VLDB 2026 Research / reviewers in the wild / expert
Úrsula Hébert-Johnson
dblp:210/1024
· DBLP profile ↗
6ranked-venue papers
5as first author
5since 2021 · last 2025
0000-0001-8615-1253ORCID · corroborated
Domains — the database's venue-derived domains; a paper can count in several
Theory of computation · 4 · 3 first-author · 4 since 2021Artificial intelligence and machine learning · 2 · 2 first-author · 1 since 2021Graphics, computer vision, multimedia, augmented reality and games · 1 · 1 first-author · 1 since 2021
| Year | Publication | Venue | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sampling Unlabeled Chordal Graphs in Expected Polynomial TimeabstractWe design an algorithm that generates an n-vertex unlabeled chordal graph uniformly at random in expected polynomial time. Along the way, we develop the following two results: (1) an FPT algorithm for counting and sampling labeled chordal graphs with a given automorphism π, parameterized by the number of moved points of π, and (2) a proof that the probability that a random n-vertex labeled chordal graph has a given automorphism π ∈ S_n is at most 1/2^{c max{μ²,n}}, where μ is the number of moved points of π and c is a constant. Our algorithm for sampling unlabeled chordal graphs calls the aforementioned FPT algorithm as a black box with potentially large values of the parameter μ, but the probability of calling this algorithm with a large value of μ is exponentially small. Úrsula Hébert-Johnson, Daniel Lokshtanov |
STACS | 1 |
| 2024 | Parameterized Complexity of Kidney Exchange Revisited
Úrsula Hébert-Johnson, Daniel Lokshtanov, Chinmay Sonar, Vaishali Surianarayanan |
IJCAI | 1 |
| 2023 | Counting and Sampling Labeled Chordal Graphs in Polynomial TimeabstractWe present the first polynomial-time algorithm to exactly compute the number of labeled chordal graphs on $n$ vertices. Our algorithm solves a more general problem: given $n$ and $ω$ as input, it computes the number of $ω$-colorable labeled chordal graphs on $n$ vertices, using $O(n^7)$ arithmetic operations. A standard sampling-to-counting reduction then yields a polynomial-time exact sampler that generates an $ω$-colorable labeled chordal graph on $n$ vertices uniformly at random. Our counting algorithm improves upon the previous best result by Wormald (1985), which computes the number of labeled chordal graphs on $n$ vertices in time exponential in $n$. An implementation of the polynomial-time counting algorithm gives the number of labeled chordal graphs on up to $30$ vertices in less than three minutes on a standard desktop computer. Previously, the number of labeled chordal graphs was only known for graphs on up to $15$ vertices. In addition, we design two approximation algorithms: (1) an approximate counting algorithm that computes a $(1\pm\varepsilon)$-approximation of the number of $n$-vertex labeled chordal graphs, and (2) an approximate sampling algorithm that generates a random labeled chordal graph according to a distribution whose total variation distance from the uniform distribution is at most $\varepsilon$. The approximate counting algorithm runs in $O(n^3\log{n}\log^7(1/\varepsilon))$ time, and the approximate sampling algorithm runs in $O(n^3\log{n}\log^7(1/\varepsilon))$ expected time. Úrsula Hébert-Johnson, Daniel Lokshtanov, Eric Vigoda |
ESA | 1 |
| 2023 | Min-max coverage problems on tree-like metricsabstractWe consider a number of min-max coverage problems. In each problem, the input is an unweighted graph G and an integer k, and possibly some additional information, such as a root vertex r. In the Min-Max Path Cover problem, the task is to cover all vertices of the graph by k walks, minimizing the length of the longest walk. The variant of Min-Max Path Cover in which all walks start and end at the same prescribed root vertex r is called the k-Traveling Salesmen Problem. In the Min-Max Tree Cover problem, the task is to cover all vertices of the graph by k trees, minimizing the size (number of edges) of the largest tree. In the rooted version, Min-Max k-Rooted Tree Cover, the input also contains k roots r1, . . ., rk, and the ith tree must contain the root ri. These four problems are all known to be APX-hard and to admit a constant-factor approximation. In this paper, we initiate the systematic study of these problems on trees and, more generally, on graphs of constant treewidth. As opposed to most graph problems, all four of the above coverage problems remain NP-hard even when G is a tree. We obtain an nO(k)-time exact algorithm for all four problems on graphs of bounded treewidth. Our main contribution is a quasi-polynomial-time approximation scheme (QPTAS) for the k-Traveling Salesmen Problem, Min-Max Path Cover, and Min-Max Tree Cover on graphs of bounded treewidth. Eric Aaron, Úrsula Hébert-Johnson, Danny Krizanc, Daniel Lokshtanov |
LAGOS | 2 |
| 2021 | Anonymity-Preserving Space PartitionsabstractWe consider a multidimensional space partitioning problem, which we call Anonymity-Preserving Partition. Given a set P of n points in ℝ^d and a collection H of m axis-parallel hyperplanes, the hyperplanes of H partition the space into an arrangement A(H) of rectangular cells. Given an integer parameter t > 0, we call a cell C in this arrangement deficient if 0 < |C ∩ P| < t; that is, the cell contains at least one but fewer than t data points of P. Our problem is to remove the minimum number of hyperplanes from H so that there are no deficient cells. We show that the problem is NP-complete for all dimensions d ≥ 2. We present a polynomial-time d-approximation algorithm, for any fixed d, and we also show that the problem can be solved exactly in time (2d-0.924)^k m^O(1) + O(n), where k is the solution size. The one-dimensional case of the problem, where all hyperplanes are parallel, can be solved optimally in polynomial time, but we show that a related Interval Anonymity problem is NP-complete even in one dimension. Úrsula Hébert-Johnson, Chinmay Sonar, Subhash Suri, Vaishali Surianarayanan |
ISAAC | 1 |
| 2018 | Multicalibration: Calibration for the (Computationally-Identifiable) MassesabstractWe develop and study multicalibration as a new measure of fairness in machine learning that aims to mitigate inadvertent or malicious discrimination that is introduced at training time (even from ground truth data). Multicalibration guarantees meaningful (calibrated) predictions for every subpopulation that can be identified within a specified class of computations. The specified class can be quite rich; in particular, it can contain many overlapping subgroups of a protected group. We demonstrate that in many settings this strong notion of protection from discrimination is provably attainable and aligned with the goal of obtaining accurate predictions. Along the way, we present algorithms for learning a multicalibrated predictor, study the computational complexity of this task, and illustrate tight connections to the agnostic learning model. Úrsula Hébert-Johnson, Michael P. Kim, Omer Reingold, Guy N. Rothblum |
ICML | 1 |