On the complexity of the disjoint paths problem

In this paper we consider the disjoint paths problem. Given a graphG and a subsetS of the edge-set ofG the problem is to decide whether there exists a family of disjoint circuits inG each containing exactly one edge ofS such that every edge inS belongs to a circuit inC. By a well-known theorem of P. Seymour the edge-disjoint paths problem is polynomially solvable for Eulerian planar graphsG. We show that (assumingPNP) one can drop neither planarity nor the Eulerian condition onG without losing polynomial time solvability. We prove theNP-completeness of the planar edge-disjoint paths problem by showing theNP-completeness of the vertex disjoint paths problem for planar graphs with maximum vertex-degree three. This disproves (assumingPNP) a conjecture of A. Schrijver concerning the existence of a polynomial time algorithm for the planar vertex-disjoint paths problem. Furthermore we present a counterexample to a conjecture of A. Frank. This conjecture would have implied a polynomial algorithm for the planar edge-disjoint paths problem. Moreover we derive a complete characterization of all minorclosed classes of graphs for which the disjoint paths problem is polynomially solvable. Finally we show theNP-completeness of the half-integral relaxation of the edge-disjoint paths problem. This implies an answer to the long-standing question whether the edge-disjoint paths problem is polynomially solvable for Eulerian graphs.Supported by Sonderforschungsbereich 303 (DFG)     

On the complexity of the planar edge-disjoint paths problem with terminals on the outer boundary

It is shown that both the undirected and the directed edge-disjoint paths problem are NP-complete, if the supply graph is planar and all edges of the demand graph are incident with vertices lying on the outer boundary of the supply graph. In the directed case, the problem remains NP-complete, if in addition the supply graph is acyclic. The undirected case solves open problem no. 56 of A. Schrijver’s book Combinatorial Optimization.     

On the complexity of the planar directed edge-disjoint paths problem

The edge-disjoint paths problem and many special cases of it are known to be NP-complete. We present a new NP-completeness result for a special case of the problem, namely the directed edge-disjoint paths problem restricted to planar supply graphs and demand graphs consisting of two sets of parallel edges.     

Vertex-disjoint paths and edge-disjoint branchings in directed graphs

A theorem of J. Edmonds states that a directed graph has k edge-disjoint branchings rooted at a vertex r if and only if every vertex has k edge-disjoint paths to r. We conjecture an extension of this theorem to vertex-disjoint paths and give a constructive proof of the conjecture in the case k = 2.     

Path problems in generalized stars, complete graphs, and brick wall graphs

Path problems such as the maximum edge-disjoint paths problem, the path coloring problem, and the maximum path coloring problem are relevant for resource allocation in communication networks, in particular all-optical networks. In this paper, it is shown that maximum path coloring can be solved optimally in polynomial time for bidirected generalized stars, even in the weighted case. Furthermore, the maximum edge-disjoint paths problem is proved NP-hard for complete graphs (undirected or bidirected), a constant-factor off-line approximation algorithm is presented for the weighted case, and an on-line algorithm with constant competitive ratio is given for the unweighted case. Finally, an open problem concerning the existence of routings that simultaneously minimize the maximum load and the number of colors is solved: an example for a graph and a set of requests is given such that any routing that minimizes the maximum load requires strictly more colors for path coloring than a routing that minimizes the number of colors.     

A linear-time algorithm for edge-disjoint paths in planar graphs

In this paper we discuss the problem of finding edge-disjoint paths in a planar, undirected graph such that each path connects two specified vertices on the boundary of the graph. We will focus on the “classical” case where an instance additionally fulfills the so-calledevenness-condition. The fastest algorithm for this problem known from the literature requiresO (n ^5/3(loglogn)^1/3) time, wheren denotes the number of vertices. In this paper now, we introduce a new approach to this problem, which results in anO(n) algorithm. The proof of correctness immediately yields an alternative proof of the Theorem of Okamura and Seymour, which states a necessary and sufficient condition for solvability.     

The Klein bottle and multicommodity flows

LetG be an eulerian graph embedded on the Klein bottle. Then the maximum number of pairwise edge-disjoint orientation-reversing circuits inG is equal to the minimum number of edges intersecting all orientation-reversing circuits. This generalizes a theorem of Lins for the projective plane. As consequences we derive results on disjoint paths in planar graphs, including theorems of Okamura and of Okamura and Seymour.     

