Related papers: (Non-)existence of Polynomial Kernels for the Test…
In the {\sc Test Cover} problem we are given a hypergraph $H=(V, \mathcal{E})$ with $|V|=n, |\mathcal{E}|=m$, and we assume that $\mathcal{E}$ is a test cover, i.e. for every pair of vertices $x_i, x_j$, there exists an edge $e \in…
We prove a number of results around kernelization of problems parameterized by the size of a given vertex cover of the input graph. We provide three sets of simple general conditions characterizing problems admitting kernels of polynomial…
We study the existence of polynomial kernels for the problem of deciding feasibility of integer linear programs (ILPs), and for finding good solutions for covering and packing ILPs. Our main results are as follows: First, we show that the…
In the NP-hard Edge Dominating Set problem (EDS) we are given a graph $G=(V,E)$ and an integer $k$, and need to determine whether there is a set $F\subseteq E$ of at most $k$ edges that are incident with all (other) edges of $G$. It is…
The field of kernelization studies polynomial-time preprocessing routines for hard problems in the framework of parameterized complexity. Although a framework for proving kernelization lower bounds has been discovered in 2008 and…
A polynomial Turing kernel for some parameterized problem $P$ is a polynomial-time algorithm that solves $P$ using queries to an oracle of $P$ whose sizes are upper-bounded by some polynomial in the parameter. Here the term "polynomial"…
Until recently, techniques for obtaining lower bounds for kernelization were one of the most sought after tools in the field of parameterized complexity. Now, after a strong influx of techniques, we are in the fortunate situation of having…
The Vertex Cover problem plays an essential role in the study of polynomial kernelization in parameterized complexity, i.e., the study of provable and efficient preprocessing for NP-hard problems. Motivated by the great variety of positive…
Kernelization algorithms are polynomial-time reductions from a problem to itself that guarantee their output to have a size not exceeding some bound. For example, d-Set Matching for integers d>2 is the problem of finding a matching of size…
We carry out a systematic study of a natural covering problem, used for identification across several areas, in the realm of parameterized complexity. In the {\sc Test Cover} problem we are given a set $[n]=\{1,...,n\}$ of items together…
We consider the Minimum Coverage Kernel problem: given a set $B$ of $d$-dimensional boxes, find a subset of $B$ of minimum size covering the same region as $B$. This problem is $\mathsf{NP}$-hard, but as for many $\mathsf{NP}$-hard problems…
We introduce a new technique for proving kernelization lower bounds, called cross-composition. A classical problem L cross-composes into a parameterized problem Q if an instance of Q with polynomially bounded parameter value can express the…
The composition technique is a popular method for excluding polynomial-size problem kernels for NP-hard parameterized problems. We present a new technique exploiting triangle-based fractal structures for extending the range of applicability…
We introduce the cross-composition framework for proving kernelization lower bounds. A classical problem L AND/OR-cross-composes into a parameterized problem Q if it is possible to efficiently construct an instance of Q with polynomially…
Kernelization---a mathematical key concept for provably effective polynomial-time preprocessing of NP-hard problems---plays a central role in parameterized complexity and has triggered an extensive line of research. This is in part due to a…
The input to the NP-hard Point Line Cover problem (PLC) consists of a set $P$ of $n$ points on the plane and a positive integer $k$, and the question is whether there exists a set of at most $k$ lines which pass through all points in $P$. A…
In the {\sc Hitting Set} problem, we are given a collection $\cal F$ of subsets of a ground set $V$ and an integer $p$, and asked whether $V$ has a $p$-element subset that intersects each set in $\cal F$. We consider two parameterizations…
The Identifying Code (IC) problem seeks a vertex subset whose intersection with every vertex's closed neighborhood is unique, enabling fault detection in multiprocessor systems and practical uses in identity verification, environmental…
It has been observed in many places that constant-factor approximable problems often admit polynomial or even linear problem kernels for their decision versions, e.g., Vertex Cover, Feedback Vertex Set, and Triangle Packing. While there…
Given a planar graph, a subset of its vertices called terminals, and $k \in \mathbb{N}$, the Face Cover Number problem asks whether the terminals lie on the boundaries of at most $k$ faces of some embedding of the input graph. When a plane…