Robert E. Tarjan

Bio: Robert E. Tarjan is an academic researcher from Princeton University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Time complexity & Spanning tree. The author has an hindex of 114, co-authored 400 publications receiving 67305 citations. Previous affiliations of Robert E. Tarjan include AT&T & Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dominator Tree Certification and Independent Spanning Trees

Abstract: How does one verify that the output of a complicated program is correct? One can formally prove that the program is correct, but this may be beyond the power of existing methods. Alternatively one can check that the output produced for a particular input satisfies the desired input-output relation, by running a checker on the input-output pair. Then one only needs to prove the correctness of the checker. But for some problems even such a checker may be too complicated to formally verify. There is a third alternative: augment the original program to produce not only an output but also a correctness certificate, with the property that a very simple program (whose correctness is easy to prove) can use the certificate to verify that the input-output pair satisfies the desired input-output relation. We consider the following important instance of this general question: How does one verify that the dominator tree of a flow graph is correct? Existing fast algorithms for finding dominators are complicated, and even verifying the correctness of a dominator tree in the absence of additional information seems complicated. We define a correctness certificate for a dominator tree, show how to use it to easily verify the correctness of the tree, and show how to augment fast dominator-finding algorithms so that they produce a correctness certificate. We also relate the dominator certificate problem to the problem of finding independent spanning trees in a flow graph, and we develop algorithms to find such trees. All our algorithms run in linear time. Previous algorithms apply just to the special case of only trivial dominators, and they take at least quadratic time.

Dominators, directed bipolar orders, and independent spanning trees

Abstract: We consider problems related to dominators and independent spanning trees in flowgraphs and provide linear-time algorithms for their solutions. We introduce the notion of a directed bipolar order, generalizing a previous notion of Plein and Cheriyan and Reif. We show how to construct such an order from information computed by several known algorithms for finding dominators. We show how to concurrently verify the correctness of a dominator tree D and a directed bipolar order O very simply, and how to construct from D and O two spanning trees whose paths are disjoint except for common dominators. Finally, we describe alternative ways to verify dominators without using a directed bipolar order.

Minimum-Cost Flows in Unit-Capacity Networks

Abstract: We consider combinatorial algorithms for the minimum-cost flow problem on networks with unit capacities, and special cases of the problem. Historically, researchers have developed special-purpose algorithms that exploit unit capacities. In contrast, for the maximum flow problem, the classical blocking flow and push-relabel algorithms for the general case also have the best bounds known for the special case of unit capacities. In this paper we show that the classical blocking flow push-relabel cost-scaling algorithms of Goldberg and Tarjan (Math. Oper. Res. 15, 430---466, 1990) for general minimum-cost flow problems achieve the best known bounds for unit-capacity problems as well. We also develop a cycle-canceling algorithm that extends Goldberg's shortest path algorithm (Goldberg SIAM J. Comput. 24, 494---504, 1995) to minimum-cost, unit-capacity flow problems. Finally, we combine our ideas to obtain an algorithm that solves the minimum-cost bipartite matching problem in O(r1/2mlogC)$O(r^{1/2} m \log C)$ time, where m is the number of edges, C is the largest arc cost (assumed to be greater than 1), and r is the number of vertices on the small side of the vertex bipartition. This result generalizes (and simplifies) a result of Duan et al. (2011) and solves an open problem of Ramshaw and Tarjan (2012).

Planarity testing in V log V steps: extended abstract

Abstract: An efficient algorithm is presented for determining whether or not a given graph is planar. If V is the number of vertices in the graph, the algorithm requires time proportional to V log V and space proportional to V when run on a random-access computer. The algorithm constructs the facial boundaries of a planar representation without backup, using extensive list-processing features to speed computation. The theoretical time bound improves on that of previously published algorithms. Experimental evidence indicates that graphs with a few thousand edges can be tested within seconds.

Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems: Networks of Plausible Inference

Abstract: From the Publisher: Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems is a complete andaccessible account of the theoretical foundations and computational methods that underlie plausible reasoning under uncertainty. The author provides a coherent explication of probability as a language for reasoning with partial belief and offers a unifying perspective on other AI approaches to uncertainty, such as the Dempster-Shafer formalism, truth maintenance systems, and nonmonotonic logic. The author distinguishes syntactic and semantic approaches to uncertainty—and offers techniques, based on belief networks, that provide a mechanism for making semantics-based systems operational. Specifically, network-propagation techniques serve as a mechanism for combining the theoretical coherence of probability theory with modern demands of reasoning-systems technology: modular declarative inputs, conceptually meaningful inferences, and parallel distributed computation. Application areas include diagnosis, forecasting, image interpretation, multi-sensor fusion, decision support systems, plan recognition, planning, speech recognition—in short, almost every task requiring that conclusions be drawn from uncertain clues and incomplete information. Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems will be of special interest to scholars and researchers in AI, decision theory, statistics, logic, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and the management sciences. Professionals in the areas of knowledge-based systems, operations research, engineering, and statistics will find theoretical and computational tools of immediate practical use. The book can also be used as an excellent text for graduate-level courses in AI, operations research, or applied probability.

Nonlinear dimensionality reduction by locally linear embedding.

Abstract: Many areas of science depend on exploratory data analysis and visualization. The need to analyze large amounts of multivariate data raises the fundamental problem of dimensionality reduction: how to discover compact representations of high-dimensional data. Here, we introduce locally linear embedding (LLE), an unsupervised learning algorithm that computes low-dimensional, neighborhood-preserving embeddings of high-dimensional inputs. Unlike clustering methods for local dimensionality reduction, LLE maps its inputs into a single global coordinate system of lower dimensionality, and its optimizations do not involve local minima. By exploiting the local symmetries of linear reconstructions, LLE is able to learn the global structure of nonlinear manifolds, such as those generated by images of faces or documents of text.

The Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

Abstract: From the Publisher: With this text, you gain an understanding of the fundamental concepts of algorithms, the very heart of computer science. It introduces the basic data structures and programming techniques often used in efficient algorithms. Covers use of lists, push-down stacks, queues, trees, and graphs. Later chapters go into sorting, searching and graphing algorithms, the string-matching algorithms, and the Schonhage-Strassen integer-multiplication algorithm. Provides numerous graded exercises at the end of each chapter. 0201000296B04062001

Community detection in graphs

Abstract: The modern science of networks has brought significant advances to our understanding of complex systems. One of the most relevant features of graphs representing real systems is community structure, or clustering, i. e. the organization of vertices in clusters, with many edges joining vertices of the same cluster and comparatively few edges joining vertices of different clusters. Such clusters, or communities, can be considered as fairly independent compartments of a graph, playing a similar role like, e. g., the tissues or the organs in the human body. Detecting communities is of great importance in sociology, biology and computer science, disciplines where systems are often represented as graphs. This problem is very hard and not yet satisfactorily solved, despite the huge effort of a large interdisciplinary community of scientists working on it over the past few years. We will attempt a thorough exposition of the topic, from the definition of the main elements of the problem, to the presentation of most methods developed, with a special focus on techniques designed by statistical physicists, from the discussion of crucial issues like the significance of clustering and how methods should be tested and compared against each other, to the description of applications to real networks.