English

Optimal non-adaptive algorithm for edge estimation

Data Structures and Algorithms 2025-12-16 v1 Combinatorics

Abstract

We present a simple nonadaptive randomized algorithm that estimates the number of edges in a simple, unweighted, undirected graph, possibly containing isolated vertices, using only degree and random edge queries. For an nn-vertex graph, our method requires only O~(n)\widetilde{O}(\sqrt{n}) queries, achieving sublinear query complexity. The algorithm independently samples a set of vertices and queries their degrees, and also independently samples a set of edges, using the answers to these queries to estimate the total number of edges in the graph. We further prove a matching lower bound, establishing the optimality of our algorithm and resolving the non-adaptive query complexity of this problem with respect to degree and random-edge queries.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2512.11994,
  title  = {Optimal non-adaptive algorithm for edge estimation},
  author = {Arijit Bishnu and Debarshi Chanda and Buddha Dev Das and Arijit Ghosh and Gopinath Mishra},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.11994},
  year   = {2025}
}

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15 pages