its computational complexity remains poorly understood. The traditional frameworks, PLS and the standard algorithm problem, introduced by Johnson, Papadimitriou, and Yannakakis (1988) fail to capture the methodology of local search algorithms: PLS is concerned with finding a local optimum and not with using local search, while the standard algorithm problem restricts each improvement step to follow a fixed pivoting rule. In this work, we introduce a novel formulation of local search which provides a middle ground between these models. In particular, the task is to output not only a local optimum but also a chain of local improvements leading to it. With this framework, we aim to capture the challenge in designing a good pivoting rule. Especially, when combined with the parameterized complexity paradigm, it enables both strong lower bounds and meaningful tractability results. Unlike previous works that combined parameterized complexity with local search, our framework targets the whole task of finding a local optimum and not only a single improvement step. Focusing on two representative meta-problems - Subset Weight Optimization Problem with the c-swap neighborhood and Weighted Circuit with the flip neighborhood - we establish fixed-parameter tractability results related to the number of distinct weights, while ruling out an analogous result when parameterizing by the distance to the nearest optimum via a new type of reduction.

Cite as

Robert Ganian, Hung P. Hoang, Christian Komusiewicz, and Nils Morawietz. A Parameterized-Complexity Framework for Finding Local Optima. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 66:1-66:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{ganian_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.66,
  author =	{Ganian, Robert and Hoang, Hung P. and Komusiewicz, Christian and Morawietz, Nils},
  title =	{{A Parameterized-Complexity Framework for Finding Local Optima}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{66:1--66:20},
  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.2026.66},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253532},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.66},
  annote =	{Keywords: Local Search, Parameterized Complexity, PLS}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.15

New Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Folds and Applications

Authors: Klaus Jansen, Kai Kahler, Lis Pirotton, and Malte Tutas

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

Block-structured integer linear programs (ILPs) play an important role in various application fields. We address n-fold ILPs where the matrix 𝒜 has a specific structure, i.e., where the blocks in the lower part of 𝒜 consist only of the row vectors (1,… ,1). In this paper, we propose an approach tailored to exactly these combinatorial n-folds. We utilize a divide and conquer approach to separate the original problem such that the right-hand side iteratively decreases in size. We show that this decrease in size can be calculated such that we only need to consider a bounded amount of possible right-hand sides. This, in turn, lets us efficiently combine solutions of the smaller right-hand sides to solve the original problem. We can decide the feasibility of, and also optimally solve, such problems in time (n r Δ)^O(r) log(‖b‖_∞), where n is the number of blocks, r the number of rows in the upper blocks and Δ = ‖A‖_∞. We complement the algorithm by discussing applications of the n-fold ILPs with the specific structure we require. We consider the problems of (i) scheduling on uniform machines, (ii) closest string and (iii) (graph) imbalance. Regarding (i), our algorithm results in running times of p_max^O(d)|I|^O(1), matching a lower bound derived via ETH. For (ii) we achieve running times matching the current state-of-the-art in the general case. In contrast to the state-of-the-art, our result can leverage a bounded number of column-types to yield an improved running time. For (iii), we improve the parameter dependency on the size of the vertex cover.

Cite as

Klaus Jansen, Kai Kahler, Lis Pirotton, and Malte Tutas. New Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Folds and Applications. In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 15:1-15:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{jansen_et_al:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.15,
  author =	{Jansen, Klaus and Kahler, Kai and Pirotton, Lis and Tutas, Malte},
  title =	{{New Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Folds and Applications}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{15:1--15:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.15},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251472},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.15},
  annote =	{Keywords: integer linear programming, n-fold, parameterized complexity, scheduling, uniform machines}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.8

Binary k-Center with Missing Entries: Structure Leads to Tractability

Authors: Tobias Friedrich, Kirill Simonov, and Farehe Soheil

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

k-Center clustering is a fundamental classification problem, where the task is to categorize the given collection of entities into k clusters and come up with a representative for each cluster, so that the maximum distance between an entity and its representative is minimized. In this work, we focus on the setting where the entities are represented by binary vectors with missing entries, which model incomplete categorical data. This version of the problem has wide applications, from predictive analytics to bioinformatics. Our main finding is that the problem, which is notoriously hard from the classical complexity viewpoint, becomes tractable as soon as the known entries are sparse and exhibit a certain structure. Formally, we show fixed-parameter tractable algorithms for the parameters vertex cover, fracture number, and treewidth of the row-column graph, which encodes the positions of the known entries of the matrix. Additionally, we tie the complexity of the 1-cluster variant of the problem, which is famous under the name Closest String, to the complexity of solving integer linear programs with few constraints. This implies, in particular, that improving upon the running times of our algorithms would lead to more efficient algorithms for integer linear programming in general.

