Beyond the Flow Decomposition Barrier

We introduce a new approach to the maximum flow problem. This approach is based on assigning arc lengths based on the residual flow value and the residual arc capacities. Our approach leads to an O(min(n2/3 , m1/ 2 )m log(n2 /m) log U) time bound for a network with n vertices, m arcs, and integral arc capacities in the range [1, . . . , U]. This is a fundamental improvement over the previous time bounds. We also improve bounds for the Gomory–Hu tree problem, the parametric flow problem, and the approximate s-t cut problem. Categories and Subject Descriptors: F.2.2, [Analysis of Algorithms and Problem Complexity]: Nonnumerical Algorithms and Problems; G.2.2 [Discrete Mathematics]: Graph Theory General Terms: Algorithms Additional Key Words and Phrases: Combinatorial optimization, maximum flows

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1997
• Where: FOCS
• Authors: Andrew V. Goldberg, Satish Rao
• Keywords: Arc Capacities, Flow Problem, FOCS 1997, Maximum Flows, Theoretical Computer Science