Separating stable sets in claw-free graphs via Padberg-Rao and compact linear programs

In this paper, we provide the first linear programming formulations for the stable set problem in claw-free graphs, together with polynomial time separation routines for those formulations (they are not compact). We then exploit one of those extended formulations and propose a new polytime algorithm for solving the separation problem for the stable set polytope of claw-free graphs. This routine combines a separation algorithm for the matching polytope due to Padberg and Rao and the solution of (moderate size) compact linear programs. Hence, it does not rely on the ellipsoid method and seems to be appropriate to be inserted in branch and cut frameworks for solving real world problems.

Some combinatorial optimization problems in graphs with applications in telecommunications and tomography

David Schindl

The common point between the different chapters of the present work is graph theory. We investigate some well known graph theory problems, and some which arise from more specific applications. In the first chapter, we deal with the maximum stable set problem, and provide some new graph classes, where it can be solved in polynomial time. Those classes are hereditary, i.e. characterized by a list of forbidden induced subgraphs. The algorithms proposed are purely combinatorial. The second chapter is devoted to the study of a problem linked to security purposes in mobile telecommunication networks. The particularity is that there is no central authority guaranteeing security, but it is actually managed by the users themselves. The network is modelled by an oriented graph, whose vertices represent the users, and whose arcs represent public key certificates. The problem is to associate to each vertex a subgraph with some requirements on the size of the subgraphs, the number of times a vertex is taken in a subgraph and the connectivity between any two users as they put their subgraphs together. Constructive heuristics are proposed, bounds on the optimal solution and a tabu search are described and tested. The third chapter is on the problem of reconstructing an image, given its projections in terms of the number of occurrences of each color in each row and each column. The case of two colors is known to be polynomially solvable, it is NP-complete with four or more colors, and the complexity status of the problem with three colors is open. An intermediate case between two and three colors is shown to be solvable in polynomial time. The last two chapters are about graph (vertex-)coloring. In the fourth, we prove a result which brings a large collection of NP-hard subcases, characterized by forbidden induced subgraphs. In the fifth chapter, we approach the problem with the use of linear programming. Links between different formulations are pointed out, and some families of facets are characterized. In the last section, we study a branch and bound algorithm, whose lower bounds are given by the optimal value of the linear relaxation of one of the exposed formulations. A preprocessing procedure is proposed and tested.

EPFL2004

Circular Ones Matrices and the Stable Set Polytope of Quasi-Line Graphs

Friedrich Eisenbrand, Gautier Stauffer

It is a long standing open problem to find an explicit description of the stable set polytope of claw-free graphs. Yet more than 20 years after the discovery of a polynomial algorithm for the maximum stable set problem for claw-free graphs, there is even no conjecture at hand today. Such a conjecture exists for the class of quasi-line graphs. This class of graphs is a proper superclass of line graphs and a proper subclass of claw-free graphs for which it is known that not all facets have 0/1 normal vectors. Ben Rebea's conjecture states that the stable set polytope of a quasi-line graph is completely described by clique-family inequalities. Chudnovsky and Seymour recently provided a decomposition result for claw-free graphs and proved that Ben Rebea's conjecture holds, if the quasi-line graph is not a fuzzy circular interval graph. In this paper, we give a proof of Ben Rebea's conjecture by showing that it also holds for fuzzy circular interval graphs. Our result builds upon an algorithm of Bartholdi, Orlin and Ratliff which is concerned with integer programs defined by circular ones matrices.

2004

Circular Ones Matrices and the Stable set Polytopes of Quasi-Line Graphs

Friedrich Eisenbrand, Gautier Stauffer

It is a long standing open problem to find an explicit description of the stable set polytope of claw-free graphs. Yet more than 20 years after the discovery of a polynomial algorithm for the maximum stable set problem for claw-free graphs, there is even no conjecture at hand today. Such a conjecture exists for the class of quasi-line graphs. This class of graphs is a proper superclass of line graphs and a proper subclass of claw-free graphs for which it is known that not all facets have 0/1 normal vectors. Ben Rebea’s conjecture states that the stable set polytope of a quasi-line graph is completely described by clique-family inequalities. Chudnovsky and Seymour recently provided a decomposition result for claw-free graphs and proved that Ben Rebea’s conjecture holds, if the quasi-line graph is not a fuzzy circular interval graph. In this paper, we give a proof of Ben Rebea’s conjecture by showing that it also holds for fuzzy circular interval graphs. Our result builds upon an algorithm of Bartholdi, Orlin and Ratliff which is concerned with integer programs defined by circular ones matrices.

2005

Some combinatorial optimization problems in graphs with applications in telecommunications and tomography

David Schindl

EPFL2004