English

Subexponential Algorithm for High Multiplicity Fair Division of Mixed Instances via Stereometry

Data Structures and Algorithms 2026-07-10 v1

Abstract

We study the problem of computing an envy-free (EF) allocation of mm indivisible items among nn agents when items come in three distinct types. Each agent holds additive valuations over item types that may be positive (goods), negative (chores), or mixed. We present the first subexponential-time algorithm with running time time (nm)O(n)(n \cdot m)^{O(\sqrt{n})} that finds an EF allocation whenever one exists, or correctly reports that none exists. Our approach exploits a geometric representation of EF allocations as convex polyhedra in R3\mathbb{R}^3 and applies Miller's planar cycle-separator theorem to recursively decompose the agent set into balanced subgroups. We further extend the algorithm to handle agents whose allocations are fixed in advance, preserving envy-freeness across all agents.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.09327,
  title  = {Subexponential Algorithm for High Multiplicity Fair Division of Mixed Instances via Stereometry},
  author = {Yuriy Dementiev and Fedor Pribytkov and Danil Sagunov},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.09327},
  year   = {2026}
}
R2 v1 2026-07-22T20:34:08.059Z