The hardness of routing two pairs on one face

We prove the NP-completeness of the integer multiflow problem in planar graphs, with the following restrictions: there are only two classes of parallel demand edges, both lying on the infinite face of the routing graph. This was one of the open challenges concerning disjoint paths, explicitly asked by Müller (Math Program 105 (2–3):275–288, 2006). It also strengthens Schw?rzler’s recent proof of one of the open problems of Schrijver’s book (Combinatorial Optimization: Polyhedra and Efficiency. Springer, Berlin 2003), about the complexity of the edge-disjoint paths problem with terminals on the outer boundary of a planar graph. We also give a directed acyclic reduction. This proves that the arc-disjoint paths problem is NP-complete in directed acyclic graphs, even with only two classes of demand arcs.     

Planarity and duality of finite and infinite graphs

We present a short proof of the following theorems simultaneously: Kuratowski's theorem, Fary's theorem, and the theorem of Tutte that every 3-connected planar graph has a convex representation. We stress the importance of Kuratowski's theorem by showing how it implies a result of Tutte on planar representations with prescribed vertices on the same facial cycle as well as the planarity criteria of Whitney, MacLane, Tutte, and Fournier (in the case of Whitney's theorem and MacLane's theorem this has already been done by Tutte). In connection with Tutte's planarity criterion in terms of non-separating cycles we give a short proof of the result of Tutte that the induced non-separating cycles in a 3-connected graph generate the cycle space. We consider each of the above-mentioned planarity criteria for infinite graphs. Specifically, we prove that Tutte's condition in terms of overlap graphs is equivalent to Kuratowski's condition, we characterize completely the infinite graphs satisfying MacLane's condition and we prove that the 3-connected locally finite ones have convex representations. We investigate when an infinite graph has a dual graph and we settle this problem completely in the locally finite case. We show by examples that Tutte's criterion involving non-separating cycles has no immediate extension to infinite graphs, but we present some analogues of that criterion for special classes of infinite graphs.     

Packing of Steiner trees and S-connectors in graphs

Nash-Williams and Tutte independently characterized when a graph has k edge-disjoint spanning trees; a consequence is that 2k-edge-connected graphs have k edge-disjoint spanning trees. Kriesell conjectured a more general statement: defining a set S⊆V(G) to be j-edge-connected in G if S lies in a single component of any graph obtained by deleting fewer than j edges from G, he conjectured that if S is 2k-edge-connected in G, then G has k edge-disjoint trees containing S. Lap Chi Lau proved that the conclusion holds whenever S is 24k-edge-connected in G.We improve Lau?s result by showing that it suffices for S to be 6.5k-edge-connected in G. This and an analogous result for packing stronger objects called “S-connectors” follow from a common generalization of the Tree Packing Theorem and Hakimi?s criterion for orientations with specified outdegrees. We prove the general theorem using submodular functions and the Matroid Union Theorem.     

Constructing disjoint paths on expander graphs

In a typical parallel or distributed computation model processors are connected by a spars interconnection network. To establish open-line communication between pairs of processors that wish to communicate interactively, a set of disjoint paths has to be constructed on the network. Since communication needs vary in time, paths have to be dynamically constructed and destroyed.We study the complexity of constructing disjoint paths between given pairs of vertices on expander interconnection graphs. These graphs have been shown before to possess desirable properties for other communication tasks.We present a sufficient condition for the existence ofKn ^Q edge-disjoint paths connecting any set ofK pairs of vertices on an expander graph, wheren is the number of vertices and<1 is some constant. We then show that the computational problem of constructing these paths lies in the classes Deterministic-P and Random-P C.Furthermore, we show that the set of paths can be constructed in probabilistic polylog time in the parallel-distributed model of computation, in which then participating processors reside in the nodes of the communication graph and all communication is done through edges of the graph. Thus, the disjoint paths are constructed in the very computation model that uses them.Finally, we show how to apply variants of our parallel algorithms to find sets ofvertex-disjoint paths when certain conditions are satisfied.Supported in part by a Weizmann fellowship and by contract ONR N00014-85-C-0731.     

Structural properties for certain classes of infinite planar graphs

An infinite locally finite plane graph is called an LV-graph if it is 3-connected and VAP-free. If an LV-graphG contains no unbounded faces, then we say thatG is a 3LV-graph. In this paper, a structure theorem for an LV-graph concerning the existence of a sequence of systems of paths exhausting the whole graph is presented. Combining this theorem with the early result of the author, we obtain a necessary and sufficient conditions for an infinite VAP-free planar graph to be a 3LV-graph as well as an LV-graph. These theorems generalize the characterization theorem of Thomassen for infinite triangulations.     

