DROPS

Volume

LIPIcs, Volume 40

Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2015)

APPROX/RANDOM 2015, August 24-26, 2015, Princeton, USA

Editors: Naveen Garg, Klaus Jansen, Anup Rao, and José D. P. Rolim

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.23

Simple Circuit Extensions for XOR in PTIME

Authors: Marco Carmosino, Ngu Dang, and Tim Jackman

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

Abstract

The Minimum Circuit Size Problem for Partial Functions (MCSP^*) is hard assuming the Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH) (Ilango, 2020). This breakthrough result leveraged a characterization of the optimal {∧, ∨, ¬} circuits for n-bit OR (OR_n) and a reduction from the partial f-Simple Extension Problem where f = OR_n. It remains open to extend that reduction to show ETH-hardness of total MCSP. However, Ilango observed that the total f-Simple Extension Problem is easy whenever f is computed by read-once formulas (like OR_n). Therefore, extending Ilango’s proof to total MCSP would require replacing OR_n with a more complex but similarly well-understood Boolean function. This work shows that the f-Simple Extension problem remains easy when f is the next natural candidate: XOR_n. We first develop a fixed-parameter tractable algorithm for the f-Simple Extension Problem that is efficient whenever the optimal circuits for f are (1) linear in size, (2) polynomially "few" and efficiently enumerable in the truth-table size (up to isomorphism and permutation of inputs), and (3) all have constant bounded fan-out. XOR_n satisfies all three of these conditions. When ¬ gates count towards circuit size, optimal XOR_n circuits are binary trees of n-1 subcircuits computing (¬)XOR₂ (Kombarov, 2011). We extend this characterization when ¬ gates do not contribute the circuit size. Thus, the XOR-Simple Extension Problem is in polynomial time under both measures of circuit complexity. We conclude by discussing conjectures about the complexity of the f-Simple Extension problem for each explicit function f with known and unrestricted circuit lower bounds over the DeMorgan basis. Examining the conditions under which our Simple Extension Solver is efficient, we argue that multiplexer functions (MUX) are the most promising candidate for ETH-hardness of a Simple Extension Problem, towards proving ETH-hardness of total MCSP.

Cite as

Marco Carmosino, Ngu Dang, and Tim Jackman. Simple Circuit Extensions for XOR in PTIME. In 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 364, pp. 23:1-23:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{carmosino_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.23,
  author =	{Carmosino, Marco and Dang, Ngu and Jackman, Tim},
  title =	{{Simple Circuit Extensions for XOR in PTIME}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{23:1--23:20},
  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.2026.23},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-255127},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.23},
  annote =	{Keywords: Minimum Circuit Size Problem, Circuit Lower Bounds, Exponential Time Hypothesis}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.4

Unit Interval Selection in Random Order Streams

Authors: Cezar-Mihail Alexandru, Adithya Diddapur, Magnús M. Halldórsson, Christian Konrad, and Kheeran K. Naidu

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

Abstract

We consider the Unit Interval Selection problem in the one-pass random order streaming model. In this setting, an algorithm is presented with a sequence of n unit-length intervals on the line that arrive in uniform random order, one at a time, and the objective is to output (an approximation of) a largest set of disjoint intervals using space linear in the size of an optimal solution. Previous work only considered adversarially ordered streams and established that, within these space constraints, a (2/3)-approximation can be achieved in such streams, and this is best possible, in that going beyond such an approximation factor requires space Ω(n) [Emek et al., TALG'16]. In this work, we show that an improved expected approximation factor can be achieved if the input stream is in uniform random order, where the expectation is taken over the stream order. More specifically, we give a one-pass streaming algorithm with expected approximation factor 0.7401 that uses space O(|OPT|), where OPT denotes an optimal solution. We also show that random order algorithms with expected approximation factor above 8/9 require space Ω(n), and algorithms that compute a better than 2/3-approximation with probability above 2/3 also require Ω(n) space. On a technical level, we design an algorithm for the restricted domain [0, Δ), for some constant Δ, and use standard techniques to obtain an algorithm for unrestricted domains. For the restricted domain [0, Δ), we run O(Δ) recursive instances of our algorithm, with each instance targeting the situation where a specific interval of an optimal solution arrives first. We establish the interesting property of our algorithm that it performs worst when the input stream consists solely of a set of independent intervals. It then remains to analyse the algorithm on these simple instances. Our lower bound is proved via communication complexity arguments, similar in spirit to the robust communication lower bounds established by [Chakrabarti et al., Theory Comput. 2016].

