English

Partitioning Vectors into Quadruples: Worst-Case Analysis of a Matching-Based Algorithm

Data Structures and Algorithms 2018-07-06 v1 Discrete Mathematics

Abstract

Consider a problem where 4k given vectors need to be partitioned into k clusters of four vectors each. A cluster of four vectors is called a quad, and the cost of a quad is the sum of the component-wise maxima of the four vectors in the quad. The problem is to partition the given 4k vectors into k quads with minimum total cost. We analyze a straightforward matching-based algorithm, and prove that this algorithm is a (3/2)-approximation algorithm for this problem. We further analyze the performance of this algorithm on a hierarchy of special cases of the problem, and prove that, in one particular case, the algorithm is a (5/4)-approximation algorithm. Our analysis is tight in all cases except one.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1807.01962,
  title  = {Partitioning Vectors into Quadruples: Worst-Case Analysis of a Matching-Based Algorithm},
  author = {Annette M. C. Ficker and Thomas Erlebach and Matus Mihalak and Frits C. R. Spieksma},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1807.01962},
  year   = {2018}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-23T02:51:50.318Z