Cite as

Tobias Friedrich, Kirill Simonov, and Farehe Soheil. Binary k-Center with Missing Entries: Structure Leads to Tractability. In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 8:1-8:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{friedrich_et_al:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.8,
  author =	{Friedrich, Tobias and Simonov, Kirill and Soheil, Farehe},
  title =	{{Binary k-Center with Missing Entries: Structure Leads to Tractability}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{8:1--8:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.8},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251403},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.8},
  annote =	{Keywords: Clustering, Missing Entries, k-Center, Parameterized Algorithms}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.3

Parameterized Maximum Node-Disjoint Paths

Authors: Michael Lampis and Manolis Vasilakis

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

We revisit the Maximum Node-Disjoint Paths problem, the natural optimization version of the famous Node-Disjoint Paths problem, where we are given an undirected graph G, k (demand) pairs of vertices (s_i, t_i), and an integer 𝓁, and are asked whether there exist at least 𝓁 vertex-disjoint paths in G whose endpoints are given pairs. This problem has been intensely studied from both the approximation and parameterized complexity point of view and is notably known to be intractable by standard structural parameters, such as tree-depth, as well as the combined parameter 𝓁 plus pathwidth. We present several results improving and clarifying this state of the art, with an emphasis towards FPT approximation. Our main positive contribution is to show that the problem’s intractability can be overcome using approximation: We show that for several of the structural parameters for which the problem is hard, most notably tree-depth, the problem admits an efficient FPT approximation scheme, returning a (1-ε)-approximate solution in time f(td,ε)n^𝒪(1). We manage to obtain these results by comprehensively mapping out the structural parameters for which the problem is FPT if 𝓁 is also a parameter, hence showing that understanding 𝓁 as a parameter is key to the problem’s approximability. This, in turn, is a problem we are able to solve via a surprisingly simple color-coding algorithm, which relies on identifying an insightful problem-specific variant of the natural parameter, namely the number of vertices used in the solution. The results above are quite encouraging, as they indicate that in some situations where the problem does not admit an FPT algorithm, it is still solvable almost to optimality in FPT time. A natural question is whether the FPT approximation algorithm we devised for tree-depth can be extended to pathwidth. We resolve this negatively, showing that under the Parameterized Inapproximability Hypothesis no FPT approximation scheme for this parameter is possible, even in time f(pw,ε)n^g(ε). We thus precisely determine the parameter border where the problem transitions from "hard but approximable" to "inapproximable". Lastly, we strengthen existing lower bounds by replacing W[1]-hardness by XNLP-completeness for parameter pathwidth, and improving the n^o(√{td}) ETH-based lower bound for tree-depth to (the optimal) n^o(td).

Cite as

Michael Lampis and Manolis Vasilakis. Parameterized Maximum Node-Disjoint Paths. In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 3:1-3:15, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{lampis_et_al:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.3,
  author =	{Lampis, Michael and Vasilakis, Manolis},
  title =	{{Parameterized Maximum Node-Disjoint Paths}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{3:1--3:15},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.3},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251357},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.3},
  annote =	{Keywords: ETH, Maximum Node-Disjoint Paths, Parameterized Complexity, PIH}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.7

Parameterized Complexity of Scheduling Unit-Time Jobs with Generalized Precedence Constraints