Cite as

Cezar-Mihail Alexandru, Adithya Diddapur, Magnús M. Halldórsson, Christian Konrad, and Kheeran K. Naidu. Unit Interval Selection in Random Order Streams. In 43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 364, pp. 4:1-4:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{alexandru_et_al:LIPIcs.STACS.2026.4,
  author =	{Alexandru, Cezar-Mihail and Diddapur, Adithya and Halld\'{o}rsson, Magn\'{u}s M. and Konrad, Christian and Naidu, Kheeran K.},
  title =	{{Unit Interval Selection in Random Order Streams}},
  booktitle =	{43rd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2026)},
  pages =	{4:1--4:20},
  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.2026.4},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-254933},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2026.4},
  annote =	{Keywords: Random order streaming algorithms, unit interval selection}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.104

Dimension-Free Correlated Sampling for the Hypersimplex

Authors: Joseph (Seffi) Naor, Nitya Raju, Abhishek Shetty, Aravind Srinivasan, Renata Valieva, and David Wajc

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

Abstract

Sampling from multiple distributions so as to maximize overlap has been studied by statisticians since the 1950s. Since the 2000s, such correlated sampling from the probability simplex has been a powerful building block in disparate areas of theoretical computer science. We study a generalization of this problem to sampling sets from given vectors in the hypersimplex, i.e., outputting sets of size (at most) k ∈ [n], while maximizing the overlap of the sampled sets. Specifically, the expected difference between two output sets should be at most α times their input vectors' 𝓁₁ distance. A value of α = O(log n) is known to be achievable, due to Chen et al. (ICALP'17). We improve this factor to O(log k), independent of the ambient dimension n. Our algorithm satisfies other desirable properties, including (up to a log^* n factor) input-sparsity sampling time, logarithmic parallel depth and dynamic update time, as well as preservation of submodular objectives. Anticipating broader use of correlated sampling algorithms for the hypersimplex, we present applications of our algorithm to online paging, offline approximation of metric multi-labeling, and swift multi-scenario submodular welfare approximating reallocation.

Cite as

Joseph (Seffi) Naor, Nitya Raju, Abhishek Shetty, Aravind Srinivasan, Renata Valieva, and David Wajc. Dimension-Free Correlated Sampling for the Hypersimplex. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 104:1-104:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{naor_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.104,
  author =	{Naor, Joseph (Seffi) and Raju, Nitya and Shetty, Abhishek and Srinivasan, Aravind and Valieva, Renata and Wajc, David},
  title =	{{Dimension-Free Correlated Sampling for the Hypersimplex}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{104:1--104:20},
  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.2026.104},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253918},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.104},
  annote =	{Keywords: Correlated Rounding, Dependent Rounding}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.110

Optimal Two-Round Communication Lower Bound for Graph Connectivity via Pointer Chasing

Authors: Jaikumar Radhakrishnan, Chaitanya Reddy, and Rakesh Venkat

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

Abstract

We consider the communication complexity of the graph connectivity problem, where the edges of an n-vertex undirected graph G are distributed between two parties Alice and Bob, who are then required to communicate to determine if G is connected. We show that in any randomized protocol with two-rounds of communication, Alice and Bob must exchange Ω(nlog n) bits; such a lower bound for one-round protocols was shown by Sun and Woodruff (APPROX/RANDOM 2015). A one-round deterministic protocol, where Alice sends O(n log n) bits and Bob determines the answer, was observed by Hajnal, Maass and Turan (STOC 1988); they also showed a matching lower bound of Ω(n log n) bits for deterministic protocols with unbounded rounds of communication. For randomized protocols, a reduction from the set disjointness problem due to Babai, Frankl and Simon (FOCS 1986) implies a randomized lower bound of Ω(n) even with unbounded rounds of communication. Whether this lower bound can be improved to Ω(n log n) has been an outstanding open question, whose algorithmic implications were recently emphasized by Apers, Efron, Gawrychowski, Lee, Mukopadhyay and Nanongkai (FOCS 2022). Our lower bound for randomized two-round protocols is based on a reduction from a restricted version of the two-player pointer chasing problem originally studied by Papadimitriou and Sipser (JCSS 1984). Using this reduction, we show an ω(n) lower bounds on graph connectivity for any constant number of rounds by extending deterministic lower bounds shown by Ponzio, Radhakrishnan and Venkatesh (JCSS 2001) to the randomized setting.

