Ing. Jan Matyáš Křišťan

Proceedings paper

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

The Mutliagent Path Finding (MAPF) problem consists of identifying the trajectories that a set of agents should follow inside a given network in order to reach their desired destinations as soon as possible, but without colliding with each other. We aim to minimize the maximum time any agent takes to reach their goal, ensuring optimal path length. In this work, we complement a recent thread of results that aim to systematically study the algorithmic behavior of this problem, through the parameterized complexity point of view. First, we show that MAPF is NP-hard when the given network has a star-like topology (bounded vertex cover number) or is a tree with 11 leaves. Both of these results fill important gaps in our understanding of the tractability of this problem that were left untreated in the recent work of [Fioravantes et al. Exact Algorithms and Lowerbounds for Multiagent Path Finding: Power of Treelike Topology. AAAI'24]. Nevertheless, our main contribution is an exact algorithm that scales well as the input grows (FPT) when the topology of the given network is highly centralized (bounded distance to clique). This parameter is significant as it mirrors real-world networks. In such environments, a bunch of central hubs (e.g., processing areas) are connected to only few peripheral nodes.

Proceedings paper

10.4230/LIPIcs.DISC.2024.49

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

This paper deals with local certification, specifically locally checkable proofs: given a graph property, the task is to certify whether a graph satisfies the property. The verification of this certification needs to be done locally without the knowledge of the whole graph. We examine the trade-off between the visibility radius and the size of certificates. We describe a procedure that decreases the radius by encoding the neighbourhood of each vertex into its certificate. We also provide a corresponding lower bound on the required certificate size increase, showing that such an approach is close to optimal.

Proceedings paper

10.1007/978-3-031-74580-5_14

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

This paper deals with local certification, specifically locally checkable proofs: given a graph property, the task is to certify whether a graph satisfies the property. The verification of this certification needs to be done locally without the knowledge of the whole graph. More precisely, a distributed algorithm, called a verifier, is executed on each vertex. The verifier observes the local neighborhood up to a constant distance and either accepts or rejects. We examine the trade-off between the visibility radius and the size of certificates. We describe a procedure that decreases the radius by encoding the neighbourhood of each vertex into its certificate. We also provide a corresponding lower bound on the required certificate size increase, showing that such an approach is close to optimal.

Proceedings paper

10.1609/aaai.v38i16.29686

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

In the Multiagent Path Finding (MAPF for short) problem, we focus on efficiently finding non-colliding paths for a set of k agents on a given graph G, where each agent seeks a path from its source vertex to a target. An important measure of the quality of the solution is the length of the proposed schedule l, that is, the length of a longest path (including the waiting time). In this work, we propose a systematic study under the parameterized complexity framework. The hardness results we provide align with many heuristics used for this problem, whose running time could potentially be improved based on our Fixed-Parameter Tractability (FPT) results. We show that MAPF is W[1]-hard with respect to k (even if k is combined with the maximum degree of the input graph). The problem remains NP-hard in planar graphs even if the maximum degree and the makespan l are fixed constants. On the positive side, we show an FPT algorithm for k+l. As we continue, the structure of G comes into play. We give an FPT algorithm for parameter k plus the diameter of the graph G. The MAPF problem is W[1]-hard for cliquewidth of G plus l while it is FPT for treewidth of G plus l.

Proceedings paper

10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2024.54

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

Romeo and Juliet is a two player Rendezvous game played on graphs where one player controls two agents, Romeo (ℛ) and Juliet (𝒥) who aim to meet at a vertex against k adversaries, called dividers, controlled by the other player. The optimization in this game lies at deciding the minimum number of dividers sufficient to restrict ℛ and 𝒥 from meeting in a graph, called the dynamic separation number. We establish that Romeo and Juliet is EXPTIME-complete, settling a conjecture of Fomin, Golovach, and Thilikos [Inf. and Comp., 2023] positively. We also consider the game for directed graphs and establish that although the game is EXPTIME-complete for general directed graphs, it is PSPACE-complete and co-W[2]-hard for directed acyclic graphs.

