Approximating longest directed paths and cycles

• We investigate the hardness of approximating the longest path and the longest cycle in directed graphs on n vertices. We show that neither of these two problems can be polynomial time approximated within n(1-epsilon)for any epsilon > 0 unless P = NP. In particular, the result holds for digraphs of constant bounded outdegree that contain a Hamiltonian cycle. Assuming the stronger complexity conjecture that Satisfiability cannot be solved in subexponential time, we show that there is no polynomial time algorithm that finds a directed path of length Omega(f(n) log(2) n), or a directed cycle of length Omega(f(n) log n), for any nondecreasing, polynomial time computable function f in w(1). With a recent algorithm for undirected graphs by Gabow, this shows that long paths and cycles are harder to find in directed graphs than in undirected graphs. We also find a directed path of length Omega(log(2) n/log log n) in Hamiltonian digraphs with bounded outdegree. With our hardness results, this shows that long directed cycles are harder to find than a long directed paths. Furthermore, we present a simple polynomial time algorithm that finds paths of length Omega(n) in directed expanders of constant bounded outdegree.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Datavetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Computer Sciences (hsv//eng)

Publikations- och innehållstyp

art (ämneskategori)

ref (ämneskategori)