Authors: Christina Büsing, Maurice Draeger, and Corinna Mathwieser

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

We study the parameterized complexity of scheduling unit-time jobs on parallel, identical machines under generalized precedence constraints for minimization of the makespan and the sum of completion times (P|gen-prec, p_j = 1|γ, γ ∈ {C_max,∑_jC_j}). In our setting, each job is equipped with a Boolean formula (precedence constraint) over the set of jobs. A schedule satisfies a job’s precedence constraint if setting earlier jobs to true satisfies the formula. Our definition generalizes several common types of precedence constraints: classical and-constraints if every formula is a conjunction, or-constraints if every formula is a disjunction, and and/or-constraints if every formula is in conjunctive normal form. We prove fixed-parameter tractability when parameterizing by the number of predecessors. For parameterization by the number of successors, however, the complexity depends on the structure of the precedence constraints. If every constraint is a conjunction or a disjunction, we prove the problem to be fixed-parameter tractable. For constraints in disjunctive normal form, we prove W[1]-hardness. We show that the and/or-constrained problem is NP-hard, even for a single successor. Moreover, we prove NP-hardness on two machines if every constraint is a conjunction or a disjunction. This result not only proves para-NP-hardness for parameterization by the number of machines but also complements the polynomial-time solvability on two machines if every constraint is a conjunction [Coffman and Graham, 1972] or if every constraint is a disjunction [Johannes, 2005].

Cite as

Christina Büsing, Maurice Draeger, and Corinna Mathwieser. Parameterized Complexity of Scheduling Unit-Time Jobs with Generalized Precedence Constraints. In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 7:1-7:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{busing_et_al:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.7,
  author =	{B\"{u}sing, Christina and Draeger, Maurice and Mathwieser, Corinna},
  title =	{{Parameterized Complexity of Scheduling Unit-Time Jobs with Generalized Precedence Constraints}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{7:1--7:16},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.7},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251390},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.7},
  annote =	{Keywords: scheduling, precedence constraints, fixed-parameter tractability, complexity}
}

Document

Invited Talk

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.1

A Brief History of Parameterized Algorithms for Block-Structured Integer Programs (Invited Talk)

Authors: Martin Koutecký

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

Integer Programming (IP) is a fundamental but computationally hard problem. Still, certain efficiently solvable subclasses have been identified over time, most notably totally unimodular IPs in the 1950s, and fixed-dimension IPs in the 1980s. Starting around the year 2000, a stream of research has identified block-structured IPs as yet another tractable subclass. In this paper, we give a brief and incomplete review of this history, with a focus on several of the author’s contributions.

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Martin Koutecký. A Brief History of Parameterized Algorithms for Block-Structured Integer Programs (Invited Talk). In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 1:1-1:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{koutecky:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.1,
  author =	{Kouteck\'{y}, Martin},
  title =	{{A Brief History of Parameterized Algorithms for Block-Structured Integer Programs}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{1:1--1:20},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.1},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251338},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.1},
  annote =	{Keywords: Integer Programming, Parameterized Algorithm, Graver Basis, Treedepth, n-fold, tree-fold, 2-stage stochastic, multistage stochastic, Mixed-Integer Programming}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.16

Designing Compact ILPs via Fast Witness Verification

Authors: Michał Włodarczyk

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

The standard formalization of preprocessing in parameterized complexity is given by kernelization. In this work, we depart from this paradigm and study a different type of preprocessing for problems without polynomial kernels, still aiming at producing instances that are easily solvable in practice. Specifically, we ask for which parameterized problems an instance (I,k) can be reduced in polynomial time to an integer linear program (ILP) with poly(k) constraints. We show that this property coincides with the parameterized complexity class WK[1], previously studied in the context of Turing kernelization lower bounds. In turn, the class WK[1] enjoys an elegant characterization in terms of witness verification protocols: a yes-instance should admit a witness of size poly(k) that can be verified in time poly(k). By combining known data structures with new ideas, we design such protocols for several problems, such as r-Way Cut, Vertex Multiway Cut, Steiner Tree, and Minimum Common String Partition, thus showing that they can be modeled by compact ILPs. We also present explicit ILP and MILP formulations for Weighted Vertex Cover on graphs with small (unweighted) vertex cover number. We believe that these results will provide a background for a systematic study of ILP-oriented preprocessing procedures for parameterized problems.

