English

An Improved Approximation Algorithm for TSP in the Half Integral Case

Data Structures and Algorithms 2019-08-02 v1 Discrete Mathematics Probability

Abstract

We design a 1.499931.49993-approximation algorithm for the metric traveling salesperson problem (TSP) for instances in which an optimal solution to the subtour linear programming relaxation is half-integral. These instances received significant attention over the last decade due to a conjecture of Schalekamp, Williamson and van Zuylen stating that half-integral LP solutions have the largest integrality gap over all fractional solutions. So, if the conjecture of Schalekamp et al. holds true, our result shows that the integrality gap of the subtour polytope is bounded away from 3/23/2.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1908.00227,
  title  = {An Improved Approximation Algorithm for TSP in the Half Integral Case},
  author = {Anna Karlin and Nathan Klein and Shayan Oveis Gharan},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1908.00227},
  year   = {2019}
}