Spreading Rumors Rapidly Despite an Adversary

In thecollect problem(M. Saks, N. Shavit, and H. Woll,in“Proceedings of the 2nd ACM–SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, 1991),nprocessors in a shared-memory system must each learn the values ofnregisters. We give a randomized algorithm that solves the collect problem inO(n log³ n) total read and write operations with high probability, even if timing is under the control of a content-oblivious adversary (a slight weakening of the usual adaptive adversary). This improves on both the trivial upper bound ofO(n²) steps and the best previously known bound ofO(n^3/2 log n) steps, and is close to the lower bound of Ω(n log n) steps. Furthermore, we show how this algorithm can be used to obtain a multiuse cooperative collect protocol that isO(log³ n)-competitive in the latency model of Ajtaiet al.(“Proceedings of the 33rd IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science,” 1994); andO(n^1/2 log^3/2 n)-competitive in the throughput model of Aspnes and Waarts (“Proceedings of the 28th ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing,” 1996). In both cases the competitive ratios are within a polylogarithmic factor of optimal.     

Fast broadcasting and gossiping in radio networks

We establish an O(nlog²n) upper bound on the time for deterministic distributed broadcasting in multi-hop radio networks with unknown topology. This nearly matches the known lower bound of Ω(nlogn). The fastest previously known algorithm for this problem works in time O(n^3/2). Using our broadcasting algorithm, we develop an O(n^3/2log²n) algorithm for gossiping in the same network model.     

Analysis of Carry Propagation in Addition: An Elementary Approach

Our goal in this paper is to analyze carry propagation in addition using only elementary methods (that is, those not involving residues, contour integration, or methods of complex analysis). Our results concern the length of the longest carry chain when two independent uniformly distributed n-bit numbers are added. First, we show using just first- and second-moment arguments that the expected length C_n of the longest carry chain satisfies C_n = log₂n + O(1). Second, we use a sieve (inclusion–exclusion) argument to give an exact formula for C_n. Third, we give an elementary derivation of an asymptotic formula due to Knuth, C_n = log₂n + Φ(log₂ n) + O((logn)⁴/n), where Φ(ν) is a bounded periodic function of ν, with period 1, for which we give both a simple integral expression and a Fourier series. Fourth, we give an analogous asymptotic formula for the variance V_n of the length of the longest carry chain: V_n = Ψ(log₂ n) + O((logn)⁵/n), where Ψ(ν) is another bounded periodic function of ν, with period 1. Our approach can be adapted to addition with the “end-around” carry that occurs in the sign-magnitude and 1s-complement representations. Finally, our approach can be adapted to give elementary derivations of some asymptotic formulas arising in connection with radix-exchange sorting and collision-resolution algorithms, which have previously been derived using contour integration and residues.     

A Faster Deterministic Maximum Flow Algorithm

Cheriyan and Hagerup developed a randomized algorithm to compute the maximum flow in a graph with n nodes and m edges in O(mn + n² log²n) expected time. The randomization is used to efficiently play a certain combinatorial game that arises during the computation. We give a version of their algorithm where a general version of their game arises. Then we give a strategy for the game that yields a deterministic algorithm for computing the maximum flow in a directed graph with n nodes and m edges that runs in time O(mn(log_{m/n log n}n)). Our algorithm gives an O(mn) deterministic algorithm for all m/n = Ω(n^ε) for any positive constant ε, and is currently the fastest deterministic algorithm for computing maximum flow as long as m/n = ω(log n).     

Randomized online graph coloring

We study the problem of coloring graphs in an online manner. The only known deterministic online graph coloring algorithm with a sublinear performance function was found by [9.], 319–325). Their algorithm colors graphs of chromatic number χ with no more than (2χn)/log^* n colors, where n is the number of vertices. They point out that the performance can be improved slightly for graphs with bounded chromatic number. For three-chromatic graphs the number of colors used, for example, is O(n log log log n/log log n). We show that randomization helps in coloring graphs online. We present a simple randomized online algorithm to color graphs with expected number of colors O(2^χχ²n^{(χ−2)/(χ−1)}(log n)^1/(χ−1)). For three-colorable graphs the expected number of colors our algorithm uses is . All our algorithms run in polynomial time. It is interesting to note that our algorithm compares well with the best known polynomial time offline algorithms. For instance, the best polynomial time algorithm known for three-colorable graphs, due to [4.] pp. 554–562). We also prove a lower bound of Ω((1/(χ − 1))((log n/(12(χ + 1))) − 1)^χ−1) for the randomized model. No lower bound for the randomized model was previously known. For bounded χ, our result improves even the best known lower bound for the deterministic case: Ω((log n/log log n)^χ−1), due to Noga Alon (personal communication, September 1989).     

