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2008

New Geometry-Inspired Relaxations and Algorithms for the Metric Steiner Tree Problem

14 years 29 days ago
New Geometry-Inspired Relaxations and Algorithms for the Metric Steiner Tree Problem
Abstract. Determining the integrality gap of the bidirected cut relaxation for the metric Steiner tree problem, and exploiting it algorithmically, is a long-standing open problem. We use geometry to define an LP whose dual is equivalent to this relaxation. This opens up the possibility of using the primal-dual schema in a geometric setting for designing an algorithm for this problem. Using this approach, we obtain a 4/3 factor algorithm and integrality gap bound for the case of quasi-bipartite graphs; the previous best being 3/2 [RV99]. We also obtain a factor 2 strongly polynomial algorithm for this class of graphs. A key difficulty experienced by researchers in working with the bidirected cut relaxation was that any reasonable dual growth procedure produces extremely unwieldy dual solutions. A new algorithmic idea helps finesse this difficulty
Deeparnab Chakrabarty, Nikhil R. Devanur, Vijay V.
Added 29 Oct 2010
Updated 29 Oct 2010
Type Conference
Year 2008
Where IPCO
Authors Deeparnab Chakrabarty, Nikhil R. Devanur, Vijay V. Vazirani
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