English

Unbounded-width CSPs are Untestable in a Sublinear Number of Queries

Computational Complexity 2025-11-18 v2 Data Structures and Algorithms

Abstract

The bounded-degree query model, introduced by Goldreich and Ron (\textit{Algorithmica, 2002}), is a standard framework in graph property testing and sublinear-time algorithms. Many properties studied in this model, such as bipartiteness and 3-colorability of graphs, can be expressed as satisfiability of constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). We prove that for the entire class of \emph{unbounded-width} CSPs, testing satisfiability requires Ω(n)\Omega(n) queries in the bounded-degree model. This result unifies and generalizes several previous lower bounds. In particular, it applies to all CSPs that are known to be NP\mathbf{NP}-hard to solve, including kk-colorability of \ell-uniform hypergraphs for any k,2k,\ell \ge 2 with (k,)(2,2)(k,\ell) \neq (2,2). Our proof combines the techniques from Bogdanov, Obata, and Trevisan (\textit{FOCS, 2002}), who established the first Ω(n)\Omega(n) query lower bound for CSP testing in the bounded-degree model, with known results from universal algebra.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2510.27012,
  title  = {Unbounded-width CSPs are Untestable in a Sublinear Number of Queries},
  author = {Yumou Fei},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.27012},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

added in the second version: handling repetition of variables in constraints