Incremental Cycle Detection, Topological Ordering, and Strong Component Maintenance
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present two online algorithms for maintaining a topological order of a directed n-vertex acyclic graph as arcs are added, and detecting a cycle when one is created.
Abstract: We present two online algorithms for maintaining a topological order of a directed n-vertex acyclic graph as arcs are added, and detecting a cycle when one is created. Our first algorithm handles m arc additions in O(m3/2) time. For sparse graphs (m/n = O(1)), this bound improves the best previous bound by a logarithmic factor, and is tight to within a constant factor among algorithms satisfying a natural locality property. Our second algorithm handles an arbitrary sequence of arc additions in O(n5/2) time. For sufficiently dense graphs, this bound improves the best previous bound by a polynomial factor. Our bound may be far from tight: we show that the algorithm can take Ω(n22√2 lgn) time by relating its performance to a generalization of the k-levels problem of combinatorial geometry. A completely different algorithm running in Θ(n2 log n) time was given recently by Bender, Fineman, and Gilbert. We extend both of our algorithms to the maintenance of strong components, without affecting the asymptotic time bounds.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider several well-studied problems in dynamic algorithms and prove that sufficient progress on any of them would imply a breakthrough on one of five major open problems in the theory of algorithms.
Abstract: We consider several well-studied problems in dynamic algorithms and prove that sufficient progress on any of them would imply a breakthrough on one of five major open problems in the theory of algorithms:
1. Is the 3SUM problem on $n$ numbers in $O(n^{2-\epsilon})$ time for some $\epsilon>0$?
2. Can one determine the satisfiability of a CNF formula on $n$ variables in $O((2-\epsilon)^n poly n)$ time for some $\epsilon>0$?
3. Is the All Pairs Shortest Paths problem for graphs on $n$ vertices in $O(n^{3-\epsilon})$ time for some $\epsilon>0$?
4. Is there a linear time algorithm that detects whether a given graph contains a triangle?
5. Is there an $O(n^{3-\epsilon})$ time combinatorial algorithm for $n\times n$ Boolean matrix multiplication?
The problems we consider include dynamic versions of bipartite perfect matching, bipartite maximum weight matching, single source reachability, single source shortest paths, strong connectivity, subgraph connectivity, diameter approximation and some nongraph problems such as Pagh's problem defined in a recent paper by Patrascu [STOC 2010].
308 citations
14 Jun 2015
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that there is no truly subcubic (O(n3-e) time algorithm for the online Boolean matrix-vector multiplication problem.
Abstract: Consider the following Online Boolean Matrix-Vector Multiplication problem: We are given an n x n matrix M and will receive n column-vectors of size n, denoted by v1, ..., vn, one by one. After seeing each vector vi, we have to output the product Mvi before we can see the next vector. A naive algorithm can solve this problem using O(n3) time in total, and its running time can be slightly improved to O(n3/log2 n) [Williams SODA'07]. We show that a conjecture that there is no truly subcubic (O(n3-e)) time algorithm for this problem can be used to exhibit the underlying polynomial time hardness shared by many dynamic problems. For a number of problems, such as subgraph connectivity, Pagh's problem, d-failure connectivity, decremental single-source shortest paths, and decremental transitive closure, this conjecture implies tight hardness results. Thus, proving or disproving this conjecture will be very interesting as it will either imply several tight unconditional lower bounds or break through a common barrier that blocks progress with these problems. This conjecture might also be considered as strong evidence against any further improvement for these problems since refuting it will imply a major breakthrough for combinatorial Boolean matrix multiplication and other long-standing problems if the term "combinatorial algorithms" is interpreted as "Strassen-like algorithms" [Ballard et al. SPAA'11].The conjecture also leads to hardness results for problems that were previously based on diverse problems and conjectures -- such as 3SUM, combinatorial Boolean matrix multiplication, triangle detection, and multiphase -- thus providing a uniform way to prove polynomial hardness results for dynamic algorithms; some of the new proofs are also simpler or even become trivial. The conjecture also leads to stronger and new, non-trivial, hardness results, e.g., for the fully-dynamic densest subgraph and diameter problems.
238 citations
14 Jun 2015
TL;DR: Novel reductions from 3-SUM, APSP, and CNF-SAT are designed, and interesting consequences of this very plausible conjecture are derived, including tight n3-o(1) lower bounds for purely-combinatorial problems about the triangles in unweighted graphs and new conditional lower bound for the Single-Source-Max-Flow problem.
Abstract: Due to the lack of unconditional polynomial lower bounds, it is now in fashion to prove conditional lower bounds in order to advance our understanding of the class P. The vast majority of these lower bounds are based on one of three famous hypotheses: the 3-SUM conjecture, the APSP conjecture, and the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis. Only circumstantial evidence is known in support of these hypotheses, and no formal relationship between them is known. In hopes of obtaining "less conditional" and therefore more reliable lower bounds, we consider the conjecture that at least one of the above three hypotheses is true. We design novel reductions from 3-SUM, APSP, and CNF-SAT, and derive interesting consequences of this very plausible conjecture, including: Tight n3-o(1) lower bounds for purely-combinatorial problems about the triangles in unweighted graphs. New n1-o(1) lower bounds for the amortized update and query times of dynamic algorithms for single-source reachability, strongly connected components, and Max-Flow. New n1.5-o(1) lower bound for computing a set of n st-maximum-flow values in a directed graph with n nodes and ~O(n) edges. There is a hierarchy of natural graph problems on n nodes with complexity nc for c ∈ (2,3).Only slightly non-trivial consequences of this conjecture were known prior to our work. Along the way we also obtain new conditional lower bounds for the Single-Source-Max-Flow problem.