On regular graphs and Hamiltonian circuits,including answers to some questions of Joseph Zaks

A graph is called l-ply Hamiltonian if it admits l edge-disjoint Hamiltonian circuits. The following results are obtained: (1) When n ≥ 3 and 0 ≤ 2l ≤ n there exists an n-connected n-regular graph that is exactly l-ply Hamiltonian. (2) There exist 5-connected 5-regular planar graphs that are not doubly (i.e. 2-ply) Hamiltonian, one with only 132 vertices and another with only three types of face, namely 3-, 4- and 12-gons. (3) There exist 3-connected 5-regular planar graphs, one that is non-Hamiltonian and has only 76 vertices and another that has no Hamiltonian paths and has only 128 vertices. (4) There exist 5-edge-connected 5-regular planar graphs, one that is non-Hamiltonian and has only 176 vertices and another that has no Hamiltonian paths and has only 512 vertices. Result (1) was known in the special cases $\text{l = [}\text{n}\text{2}\text{]}$ (an old result) and l = 0 (due to G. H. J. Meredith, 1973). The special case l = 1 provides a negative answer to question 4 in a recent paper by Joseph Zaks and implies Corollary 1 to Zaks' Theorem 1. Results (2) and (3) involve graphs with considerably fewer vertices (and, in one case, fewer types of face) than Zaks' corresponding graphs and provide partial answers to his questions 1 and 3. Result (4) involves graphs that satisfy a stronger condition than those of Zaks but still have fewer vertices.     

A Center Transversal Theorem for Hyperplanes and Applications to Graph Drawing

Motivated by an open problem from graph drawing, we study several partitioning problems for line and hyperplane arrangements. We prove a ham-sandwich cut theorem: given two sets of n lines in ?², there is a line ? such that in both line sets, for both halfplanes delimited by ?, there are $\sqrt{n}$ lines which pairwise intersect in that halfplane, and this bound is tight; a centerpoint theorem: for any set of n lines there is a point such that for any halfplane containing that point there are $\sqrt{n/3}$ of the lines which pairwise intersect in that halfplane. We generalize those results in higher dimension and obtain a center transversal theorem, a same-type lemma, and a positive portion Erd?s–Szekeres theorem for hyperplane arrangements. This is done by formulating a generalization of the center transversal theorem which applies to set functions that are much more general than measures. Back to graph drawing (and in the plane), we completely solve the open problem that motivated our search: there is no set of n labeled lines that are universal for all n-vertex labeled planar graphs. In contrast, the main result by Pach and Toth (J. Graph Theory 46(1):39–47, 2004), has, as an easy consequence, that every set of n (unlabeled) lines is universal for all n-vertex (unlabeled) planar graphs.     

Sparsest cut in planar graphs,maximum concurrent flows and their connections with the max-cut problem

We study the sparsest cut problem when the “capacity-demand” graph is planar, and give a combinatorial polynomial algorithm. In this type of graphs there is an edge for each positive capacity and also an edge for each positive demand. We extend this result to graphs with no \(K_5\) minor. We also show how to find a maximum concurrent flow in these two cases. We also prove that the sparsest cut problem is NP-hard if we only impose that the “capacity-demand” graph has no \(K_6\) minor. We use ideas that had been developed for the max-cut problem, and show how to exploit the connections among these problems.     

On the number of edge-disjoint one factors and the existence of k-factors in complete multipartite graphs

In this paper we use Tutte's f-factor theorem and the method of amalgamations to find necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a k-factor in the complete multipartite graph K(p(1), …, p(n)), conditions that are reminiscent of the Erdös-Gallai conditions for the existence of simple graphs with a given degree sequence. We then use this result to investigate the maximum number of edge-disjoint 1-factors in K(p(1), …, p(n)), settling the problem in the case where this number is greater than δ - p(2), where p(1) p(2) … p(n).     

On a packing problem for infinite graphs and independence spaces

In this paper several infinite extensions of the well-known results for packing bases in finite matroids are considered. A counterexample is given to a conjecture of Nash-Williams on edge-disjoint spanning trees of countable graphs, and a sufficient condition is proved for the packing problem in independence spaces over a countably infinite set.     

Spectral measures,II: Characterization of scalar operators

We continue the development of part I. The Riesz representation theorem is proved without assuming local convexity. This theorem is applied to give sufficient conditions for an operator (continuous or otherwise) to be spectral. A uniqueness problem is pointed out and the function calculus is extended to the case of several variables. A Radon—Nikodym theorem is proved.     

Wiring edge-disjoint layouts

We consider the wiring or layer assignment problem for edge-disjoint layouts. The wiring problem is well understood for the case that the underlying layout graph is a square grid (Lipski Jr. and Preparata, 1987). In this paper, we introduce a more general approach to this problem. For an edge-disjoint layout in the plane, respectively in an arbitrary planar layout graph, we give equivalent conditions for k-layer wirability. Based on these conditions, we obtain linear-time algorithms to wire every layout in a tri-hexagonal grid or a tri-square-hexagonal grid, respectively, using at most five layers.