Article

10.1016/j.disopt.2022.100756

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

Consider a vertex-weighted graph G with a source s and a target t. TRACKING PATHS requires finding a minimum weight set of vertices (trackers) such that the sequence of trackers in each path from s to t is unique. In this work, we derive a factor 6-approximation algorithm for TRACKING PATHS in weighted graphs and a factor 4-approximation algorithm if the input is unweighted. This is the first constant factor approximation for this problem. While doing so, we also study approximation of the closely related r-FAULT TOLERANT FEEDBACK VERTEX SET problem. There, for a fixed integer r and a given vertex-weighted graph G, the task is to find a minimum weight set of vertices intersecting every cycle of G in at least r+1 vertices. We give a factor O(r) approximation algorithm for r-FAULT TOLERANT FEEDBACK VERTEX SET if r is a constant.

Article

10.1016/j.ipl.2022.106315

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

Given an undirected graph G = (V , E), vertices s,t ∈ V , and an integer k, Tracking Shortest Paths requires deciding whether there exists a set of k vertices T ⊆ V such that for any two distinct shortest paths between s and t, say P1 and P2, we have T ∩ V (P1) != T ∩ V (P2). In this paper, we give the first polynomial size kernel for the problem. Specifically we show the existence of a kernel with O(k2) vertices and edges in general graphs and a kernel with O(k) vertices and edges in planar graphs for the Tracking Paths in DAG problem. This problem admits a polynomial parameter transformation to Tracking Shortest Paths, and this implies a kernel with O(k4) vertices and edges for Tracking Shortest Paths in general graphs and a kernel with O(k2) vertices and edges in planar graphs. Based on the above we also give a single exponential algorithm for Tracking Shortest Paths in planar graphs.

Proceedings paper

10.1007/978-3-031-43587-4_24

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

In this paper, we present novel algorithms that efficiently compute a shortest reconfiguration sequence between two given dominating sets in trees and interval graphs under the Token Sliding model. In this problem, a graph is provided along with its two dominating sets, which can be imagined as tokens placed on vertices. The objective is to find a shortest sequence of dominating sets that transforms one set into the other, with each set in the sequence resulting from sliding a single token in the previous set. While identifying any sequence has been well studied, our work presents the first polynomial algorithms for this optimization variant in the context of dominating sets.

Proceedings paper

10.1007/978-3-030-92702-8_2

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

Consider a vertex-weighted graph G with a source s and a target t. Tracking Paths requires finding a minimum weight set of vertices (trackers) such that the sequence of trackers in each path from s to t is unique. In this work, we derive a factor 66-approximation algorithm for Tracking Paths in weighted graphs and a factor 4-approximation algorithm if the input is unweighted. This is the first constant factor approximation for this problem. While doing so, we also study approximation of the closely related r -Fault Tolerant Feedback Vertex Set problem. There, for a fixed integer r and a given vertex-weighted graph G, the task is to find a minimum weight set of vertices intersecting every cycle of G in at least r+1 vertices. We give a factor O(r^2) approximation algorithm for r -Fault Tolerant Feedback Vertex Set if r is a constant.

Proceedings paper

10.1007/978-3-030-30806-3_4

Department of Theoretical Computer Science

Given a graph $G$, guards are placed on vertices of $G$. Then vertices are subject to an infinite sequence of attacks so that each attack must be defended by a guard moving from a neighboring vertex. The m-eternal domination number is the minimum number of guards such that the graph can be defended indefinitely. In this paper we study the m-eternal domination number of cactus graphs, that is, connected graphs where each edge lies in at most two cycles, and we consider three variants of the m-eternal domination number: first variant allows multiple guards to occupy a single vertex, second variant does not allow it, and in the third variant additional ``eviction'' attacks must be defended. We provide a new upper bound for the m-eternal domination number of cactus graphs, and for a subclass of cactus graphs called Christmas cactus graphs, where each vertex lies in at most two cycles, we prove that these three numbers are equal. Moreover, we present a linear-time algorithm for computing them.