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Michał Włodarczyk. Designing Compact ILPs via Fast Witness Verification. In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 16:1-16:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{wlodarczyk:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.16,
  author =	{W{\l}odarczyk, Micha{\l}},
  title =	{{Designing Compact ILPs via Fast Witness Verification}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{16:1--16:18},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.16},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251481},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.16},
  annote =	{Keywords: integer programming, kernelization, nondeterminism, multiway cut}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.14

A Simple Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Fold ILPs Using the Steinitz Lemma

Authors: Sushmita Gupta, Pallavi Jain, Sanjay Seetharaman, and Meirav Zehavi

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 358, 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)

Abstract

We present an algorithm for a class of n-fold ILPs whose existing algorithms in literature are often either (1) based on the augmentation framework where one starts with an arbitrary solution and then iteratively moves towards an optimal solution by solving appropriate programs; or (2) require solving a linear relaxation of the program; or (3) are based on decomposition/proximity based arguments. Combinatorial n-fold ILPs is a class of n-fold ILPs introduced and studied by Knop et al. [MP2020] that captures several other problems in a variety of domains. We present a simple and direct algorithm that solves combinatorial n-fold ILPs with unbounded non-negative variables via an application of the Steinitz lemma. Depending on the structure of the input ILP, we also improve upon the existing algorithms in the literature in terms of the running time, thereby showing an improvement that mirrors the one shown by Rohwedder [ICALP2025] contemporaneously and independently.

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Sushmita Gupta, Pallavi Jain, Sanjay Seetharaman, and Meirav Zehavi. A Simple Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Fold ILPs Using the Steinitz Lemma. In 20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 358, pp. 14:1-14:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{gupta_et_al:LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.14,
  author =	{Gupta, Sushmita and Jain, Pallavi and Seetharaman, Sanjay and Zehavi, Meirav},
  title =	{{A Simple Algorithm for Combinatorial n-Fold ILPs Using the Steinitz Lemma}},
  booktitle =	{20th International Symposium on Parameterized and Exact Computation (IPEC 2025)},
  pages =	{14:1--14:17},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-407-9},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{358},
  editor =	{Agrawal, Akanksha and van Leeuwen, Erik Jan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.14},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251467},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.IPEC.2025.14},
  annote =	{Keywords: n-fold integer linear program, parameterized algorithms}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.5

Graph Coloring Below Guarantees via Co-Triangle Packing

Authors: Shyan Akmal and Tomohiro Koana

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

Abstract

In the 𝓁-Coloring problem, we are given a graph on n nodes, and tasked with determining if its vertices can be properly colored using 𝓁 colors. In this paper we study below-guarantee graph coloring, which tests whether an n-vertex graph can be properly colored using g-k colors, where g is a trivial upper bound such as n. We introduce an algorithmic framework that builds on a packing of co-triangles K₃ (independent sets of three vertices): the algorithm greedily finds co-triangles and employs a win-win analysis. If many are found, we immediately return yes; otherwise these co-triangles form a small co-triangle modulator, whose deletion makes the graph co-triangle-free. Extending the work of [Gutin et al., SIDMA 2021], who solved 𝓁-Coloring (for any 𝓁) in randomized O^∗(2^k) time when given a K₂-free modulator of size k, we show that this problem can likewise be solved in randomized O^*(2^{k}) time when given a K₃-free modulator of size k. This result in turn yields a randomized O^*(2^{3k/2}) algorithm for (n-k)-Coloring (also known as Dual Coloring), improving the previous O^*(4^k) bound. We then introduce a smaller parameterization, (ω+μ-k)-Coloring, where ω is the clique number and μ is the size of a maximum matching in the complement graph; since ω+μ ≤ n for any graph, this problem is strictly harder. Using the same co-triangle-packing argument, we obtain a randomized O^*(2^{6k}) algorithm, establishing its fixed-parameter tractability for a smaller parameter. Complementing this finding, we show that no fixed-parameter tractable algorithm exists for (ω-k)-Coloring or (μ-k)-Coloring under standard complexity assumptions.