Cite as

Jaikumar Radhakrishnan, Chaitanya Reddy, and Rakesh Venkat. Optimal Two-Round Communication Lower Bound for Graph Connectivity via Pointer Chasing. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 110:1-110:20, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{radhakrishnan_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.110,
  author =	{Radhakrishnan, Jaikumar and Reddy, Chaitanya and Venkat, Rakesh},
  title =	{{Optimal Two-Round Communication Lower Bound for Graph Connectivity via Pointer Chasing}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{110:1--110:20},
  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.2026.110},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253974},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.110},
  annote =	{Keywords: Communication complexity}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.18

Interactive Proofs for Distribution Testing with Conditional Oracles

Authors: Ari Biswas, Mark Bun, Clément L. Canonne, and Satchit Sivakumar

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

Abstract

We revisit the framework of interactive proofs for distribution testing, first introduced by Chiesa and Gur (ITCS 2018), which has recently experienced a surge in interest, accompanied by notable progress (e.g., Herman and Rothblum, STOC 2022, FOCS 2023; Herman, RANDOM 2024). In this model, a data-poor verifier determines whether a probability distribution has a property of interest by interacting with an all-powerful, data-rich but untrusted prover bent on convincing them that it has the property. While prior work gave sample-, time-, and communication-efficient protocols for testing and estimating a range of distribution properties, they all suffer from an inherent issue: for most interesting properties of distributions over a domain of size N, the verifier must draw at least Ω(√N) samples of its own. While sublinear in N, this is still prohibitive for large domains encountered in practice. In this work, we circumvent this limitation by augmenting the verifier with the ability to perform an exponentially smaller number of more powerful (but reasonable) pairwise conditional queries, effectively enabling them to perform "local comparison checks" of the prover’s claims. We systematically investigate the landscape of interactive proofs in this new setting, giving poly-logarithmic query and sample protocols for (tolerantly) testing all label-invariant properties, thus demonstrating exponential savings without compromising on communication, for this large and fundamental class of testing tasks.

Cite as

Ari Biswas, Mark Bun, Clément L. Canonne, and Satchit Sivakumar. Interactive Proofs for Distribution Testing with Conditional Oracles. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 18:1-18:13, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{biswas_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.18,
  author =	{Biswas, Ari and Bun, Mark and Canonne, Cl\'{e}ment L. and Sivakumar, Satchit},
  title =	{{Interactive Proofs for Distribution Testing with Conditional Oracles}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{18:1--18:13},
  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.2026.18},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253059},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.18},
  annote =	{Keywords: Distribution Testing, Interactive Proofs}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.89

On Solving Asymmetric Diagonally Dominant Linear Systems in Sublinear Time

Authors: Tsz Chiu Kwok, Zhewei Wei, and Mingji Yang

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

Abstract

We initiate a study of solving a row/column diagonally dominant (RDD/CDD) linear system 𝐌x = b in sublinear time, with the goal of estimating t^{⊤}x^{∗} for a given vector t ∈ ℝⁿ and a specific solution x^{∗}. This setting naturally generalizes the study of sublinear-time solvers for symmetric diagonally dominant (SDD) systems [Andoni-Krauthgamer-Pogrow, ITCS 2019] to the asymmetric case, which has remained underexplored despite extensive work on nearly-linear-time solvers for RDD/CDD systems. Our first contributions are characterizations of the problem’s mathematical structure. We express a solution x^{∗} via a Neumann series, prove its convergence, and upper bound the truncation error on this series through a novel quantity of 𝐌, termed the maximum p-norm gap. This quantity generalizes the spectral gap of symmetric matrices and captures how the structure of 𝐌 governs the problem’s computational difficulty. For systems with bounded maximum p-norm gap, we develop a collection of algorithmic results for locally approximating t^{⊤}x^{∗} under various scenarios and error measures. We derive these results by adapting the techniques of random-walk sampling, local push, and their bidirectional combination, which have proved powerful for special cases of solving RDD/CDD systems, particularly estimating PageRank and effective resistance on graphs. Our general framework yields deeper insights, extended results, and improved complexity bounds for these problems. Notably, our perspective provides a unified understanding of Forward Push and Backward Push, two fundamental approaches for estimating random-walk probabilities on graphs. Our framework also inherits the hardness results for sublinear-time SDD solvers and local PageRank computation, establishing lower bounds on the maximum p-norm gap or the accuracy parameter. We hope that our work opens the door for further study into sublinear solvers, local graph algorithms, and directed spectral graph theory.