91 citations
09 May 2017
TL;DR: It is shown that one can either reduce the incremental computations on big graphs to small data, or incrementalize batch algorithms by minimizing unnecessary recomputation by providing corresponding incremental algorithms.
Abstract: The incremental problem for a class Q of graph queries aims to compute, given a query Q in 'Q, graph G, output Q(G) and updates Δ G to G as input, changes Δ O to Q(G) such that Q(G ⊕ Δ G) = Q(G) ⊕ Δ O. It is called bounded if its cost can be expressed as a polynomial function in the sizes of Q, Δ G and Δ O. It is to reduce computations on possibly big G to small Δ G and Δ O. No matter how desirable, however, our first results are negative: for common graph queries such as graph traversal, connectivity, keyword search and pattern matching, their incremental problems are unbounded. In light of the negative results, we propose two characterizations for the effectiveness of incremental computation: (a) localizable, if its cost is decided by small neighbors of nodes in Δ G instead of the entire G; and (b) bounded relative to a batch algorithm T, if the cost is determined by the sizes of Δ G and changes to the affected area that is necessarily checked by T. We show that the incremental computations above are either localizable or relatively bounded, by providing corresponding incremental algorithms. That is, we can either reduce the incremental computations on big graphs to small data, or incrementalize batch algorithms by minimizing unnecessary recomputation. Using real-life graphs, we experimentally verify the effectiveness of our algorithms.
79 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that a conjecture that there is no truly subcubic (O(n3-ε) time algorithm for this problem can be used to exhibit the underlying polynomial time hardness shared by many dynamic problems.
Abstract: Consider the following Online Boolean Matrix-Vector Multiplication problem: We are given an $n\times n$ matrix $M$ and will receive $n$ column-vectors of size $n$, denoted by $v_1,\ldots,v_n$, one by one. After seeing each vector $v_i$, we have to output the product $Mv_i$ before we can see the next vector. A naive algorithm can solve this problem using $O(n^3)$ time in total, and its running time can be slightly improved to $O(n^3/\log^2 n)$ [Williams SODA'07]. We show that a conjecture that there is no truly subcubic ($O(n^{3-\epsilon})$) time algorithm for this problem can be used to exhibit the underlying polynomial time hardness shared by many dynamic problems. For a number of problems, such as subgraph connectivity, Pagh's problem, $d$-failure connectivity, decremental single-source shortest paths, and decremental transitive closure, this conjecture implies tight hardness results. Thus, proving or disproving this conjecture will be very interesting as it will either imply several tight unconditional lower bounds or break through a common barrier that blocks progress with these problems. This conjecture might also be considered as strong evidence against any further improvement for these problems since refuting it will imply a major breakthrough for combinatorial Boolean matrix multiplication and other long-standing problems if the term "combinatorial algorithms" is interpreted as "non-Strassen-like algorithms" [Ballard et al. SPAA'11]. The conjecture also leads to hardness results for problems that were previously based on diverse problems and conjectures, such as 3SUM, combinatorial Boolean matrix multiplication, triangle detection, and multiphase, thus providing a uniform way to prove polynomial hardness results for dynamic algorithms; some of the new proofs are also simpler or even become trivial. The conjecture also leads to stronger and new, non-trivial, hardness results.
78 citations
References
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Book•
01 Jan 1968
TL;DR: The arrangement of this invention provides a strong vibration free hold-down mechanism while avoiding a large pressure drop to the flow of coolant fluid.
Abstract: A fuel pin hold-down and spacing apparatus for use in nuclear reactors is disclosed. Fuel pins forming a hexagonal array are spaced apart from each other and held-down at their lower end, securely attached at two places along their length to one of a plurality of vertically disposed parallel plates arranged in horizontally spaced rows. These plates are in turn spaced apart from each other and held together by a combination of spacing and fastening means. The arrangement of this invention provides a strong vibration free hold-down mechanism while avoiding a large pressure drop to the flow of coolant fluid. This apparatus is particularly useful in connection with liquid cooled reactors such as liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactors.
17,939 citations
01 Jan 2001
TL;DR: Here the authors haven’t even started the project yet, and already they’re forced to answer many questions: what will this thing be named, what directory will it be in, what type of module is it, how should it be compiled, and so on.
Abstract: Writers face the blank page, painters face the empty canvas, and programmers face the empty editor buffer. Perhaps it’s not literally empty—an IDE may want us to specify a few things first. Here we haven’t even started the project yet, and already we’re forced to answer many questions: what will this thing be named, what directory will it be in, what type of module is it, how should it be compiled, and so on.
6,547 citations
TL;DR: The value of depth-first search or “backtracking” as a technique for solving problems is illustrated by two examples of an improved version of an algorithm for finding the strongly connected components of a directed graph.
Abstract: The value of depth-first search or “backtracking” as a technique for solving problems is illustrated by two examples. An improved version of an algorithm for finding the strongly connected componen...
5,660 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1983TL;DR: The basis of this book is the material contained in the first six chapters of the earlier work, The Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms, and has added material on algorithms for external storage and memory management.
Abstract: From the Publisher:
This book presents the data structures and algorithms that underpin much of today's computer programming. The basis of this book is the material contained in the first six chapters of our earlier work, The Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms. We have expanded that coverage and have added material on algorithms for external storage and memory management. As a consequence, this book should be suitable as a text for a first course on data structures and algorithms. The only prerequisite we assume is familiarity with some high-level programming language such as Pascal.
2,690 citations