Cite as

Shyan Akmal and Tomohiro Koana. Graph Coloring Below Guarantees via Co-Triangle Packing. In 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 359, pp. 5:1-5:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{akmal_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.5,
  author =	{Akmal, Shyan and Koana, Tomohiro},
  title =	{{Graph Coloring Below Guarantees via Co-Triangle Packing}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)},
  pages =	{5:1--5:16},
  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.2025.5},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-249130},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.5},
  annote =	{Keywords: coloring, parameterized algorithms, algebraic algorithms, above-guarantee, below-guarantee, subset convolution, determinants}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.15

Parameterized Complexity of Directed Traveling Salesman Problem

Authors: Václav Blažej, Andreas Emil Feldmann, Foivos Fioravantes, Paweł Rzążewski, and Ondřej Suchý

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

Abstract

The Directed Traveling Salesman Problem (DTSP) is a variant of the classical Traveling Salesman Problem in which the edges in the graph are directed and a vertex and edge can be visited multiple times. The goal is to find a directed closed walk of minimum length (or total weight) that visits every vertex of the given graph at least once. In a yet more general version, Directed Waypoint Routing Problem (DWRP), some vertices are marked as terminals and we are only required to visit all terminals. Furthermore, each edge has its capacity bounding the number of times this edge can be used by a solution. While both problems (and many other variants of TSP) were extensively investigated, mostly from the approximation point of view, there are surprisingly few results concerning the parameterized complexity. Our starting point is the result of Marx et al. [APPROX/RANDOM 2016] who proved that DTSP is W[1]-hard parameterized by distance to pathwidth 3. In this paper we aim to initiate the systematic complexity study of variants of Directed Traveling Salesman Problem with respect to various, mostly structural, parameters. We show that DWRP is FPT parameterized by the solution size, the feedback edge number and the vertex integrity of the underlying undirected graph. Furthermore, the problem is XP parameterized by treewidth. On the complexity side, we show that the problem is W[1]-hard parameterized by the distance to constant treedepth.

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Václav Blažej, Andreas Emil Feldmann, Foivos Fioravantes, Paweł Rzążewski, and Ondřej Suchý. Parameterized Complexity of Directed Traveling Salesman Problem. In 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 359, pp. 15:1-15:18, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{blazej_et_al:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.15,
  author =	{Bla\v{z}ej, V\'{a}clav and Feldmann, Andreas Emil and Fioravantes, Foivos and Rz\k{a}\.{z}ewski, Pawe{\l} and Such\'{y}, Ond\v{r}ej},
  title =	{{Parameterized Complexity of Directed Traveling Salesman Problem}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)},
  pages =	{15:1--15:18},
  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.2025.15},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-249231},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.15},
  annote =	{Keywords: Directed TSP, parameterized complexity, vertex integrity, treedepth}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.48

The Support of Bin Packing Is Exponential

Authors: Klaus Jansen, Lis Pirotton, and Malte Tutas

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

Abstract

Consider the classical Bin Packing problem with d different item sizes s_i and amounts of items a_i. The support of a Bin Packing solution is the number of differently filled bins. In this work, we show that the lower bound on the support of this problem is 2^Ω(d). Our lower bound matches the upper bound of 2^d given by Eisenbrand and Shmonin [Oper.Research Letters '06] up to a constant factor. This result has direct implications for the time complexity of several Bin Packing algorithms, such as Goemans and Rothvoss [SODA '14], Jansen and Klein [SODA '17] and Jansen and Solis-Oba [IPCO '10]. To achieve our main result, we develop a technique to aggregate equality constrained ILPs with many constraints into an equivalent ILP with one constraint. Our technique contrasts existing aggregation techniques as we manage to integrate upper bounds on variables into the resulting constraint. We believe this technique can be useful for solving general ILPs or the d-dimensional knapsack problem.

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Klaus Jansen, Lis Pirotton, and Malte Tutas. The Support of Bin Packing Is Exponential. In 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 351, pp. 48:1-48:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{jansen_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2025.48,
  author =	{Jansen, Klaus and Pirotton, Lis and Tutas, Malte},
  title =	{{The Support of Bin Packing Is Exponential}},
  booktitle =	{33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)},
  pages =	{48:1--48:16},
  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.2025.48},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-245167},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.48},
  annote =	{Keywords: Bin Packing, Integer Programming, Support}
}

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