Cite as

Tsz Chiu Kwok, Zhewei Wei, and Mingji Yang. On Solving Asymmetric Diagonally Dominant Linear Systems in Sublinear Time. In 17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 362, pp. 89:1-89:25, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026)

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@InProceedings{kwok_et_al:LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.89,
  author =	{Kwok, Tsz Chiu and Wei, Zhewei and Yang, Mingji},
  title =	{{On Solving Asymmetric Diagonally Dominant Linear Systems in Sublinear Time}},
  booktitle =	{17th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science Conference (ITCS 2026)},
  pages =	{89:1--89:25},
  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.2026.89},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-253768},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ITCS.2026.89},
  annote =	{Keywords: Spectral Graph Theory, Linear Systems, Sublinear Algorithms}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.37

Communication Complexity of Equality and Error-Correcting Codes

Authors: Dale Jacobs, John Jeang, Vladimir Podolskii, Morgan Prior, and Ilya Volkovich

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

Abstract

We study the public-coin randomized communication complexity of the equality function. The communication complexity of this function is known to be low when the error probability is constant and the players have access to many random bits. The complexity grows, however, if the allowed error probability and the amount of randomness are restricted. We show that public-coin randomized protocols for equality and error-correcting codes are essentially the same object. That is, given a protocol for equality, we can construct a code, and vice versa. We substantially extend the protocol-implies-code direction: any protocol computing a function with a large fooling set can be converted into an error-correcting code. As a corollary, we show that among functions with a fooling set of size s, equality on log s bits has the least randomized communication complexity, regardless of the restrictions on the error probability and the amount of randomness. Finally, we use the connection to error-correcting codes to analyze the randomized communication complexity of equality for varying restrictions on the error probability and the amount of randomness. In most cases, we provide tight bounds. We pinpoint the setting in which tight bounds are still unknown.

Cite as

Dale Jacobs, John Jeang, Vladimir Podolskii, Morgan Prior, and Ilya Volkovich. Communication Complexity of Equality and Error-Correcting Codes. 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. 37:1-37:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{jacobs_et_al:LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.37,
  author =	{Jacobs, Dale and Jeang, John and Podolskii, Vladimir and Prior, Morgan and Volkovich, Ilya},
  title =	{{Communication Complexity of Equality and Error-Correcting Codes}},
  booktitle =	{45th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2025)},
  pages =	{37:1--37:19},
  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.2025.37},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-251175},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2025.37},
  annote =	{Keywords: communication complexity, randomized communication complexity, error-correcting codes}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.51

Distributed Complexity of P_k-Freeness: Decision and Certification

Authors: Masayuki Miyamoto

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

Abstract

The class of graphs that do not contain a path on k nodes as an induced subgraph (P_k-free graphs) has rich applications in the theory of graph algorithms. This paper explores the problem of deciding P_k-freeness from the viewpoint of distributed computing. For specific small values of k, we present the first CONGEST algorithms specified for P_k-freeness, utilizing structural properties of P_k-free graphs in a novel way. Specifically, we show that P_k-freeness can be decided in Õ(1) rounds for k = 4 in the broadcast CONGEST model, and in Õ(n) rounds for k = 5 in the CONGEST model, where n is the number of nodes in the network and Õ(⋅) hides a polylog(n) factor. The main technical contribution is a novel technique used in our algorithm for P₅-freeness to distinguish induced 5-paths from non-induced ones, which is potentially applicable to other induced subgraphs. This technique also enables the construction of a local certification of P₅-freeness with certificates of size Õ(n). This improves Õ(n^{3/2}) by Bousquet and Zeitoun (TCS 2025), and is nearly optimal, given our Ω(n^{1-o(1)}) lower bound on certificate size. For general k, we establish the first CONGEST lower bound, which is of the form n^{2-1/Θ(k)}. The n^{1/Θ(k)} factor is unavoidable, in view of the O(n^{2-2/(3k+2)}) upper bound by Eden et al. (Dist. Comp. 2022). Additionally, our approach yields the first superlinear lower bound on certificate size for local certification. This partially answers the conjecture on the optimal certificate size of P_k-freeness, asked by Bousquet et al. (arXiv:2402.12148). Finally, we propose a novel variant of the problem called ordered P_k detection. We show that in the CONGEST model, the round complexity of ordered P_k detection is Ω̃(n) for k ≥ 5, and in contrast, proving any nontrivial lower bound for ordered P₃ detection implies a strong circuit lower bound. As a byproduct, we establish a circuit-complexity barrier for Ω(n^{1/2+ε}) quantum CONGEST lower bounds for induced 4-cycle detection. This is complemented by our Õ(n^{3/4}) quantum upper bound, which surpasses the classical Ω̃(n) lower bound by Le Gall and Miyamoto (ISAAC 2021).

