Approximation algorithms and parameterized complexity are usually considered to be two separate ways of dealing with hard algorithmic problems. In this paper, our aim is to investigate how these two fields can be combined to achieve better algorithms than what any of the two theories could offer. We discuss the different ways parameterized complexity can be extended to approximation algorithms, survey results of this type and propose directions for future research. 1.

Bidimensionality theory appears to be a powerful framework in the development of meta-algorithmic techniques. It was introduced by Demaine et al. [J. ACM 2005] as a tool to obtain sub-exponential time parameterized algorithms for bidimensional problems on H-minor free graphs. Demaine and Hajiaghayi [SODA 2005] extended the theory to obtain polynomial time approximation schemes (PTASs) for bidimensional problems. In this paper, we establish a third meta-algorithmic direction for bidimensionality theory by relating it to the existence of linear kernels for parameterized problems. In parameterized complexity, each problem instance comes with a parameter k and the parameterized problem is said to admit a linear kernel if there is a polynomial time algorithm, called

We give a review of a series of techniques and results on the design of subexponential parameterized algorithms for graph problems. The design of such algorithms usually consists of two main steps: first find a branch- (or tree-) decomposition of the input graph whose width is bounded by a sublinear function of the parameter and, second, use this decomposition to solve the problem in time that is single exponential to this bound. The main tool for the first step is Bidimensionality Theory. Here we present the potential, but also the boundaries, of this theory. For the second step, we describe recent techniques, associating the analysis of sub-exponential algorithms to combinatorial bounds related to Catalan numbers. As a result, we have 2 O( √ k) · n O(1) time algorithms for a wide variety of parameterized problems on graphs, where n is the size of the graph and k is the parameter. 1

Complementing recent progress on classical complexity and polynomial-time approximability of feedback set problems in (bipartite) tournaments, we extend and improve fixed-parameter tractability results for these problems. We show that Feedback Vertex Set in tournaments (FVST) is amenable to the novel iterative compression technique, and we provide a depth-bounded search tree for Feedback Arc Set in bipartite tournaments based on a new forbidden subgraph characterization. Moreover, we apply the iterative compression technique to d-Hitting Set, which generalizes Feedback Vertex Set in tournaments, and obtain improved upper bounds for the time needed to solve 4-Hitting Set and 5-Hitting Set. Using our parameterized algorithm for Feedback Vertex Set in tournaments, we also give an exact (not parameterized) algorithm for it running in O(1.709 n) time, where n is the number of input graph vertices, answering a question of Woeginger [Discrete Appl. Math. 156(3):397–405, 2008].

Abstract. We show that, other than for standard complexity theory with known NP-completeness results, the computational complexity of the Dodgson and Young election systems is completely different from a parameterized complexity point of view. That is, on the one hand, we present an efficient fixed-parameter algorithm for determining a Condorcet winner in Dodgson elections by a minimum number of switches in the votes. On the other hand, we prove that the corresponding problem for Young elections, where one has to delete votes instead of performing switches, is W[2]-complete. In addition, we study Dodgson elections that allow ties between the candidates and give fixed-parameter tractability as well as W[2]-hardness results depending on the cost model for switching ties. 1

We examine exact algorithms for the NP-hard Graph Bipartization problem. The task is, given a graph, to find a minimum set of vertices to delete to make it bipartite. Based on the “iterative compression ” method introduced by Reed, Smith, and Vetta in 2004, we present new algorithms and experimental results. The worst-case time complexity is improved. Based on new structural insights, we give a simplified correctness proof. This also allows us to establish a heuristic improvement that in particular speeds up the search on dense graphs. Our best algorithm can solve all instances from a testbed from computational biology within minutes, whereas established methods are only able to solve about half of the instances within reasonable time.

Abstract. Kernelization is a central technique used in parameterized algorithms, and in other approaches for coping with NP-hard problems. In this paper, we introduce a new method which allows us to show that many problems do not have polynomial size kernels under reasonable complexity-theoretic assumptions. These problems include k-

We consider the Discrete Basis Problem, which can be described as follows: given a collection of Boolean vectors find a collection of k Boolean basis vectors such that the original vectors can be represented using disjunctions of these basis vectors. We show that the decision version of this problem is NP-complete and that the optimization version cannot be approximated within any finite ratio. We also study two variations of this problem, where the Boolean basis vectors must be mutually otrhogonal. We show that the other variation is closely related with the well-known Metric k-median Problem in Boolean space. To solve these problems, two algorithms will be presented. One is designed for the variations mentioned above, and it is solely based on solving the k-median problem, while another is a heuristic intended to solve the general Discrete Basis Problem. We will also study the results of extensive experiments made with these two algorithms with both synthetic and real-world data. The results are twofold: with the synthetic data, the algorithms did rather well, but with the real-world data the results were not as good.

We consider the relationship between the complexities of- and those of restricted to formulas of constant density. Let be the infimum of those such that- on variables can be decided in time and be the infimum of those such that on variables and clauses can be decided in time. We show that. So, for any,- can be solved in time independent of if and only if the same is true for with any fixed density of clauses to variables. We derive some interesting consequences from this. For example, assuming that-is exponentially hard (that is,), of any fixed density can be solved in time whose exponent is strictly less than that for general. We also give an improvement to the sparsification lemma of [12] showing that instances of- of density slightly more than exponential in are almost the hardest instances of-. The previous result showed this for densities doubly exponential in. 1.

Abstract. We prove that finding a rooted subtree with at least k leaves in a digraph is a fixed parameter tractable problem. A similar result holds for finding rooted spanning trees with many leaves in digraphs from a wide family L that includes all strong and acyclic digraphs. This settles completely an open question of Fellows and solves another one for digraphs in L. Our algorithms are based on the following combinatorial result which can be viewed as a generalization of many results for a ‘spanning tree with many leaves ’ in the undirected case, and which is interesting on its own: If a digraph D ∈ L of order n with minimum in-degree at least 3 contains a rooted spanning tree, then D contains one with at least (n/2) 1/5 − 1 leaves. 1