We give a general complexity classification scheme for monotone computation, including monotone space-bounded and Turing machine models not previously considered. We propose monotone complexity classes including mAC i , mNC i , mLOGCFL, mBWBP , mL, mNL, mP , mBPP and mNP . We define a simple notion of monotone reducibility and exhibit complete problems. This provides a framework for stating existing results and asking new questions. We show that mNL (monotone nondeterministic log-space) is not closed under complementation, in contrast to Immerman's and Szelepcs 'enyi's nonmonotone result [Imm88, Sze87] that NL = co-NL; this is a simple extension of the monotone circuit depth lower bound of Karchmer and Wigderson [KW90] for st-connectivity. We also consider mBWBP (monotone bounded width branching programs) and study the question of whether mBWBP is properly contained in mNC 1 , motivated by Barrington's result [Bar89] that BWBP = NC 1 . Although we cannot answer t...

Weighted threshold functions with positive weights are a natural generalization of unweighted threshold functions. These functions are clearly monotone. However, the naive way of computing it is adding the weights of the satisfied variables and checking if the sum is greater than the threshold; this algorithm is inherently non-monotone since addition is a non-monotone function. In this work we by-pass this addition step and construct a polynomial size logarithmic depth unbounded fan-in monotone circuit for every weighted threshold function, i. e., we show that weighted threshold functions are in mAC . (To the best of our knowledge, prior to our work no polynomial monotone circuits were known for weighted threshold functions.) Our monotone circuits are applicable for the cryptographic tool of secret sharing schemes. Using general results for compiling monotone circuits (Yao, 1989) and monotone formulae (Benaloh and Leichter, 1990) into secret sharing schemes, we get secret sharing schemes for every weighted threshold access structure. Specifically, we get: (1) information-theoretic secret sharing schemes where the size of each share is quasi-polynomial in the number of users, and (2) computation secret sharing schemes where the size of each share is polynomial in the number of users.

Weighted threshold functions with positive weights are a natural generalization of unweighted threshold functions. These functions are clearly monotone. However, the naive way of computing them is adding the weights of the satisfied variables and checking if the sum is greater than the threshold; this algorithm is inherently non-monotone since addition is a non-monotone function. In this work we by-pass this addition step and construct a polynomial size logarithmic depth unbounded fan-in monotone circuit for every weighted threshold function, i.e., we show that weighted threshold functions are in mAC 1. (To the best of our knowledge, prior to our work no polynomial monotone circuits were known for weighted threshold functions.) Our monotone circuits are applicable for the cryptographic tool of secret sharing schemes. Using general results for compiling monotone circuits (Yao, 1989) and monotone formulae (Benaloh and Leichter, 1990) into secret sharing schemes, we get secret sharing schemes for every weighted threshold access structure. Specifically, we get: (1) information-theoretic secret sharing schemes where the size of each share is quasi-polynomial in the number of users, and (2) computational secret sharing schemes where the size of each share is polynomial in the number of users.

Abstract. Spira [28] showed that any Boolean formula of size s can be simulated in depth O(log s). We generalize Spira’s theorem and show that any Boolean circuit of size s with segregators of size f(s) can be simulated in depth O(f(s) log s). If the segregator size is at least s ε for some constant ε> 0, then we can obtain a simulation of depth O(f(s)). This improves and generalizes a simulation of polynomial-size Boolean circuits of constant treewidth k in depth O(k 2 log n) by Jansen and Sarma [17]. Since the existence of small balanced separators in a directed acyclic graph implies that the graph also has small segregators, our results also apply to circuits with small separators. Our results imply that the class of languages computed by non-uniform families of polynomial-size circuits that have constant size segregators equals non-uniform NC 1. Considering space bounded Turing machines to generate the circuits, for f(s) log 2 s-space uniform families of Boolean circuits our small-depth simulations are also f(s) log 2 s-space uniform. As a corollary, we show that the Boolean Circuit Value problem for circuits with constant size segregators (or separators) is in deterministic SP ACE(log 2 n). Our results also imply that the Planar Circuit Value problem, which is known to be P-Complete [16], can be solved in deterministic SP ACE ( √ n log n). Key words: Boolean circuits, circuit size, circuit depth, Spira’s theorem, Turing machines, space complexity 1