Cite as

Masayuki Miyamoto. Distributed Complexity of P_k-Freeness: Decision and Certification. In 36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 359, pp. 51:1-51:21, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{miyamoto:LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.51,
  author =	{Miyamoto, Masayuki},
  title =	{{Distributed Complexity of P\underlinek-Freeness: Decision and Certification}},
  booktitle =	{36th International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2025)},
  pages =	{51:1--51:21},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-408-6},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{359},
  editor =	{Chen, Ho-Lin and Hon, Wing-Kai and Tsai, Meng-Tsung},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.51},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-249597},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ISAAC.2025.51},
  annote =	{Keywords: subgraph detection, CONGEST model, local certification}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.14

Testing Sumsets Is Hard

Authors: Xi Chen, Shivam Nadimpalli, Tim Randolph, Rocco A. Servedio, and Or Zamir

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

Abstract

A subset S of the Boolean hypercube 𝔽₂ⁿ is a sumset if S = {a + b : a, b ∈ A} for some A ⊆ 𝔽₂ⁿ. Sumsets are central objects of study in additive combinatorics, where they play a role in several of the field’s most important results. We prove a lower bound of Ω(2^{n/2}) for the number of queries needed to test whether a Boolean function f:𝔽₂ⁿ → {0,1} is the indicator function of a sumset, ruling out an efficient testing algorithm for sumsets. Our lower bound for testing sumsets follows from sharp bounds on the related problem of shift testing, which may be of independent interest. We also give a near-optimal {2^{n/2} ⋅ poly(n)}-query algorithm for a smoothed analysis formulation of the sumset refutation problem. Finally, we include a simple proof that the number of different sumsets in 𝔽₂ⁿ is 2^{(1±o(1))2^{n-1}}.

Cite as

Xi Chen, Shivam Nadimpalli, Tim Randolph, Rocco A. Servedio, and Or Zamir. Testing Sumsets Is Hard. In 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 351, pp. 14:1-14:16, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{chen_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2025.14,
  author =	{Chen, Xi and Nadimpalli, Shivam and Randolph, Tim and Servedio, Rocco A. and Zamir, Or},
  title =	{{Testing Sumsets Is Hard}},
  booktitle =	{33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)},
  pages =	{14:1--14:16},
  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.2025.14},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-244822},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.14},
  annote =	{Keywords: Sumsets, additive combinatorics, property testing, Boolean functions}
}

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DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.70

Improved Parallel Derandomization via Finite Automata with Applications

Authors: Jeff Giliberti and David G. Harris

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

Abstract

A central approach to algorithmic derandomization is the construction of small-support probability distributions that "fool” randomized algorithms, often enabling efficient parallel (NC) implementations. An abstraction of this idea is fooling polynomial-space statistical tests computed via finite automata [Sivakumar STOC'02]; this encompasses a wide range of properties including k-wise independence and sums of random variables. We present new parallel algorithms to fool finite-state automata, with significantly reduced processor complexity. Briefly, our approach is to iteratively sparsify distributions using a work-efficient lattice rounding routine and maintain accuracy by tracking an aggregate weighted error that is determined by the Lipschitz value of the statistical tests being fooled. We illustrate with improved applications to the Gale-Berlekamp Switching Game and to approximate MAX-CUT via SDP rounding. These involve further several optimizations, such as the truncation of the state space of the automata and FFT-based convolutions to compute transition probabilities efficiently.