Computing homotopic shortest paths in the plane

We address the problem of computing homotopic shortest paths in the presence of obstacles in the plane. Problems on homotopy of paths received attention very recently [Cabello et al., in: Proc. 18th Annu. ACM Sympos. Comput. Geom., 2002, pp. 160–169; Efrat et al., in: Proc. 10th Annu. European Sympos. Algorithms, 2002, pp. 411–423]. We present two output-sensitive algorithms, for simple paths and non-simple paths. The algorithm for simple paths improves the previous algorithm [Efrat et al., in: Proc. 10th Annu. European Sympos. Algorithms, 2002, pp. 411–423]. The algorithm for non-simple paths achieves O(log²n) time per output vertex which is an improvement by a factor of O(n/log²n) of the previous algorithm [Hershberger, Snoeyink, Comput. Geom. Theory Appl. 4 (1994) 63–98], where n is the number of obstacles. The running time has an overhead O(n²⁺) for any positive constant . In the case k<n²⁺, where k is the total size of the input and output, we improve the running to O((n+k+(nk)^2/3)log^O(1)n).     

Some Infinite Families of Locally Partial Geometries Generalizing the Classical Laguerre Planes

Starting with a subgeometry Ω embedded in a β-dimensional projective space PG(β, q), β 1, we construct inductively a series of rank n residually connected geometries Γ^{(n, β, Ω)}, n β, by putting Γ^{(β, β, Ω)} = Ω and extending Γ^{(n - 1, β, Ω)} with a partial geometry.     

A self-normalized Erd s—Rényi type strong law of large numbers

The original Erd s—Rényi theorem states that max_0kn∑^k+[clogn]_i=k+1X_i/[clogn]→α(c),c>0, almost surely for i.i.d. random variables {X_n, n1} with mean zero and finite moment generating function in a neighbourhood of zero. The latter condition is also necessary for the Erd s—Rényi theorem, and the function α(c) uniquely determines the distribution function of X₁. We prove that if the normalizing constant [c log n] is replaced by the random variable ∑^k+[clogn]_i=k+1(X²_i+1), then a corresponding result remains true under assuming only the exist first moment, or that the underlying distribution is symmetric.     

The Number of Steps in the Robinson-Schensted Algorithm

Suppose that a permutation σ ∈ S _n is chosen at random (n is large) and the Robinson-Schensted algorithm is applied to compute the associated Young diagram. Then for almost all permutations the number of bumping operations performed by the algorithm is about (128/27π²)n ^3/2, and the number of comparison operations is about (64/27π²)n ^3/2 log₂ n.__________Translated from Funktsional’nyi Analiz i Ego Prilozheniya, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 82–86, 2005Original Russian Text Copyright © by D. Romik     

Selection on rectangular meshes with multiple broadcasting

One of the fundamental algorithmic problems in computer science involves selecting thekth smallest element in a setS ofn elements. In this paper we present a fast selection algorithm which runs inO(n ^1/8 logn) time on a mesh with multiple broadcasting of sizen ^3/8 ×n ^5/8. Our result shows that, just like semigroup computations, selection can be done much faster on a suitably chosen rectangular mesh than on square meshes. We also show that if every processor can storen ^1/9 items, then our selection algorithm runs inO(n ^1/9 logn) time on a mesh with multiple broadcasting of sizen ^1/3 ×n ^5/9.Work supported by NASA under grant NCC1-99.This author was partly supported by NSF grant CCR-8009996.     