Cite as

Jeff Giliberti and David G. Harris. Improved Parallel Derandomization via Finite Automata with Applications. In 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 351, pp. 70:1-70:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{giliberti_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2025.70,
  author =	{Giliberti, Jeff and Harris, David G.},
  title =	{{Improved Parallel Derandomization via Finite Automata with Applications}},
  booktitle =	{33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)},
  pages =	{70:1--70:17},
  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.2025.70},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-245381},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.70},
  annote =	{Keywords: Parallel Algorithms, Derandomization, MAX-CUT, Gale-Berlekamp Switching Game}
}

Document

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.22

Constructing Long Paths in Graph Streams

Authors: Christian Konrad and Chhaya Trehan

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

Abstract

In the graph stream model of computation, an algorithm processes the edges of an n-vertex input graph in one or more sequential passes while using a memory that is sublinear in the input size. The streaming model poses significant challenges for algorithmically constructing long paths. Many known algorithms that are tasked with extending an existing path as a subroutine require an entire pass over the input to add a single additional edge. This raises a fundamental question: Are multiple passes inherently necessary to construct paths of non-trivial lengths, or can a single pass suffice? To address this question, we systematically study the Longest Path problem in the one-pass streaming model. In this problem, given a desired approximation factor α, the objective is to compute a path of length at least lp(G)/α, where lp(G) is the length of a longest path in the input graph G. We study the problem in the insertion-only and the insertion-deletion streaming models, and we give algorithms as well as space lower bounds for both undirected and directed graphs. Our results are: 1) We show that for undirected graphs, in both the insertion-only and the insertion-deletion models, there are semi-streaming algorithms, i.e., algorithms that use space O(n poly log n), that compute a path of length at least d/3 with high probability, where d is the average degree of the input graph. These algorithms can also yield an α-approximation to Longest Path using space Õ(n²/α). 2) Next, we show that such a result cannot be achieved for directed graphs, even in the insertion-only model. We show that computing a (n^{1-o(1)})-approximation to Longest Path in directed graphs in the insertion-only model requires space Ω(n²). This result is in line with recent results that demonstrate that processing directed graphs is often significantly harder than undirected graphs in the streaming model. 3) We further complement our results with two additional lower bounds. First, we show that semi-streaming space is insufficient for small constant factor approximations to Longest Path for undirected graphs in the insertion-only model. Last, in undirected graphs in the insertion-deletion model, we show that computing an α-approximation requires space Ω(n²/α³).

Cite as

Christian Konrad and Chhaya Trehan. Constructing Long Paths in Graph Streams. In 33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 351, pp. 22:1-22:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{konrad_et_al:LIPIcs.ESA.2025.22,
  author =	{Konrad, Christian and Trehan, Chhaya},
  title =	{{Constructing Long Paths in Graph Streams}},
  booktitle =	{33rd Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2025)},
  pages =	{22:1--22:19},
  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.2025.22},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-244902},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2025.22},
  annote =	{Keywords: Longest Path Problem, Streaming Algorithms, One-way Two-party Communication Complexity}
}

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RANDOM

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.39

Consumable Data via Quantum Communication

Authors: Dar Gilboa, Siddhartha Jain, and Jarrod R. McClean

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 353, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)

Abstract

Classical data can be copied and re-used for computation, with adverse consequences economically and in terms of data privacy. Motivated by this, we formulate problems in one-way communication complexity where Alice holds some data x and Bob holds m inputs y_1, …, y_m. They want to compute m instances of a bipartite relation R(⋅,⋅) on every pair (x, y_1), …, (x, y_m). We call this the asymmetric direct sum question for one-way communication. We give examples where the quantum communication complexity of such problems scales polynomially with m, while the classical communication complexity depends at most logarithmically on m. Thus, for such problems, data behaves like a consumable resource that is effectively destroyed upon use when the owner stores and transmits it as quantum states, but not when transmitted classically. We show an application to a strategic data-selling game, and discuss other potential economic implications.

Cite as

Dar Gilboa, Siddhartha Jain, and Jarrod R. McClean. Consumable Data via Quantum Communication. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 353, pp. 39:1-39:23, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{gilboa_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.39,
  author =	{Gilboa, Dar and Jain, Siddhartha and McClean, Jarrod R.},
  title =	{{Consumable Data via Quantum Communication}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)},
  pages =	{39:1--39:23},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-397-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{353},
  editor =	{Ene, Alina and Chattopadhyay, Eshan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.39},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-244059},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.39},
  annote =	{Keywords: quantum communication, one-time programs, data markets}
}

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RANDOM

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.35

Fooling Near-Maximal Decision Trees

Authors: William M. Hoza and Zelin Lv

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 353, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)

Abstract

For any constant α > 0, we construct an explicit pseudorandom generator (PRG) that fools n-variate decision trees of size m with error ε and seed length (1 + α) ⋅ log₂ m + O(log(1/ε) + log log n). For context, one can achieve seed length (2 + o(1)) ⋅ log₂ m + O(log(1/ε) + log log n) using well-known constructions and analyses of small-bias distributions, but such a seed length is trivial when m ≥ 2^{n/2}. Our approach is to develop a new variant of the classic concept of almost k-wise independence, which might be of independent interest. We say that a distribution X over {0, 1}ⁿ is k-wise ε-probably uniform if every Boolean function f that depends on only k variables satisfies 𝔼[f(X)] ≥ (1 - ε) ⋅ 𝔼[f]. We show how to sample a k-wise ε-probably uniform distribution using a seed of length (1 + α) ⋅ k + O(log(1/ε) + log log n). Meanwhile, we also show how to construct a set H ⊆ 𝔽₂ⁿ such that every feasible system of k linear equations in n variables over 𝔽₂ has a solution in H. The cardinality of H and the time complexity of enumerating H are at most 2^{k + o(k) + polylog n}, whereas small-bias distributions would give a bound of 2^{2k + O(log(n/k))}. By combining our new constructions with work by Chen and Kabanets (TCS 2016), we obtain nontrivial PRGs and hitting sets for linear-size Boolean circuits. Specifically, we get an explicit PRG with seed length (1 - Ω(1)) ⋅ n that fools circuits of size 2.99 ⋅ n over the U₂ basis, and we get a hitting set with time complexity 2^{(1 - Ω(1)) ⋅ n} for circuits of size 2.49 ⋅ n over the B₂ basis.

Cite as

William M. Hoza and Zelin Lv. Fooling Near-Maximal Decision Trees. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 353, pp. 35:1-35:24, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{hoza_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.35,
  author =	{Hoza, William M. and Lv, Zelin},
  title =	{{Fooling Near-Maximal Decision Trees}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)},
  pages =	{35:1--35:24},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-397-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{353},
  editor =	{Ene, Alina and Chattopadhyay, Eshan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.35},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-244019},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.35},
  annote =	{Keywords: almost k-wise independence, decision trees, pseudorandom generators}
}

Document

RANDOM

DOI: 10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.33

Bit-Fixing Extractors for Almost-Logarithmic Entropy

Authors: Dean Doron and Ori Fridman

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 353, Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)

Abstract

An oblivious bit-fixing source is a distribution over {0,1}ⁿ, where k bits are uniform and independent and the rest n-k are fixed a priori to some constant value. Extracting (close to) true randomness from an oblivious bit-fixing source has been studied since the 1980s, with applications in cryptography and complexity theory. We construct explicit extractors for oblivious bit-fixing source that support k = Õ(log n), outputting almost all the entropy with low error. The previous state-of-the-art construction that outputs many bits is due to Rao [Rao, CCC '09], and requires entropy k ≥ log^{c} n for some large constant c. The two key components in our constructions are new low-error affine condensers for poly-logarithmic entropies (that we achieve using techniques from the nonmalleable extractors literature), and a dual use of linear condensers for OBF sources.

Cite as

Dean Doron and Ori Fridman. Bit-Fixing Extractors for Almost-Logarithmic Entropy. In Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 353, pp. 33:1-33:19, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025)

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@InProceedings{doron_et_al:LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.33,
  author =	{Doron, Dean and Fridman, Ori},
  title =	{{Bit-Fixing Extractors for Almost-Logarithmic Entropy}},
  booktitle =	{Approximation, Randomization, and Combinatorial Optimization. Algorithms and Techniques (APPROX/RANDOM 2025)},
  pages =	{33:1--33:19},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-397-3},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2025},
  volume =	{353},
  editor =	{Ene, Alina and Chattopadhyay, Eshan},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.33},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-243994},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.APPROX/RANDOM.2025.33},
  annote =	{Keywords: Seedless extractors, oblivious bit-fixing sources}
}

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