New text indexing functionalities of the compressed suffix arrays

New text indexing functionalities of the compressed suffix arrays are proposed. The compressed suffix array proposed by Grossi and Vitter is a space-efficient data structure for text indexing. It occupies only O(n) bits for a text of length n; however it also uses the text itself that occupies bits for the alphabet . In this paper we modify the data structure so that pattern matching can be done without any access to the text. In addition to the original functions of the compressed suffix array, we add new operations search, decompress and inverse to the compressed suffix arrays. We show that the new index can find occ occurrences of any substring P of the text in O(|P|logn+occlog^εn) time for any fixed 1ε>0 without access to the text. The index also can decompress a part of the text of length m in O(m+log^εn) time. For a text of length n on an alphabet such that , our new index occupies only bits where is the order-0 entropy of the text. Especially for ε=1 the size is bits. Therefore the index will be smaller than the text, which means we can perform fast queries from compressed texts.     

On-line coloringk-colorable graphs

We show that for anyk, there exists an on-line algorithm that will color anyk-colorable graph onn vertices withO(n ^1−1/k! ) colors. This improves the previous best upper bound ofO(nlog^(2k−3) n/log^(2k−4) n) due to Lovász, Saks, and Trotter. In the special casesk=3 andk=4 we obtain on-line algorithms that useO(n ^2/3log^1/3 n) andO(n ^5/6log^1/6 n) colors, respectively.     

Ray shooting and intersection searching amidst fat convex polyhedra in 3-space

We present a data structure for ray-shooting queries in a set of convex fat polyhedra of total complexity n in . The data structure uses O(n^2+ε) storage and preprocessing time, and queries can be answered in O(log²n) time. A trade-off between storage and query time is also possible: for any m with n<m<n², we can construct a structure that uses O(m^1+ε) storage and preprocessing time such that queries take time.We also describe a data structure for simplex intersection queries in a set of n convex fat constant-complexity polyhedra in . For any m with n<m<n³, we can construct a structure that uses O(m^1+ε) storage and preprocessing time such that all polyhedra intersecting a query simplex can be reported in O((n/m^1/3)logn+k) time, where k is the number of answers.     

On-line coloring of perfect graphs

Lovász, Saks, and Trotter showed that there exists an on-line algorithm which will color any on-linek-colorable graph onn vertices withO(nlog^(2k–3) n/log^(2k–4) n) colors. Vishwanathan showed that at least (log ^k–1 n/k ^k ) colors are needed. While these remain the best known bounds, they give a distressingly weak approximation of the number of colors required. In this article we study the case of perfect graphs. We prove that there exists an on-line algorithm which will color any on-linek-colorable perfect graph onn vertices withn ^10k/loglogn colors and that Vishwanathan's techniques can be slightly modified to show that his lower bound also holds for perfect graphs. This suggests that Vishwanathan's lower bound is far from tight in the general case.Research partially supported by Office of Naval Research grant N00014-90-J-1206.     

A Randomized Parallel Algorithm for Planar Graph Isomorphism

We present a parallel randomized algorithm running on aCRCW PRAM, to determine whether two planar graphs are isomorphic, and if so to find the isomorphism. We assume that we have a tree of separators for each planar graph (which can be computed by known algorithms inO(log² n) time withn^{1 + ε}processors, for any ε > 0). Ifnis the number of vertices, our algorithm takesO(log(n)) time with processors and with a probability of failure of 1/nat most. The algorithm needs 2 · log(m) − log(n) + O(log(n)) random bits. The number of random bits can be decreased toO(log(n)) by increasing the number of processors ton^{3/2 + ε}, for any ε > 0. Our parallel algorithm has significantly improved processor efficiency, compared to the previous logarithmic time parallel algorithm of Miller and Reif (Siam J. Comput.20(1991), 1128–1147), which requiresn⁴randomized processors orn⁵deterministic processors.     

Ramsey functions involving with large

For fixed integers m,k2, it is shown that the k-color Ramsey number r_k(K_m,n) and the bipartite Ramsey number b_k(m,n) are both asymptotically equal to k^mn as n→∞, and that for any graph H on m vertices, the two-color Ramsey number is at most (1+o(1))n^m+1/(logn)^m-1. Moreover, the order of magnitude of is proved to be n^m+1/(logn)^m if H≠K_m as n→∞.     

Preprocessing chains for fast dihedral rotations is hard or even impossible

We examine a computational geometric problem concerning the structure of polymers. We model a polymer as a polygonal chain in three dimensions. Each edge splits the polymer into two subchains, and a dihedral rotation rotates one of these subchains rigidly about the edge. The problem is to determine, given a chain, an edge, and an angle of rotation, if the motion can be performed without causing the chain to self-intersect. An Ω(nlogn) lower bound on the time complexity of this problem is known.We prove that preprocessing a chain of n edges and answering n dihedral rotation queries is 3 -hard, giving strong evidence that Ω(n²) preprocessing is required to achieve sublinear query time in the worst case. For dynamic queries, which also modify the chain if the requested dihedral rotation is feasible, we show that answering n queries is by itself 3 -hard, suggesting that sublinear query time is impossible after any amount of preprocessing.     

The complexity of many cells in arrangements of planes and related problems

We consider several problems involving points and planes in three dimensions. Our main results are: (i) The maximum number of faces boundingm distinct cells in an arrangement ofn planes isO(m ^2/3 n logn +n ²); we can calculatem such cells specified by a point in each, in worst-case timeO(m ^2/3 n log³ n+n ² logn). (ii) The maximum number of incidences betweenn planes andm vertices of their arrangement isO(m ^2/3 n logn+n ²), but this number is onlyO(m ^3/5– n ^4/5+2 +m+n logm), for any>0, for any collection of points no three of which are collinear. (iii) For an arbitrary collection ofm points, we can calculate the number of incidences between them andn planes by a randomized algorithm whose expected time complexity isO((m ^3/4– n ^3/4+3 +m) log² n+n logn logm) for any>0. (iv) Givenm points andn planes, we can find the plane lying immediately below each point in randomized expected timeO([m ^3/4– n ^3/4+3 +m] log² n+n logn logm) for any>0. (v) The maximum number of facets (i.e., (d–1)-dimensional faces) boundingm distinct cells in an arrangement ofn hyperplanes ind dimensions,d>3, isO(m ^2/3 n ^d/3 logn+n ^d–1). This is also an upper bound for the number of incidences betweenn hyperplanes ind dimensions andm vertices of their arrangement. The combinatorial bounds in (i) and (v) and the general bound in (ii) are almost tight.Work on this paper by the first author has been supported by Amoco Fnd. Fac. Dev. Comput. Sci. 1-6-44862 and by NSF Grant CCR-8714565. Work by the third author has been supported by Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-87-K-0129, by National Science Foundation Grant DCR-82-20085, by grants from the Digital Equipment Corporation, and the IBM Corporation, and by a research grant from the NCRD—the Israeli National Council for Research and Development. An abstract of this paper has appeared in theProceedings of the 13th International Mathematical Programming Symposium, Tokyo, 1988, p. 147.     

Mappings of finite distortion: the degree of regularity

This paper investigates the self-improving integrability properties of the so-called mappings of finite distortion. Let K(x)1 be a measurable function defined on a domain ΩRⁿ, n2, and such that exp(βK(x))L_loc¹(Ω), β>0. We show that there exist two universal constants c₁(n),c₂(n) with the following property: Let f be a mapping in W_loc^1,1(Ω,Rⁿ) with |Df(x)|ⁿK(x)J(x,f) for a.e. xΩ and such that the Jacobian determinant J(x,f) is locally in L¹ log^−c₁(n)βL. Then automatically J(x,f) is locally in L¹ log^c₂(n)βL(Ω). This result constitutes the appropriate analog for the self-improving regularity of quasiregular mappings and clarifies many other interesting properties of mappings of finite distortion. Namely, we obtain novel results on the size of removable singularities for bounded mappings of finite distortion, and on the area distortion under this class of mappings.     

Decomposable graphs and definitions with no quantifier alternation

Let D(G) be the minimum quantifier depth of a first order sentence Φ that defines a graph G up to isomorphism. Let D₀(G) be the version of D(G) where we do not allow quantifier alternations in Φ. Define q₀(n) to be the minimum of D₀(G) over all graphs G of order n.We prove that for all n we have

log^*n−log^*log^*n−2≤q₀(n)≤log^*n+22,