We study the complexity of determining the edge connectivity of a simple graph with cut queries. We show that (i) there is a bounded-error randomized algorithm that computes edge connectivity with $O(n)$ cut queries, and (ii) there is a bounded-error quantum algorithm that computes edge connectivity with $\tilde{O}(\sqrt{}$n) cut queries. To prove these results we introduce a new technique, called star contraction, to randomly contract edges of a graph while preserving non-trivial minimum cuts. In star contraction vertices randomly contract an edge incident on a small set of randomly chosen “center” vertices. In contrast to the related 2-out contraction technique of Ghaffari, Nowicki, and Thorup [SODA’20], star contraction only contracts vertex-disjoint star subgraphs, which allows it to be efficiently implemented via cut queries. The $O(n)$ bound from item (i) was not known even for the simpler problem of connectivity, and it improves the $O(n\log^{3}n)$ upper bound by Rubinstein, Schramm, and Weinberg [ITCS’18]. The bound is tight under the reasonable conjecture that the randomized communication complexity of connectivity is $\Omega(n\log n)$, an open question since the seminal work of Babai, Frankl, and Simon [FOCS’86]. The bound also excludes using edge connectivity on simple graphs to prove a superlinear randomized query lower bound for minimizing a symmetric submodular function. The quantum algorithm from item (ii) gives a nearlyquadratic separation with the randomized complexity, and addresses an open question of Lee, Santha, and Zhang [SODA’21]. The algorithm can alternatively be viewed as computing the edge connectivity of a simple graph with $\tilde{O}(\sqrt{}$n) matrix-vector multiplication queries to its adjacency matrix. Finally, we demonstrate the use of star contraction outside of the cut query setting by designing a one-pass semi-streaming algorithm for computing edge connectivity in the complete vertex arrival setting. This contrasts with the edge arrival setting where two passes are required.

We settle the complexities of the maximum-cardinality bipartite matching problem (BMM) up to polylogarithmic factors in five models of computation: the two-party communication, AND query, OR query, XOR query, and quantum edge query models. Our results answer open problems that have been raised repeatedly since at least three decades ago [Hajnal, Maass, and Turan STOC’88; Ivanyos, Klauck, Lee, Santha, and de Wolf FSTTCS’12; Dobzinski, Nisan, and Oren STOC’14; Nisan SODA’21] and tighten the lower bounds shown by Beniamini and Nisan [STOC’21] and Zhang [ICALP’04]. We also settle the communication complexity of the generalizations of BMM, such as maximum-cost bipartite b-matching and transshipment; and the query complexity of unique bipartite perfect matching (answering an open question by Beniamini [2022]). Our algorithms and lower bounds follow from simple applications of known techniques such as cutting planes methods and set disjointness.

Minimum-weight cut (min-cut) is a basic measure of a network’s connectivity strength. While the min-cut can be computed efficiently in the sequential setting [Karger STOC’96], there was no efficient way for a distributed network to compute its own min-cut without limiting the input structure or dropping the output quality: In the standard CONGEST model, existing algorithms with nearly-optimal time (e.g. [Ghaffari, Kuhn, DISC’13; Nanongkai, Su, DISC’14]) can guarantee a solution that is (1+є)-approximation at best while the exact Õ(n0.8D0.2 + n0.9)-time algorithm [Ghaffari, Nowicki, Thorup, SODA’20] works only on simple networks (no weights and no parallel edges). Throughout, n and D denote the network’s number of vertices and hop-diameter, respectively. For the weighted case, the best bound was Õ(n) [Daga, Henzinger, Nanongkai, Saranurak, STOC’19]. In this paper, we provide an exact Õ(√n + D)-time algorithm for computing min-cut on weighted networks. Our result improves even the previous algorithm that works only on simple networks. Its time complexity matches the known lower bound up to polylogarithmic factors. At the heart of our algorithm are a routing trick and two structural lemmas regarding the structure of a minimum cut of a graph. These two structural lemmas considerably strengthen and generalize the framework of Mukhopadhyay-Nanongkai [STOC’20] and can be of independent interest.

Diameter, radius and eccentricities are fundamental graph parameters, which are extensively studied in various computational settings. Typically, computing approximate answers can be much more efficient compared with computing exact solutions. In this paper, we give a near complete characterization of the trade-offs between approximation ratios and round complexity of distributed algorithms for approximating these parameters, with a focus on the weighted and directed variants. Furthermore, we study bi-chromatic variants of these parameters defined on a graph whose vertices are colored either red or blue, and one focuses only on distances for pairs of vertices that are colored differently. Motivated by applications in computational geometry, bi-chromatic diameter, radius and eccentricities have been recently studied in the sequential setting [Backurs et al. STOC'18, Dalirrooyfard et al. ICALP'19]. We provide the first distributed upper and lower bounds for such problems. Our technical contributions include introducing the notion of approximate pseudo-center, which extends the pseudo-centers of [Choudhary and Gold SODA'20], and presenting an efficient distributed algorithm for computing approximate pseudo-centers. On the lower bound side, our constructions introduce the usage of new functions into the framework of reductions from 2-party communication complexity to distributed algorithms.

We present a complete classification of the deterministic distributed time complexity for a family of graph problems: binary labeling problems in trees in the usual LOCAL model of distributed computing. These are locally checkable problems that can be encoded with an alphabet of size two in the edge labeling formalism. Examples of binary labeling problems include sinkless orientation, sinkless and sourceless orientation, 2-vertex coloring, and perfect matching. We show that the complexity of any such problem is in one of the following classes: O(1), Θ(log n), Θ(n), or unsolvable. Furthermore, given the description of any binary labeling problem, we can easily determine in which of the four classes it is and what is an asymptotically optimal algorithm for solving it.

By far the most fruitful technique for showing lower bounds for the CONGEST model is reductions to two-party communication complexity. This technique has yielded nearly tight results for various fundamental problems such as distance computations, minimum spanning tree, minimum vertex cover, and more.

We present a complete classification of the deterministic distributed time complexity for a family of graph problems: binary labeling problems in trees. These are locally checkable problems that can be encoded with an alphabet of size two in the edge labeling formalism. Examples of binary labeling problems include sinkless orientation, sinkless and sourceless orientation, 2-vertex coloring, perfect matching, and the task of coloring edges red and blue such that all nodes are incident to at least one red and at least one blue edge. More generally, we can encode e.g. any cardinality constraints on indegrees and outdegrees. We study the deterministic time complexity of solving a given binary labeling problem in trees, in the usual LOCAL model of distributed computing. We show that the complexity of any such problem is in one of the following classes: $O(1)$, $Θ(\log n)$, $Θ(n)$, or unsolvable. In particular, a problem that can be represented in the binary labeling formalism cannot have time complexity $Θ(\log^* n)$, and hence we know that e.g. any encoding of maximal matchings has to use at least three labels (which is tight). Furthermore, given the description of any binary labeling problem, we can easily determine in which of the four classes it is and what is an asymptotically optimal algorithm for solving it. Hence the distributed time complexity of binary labeling problems is decidable, not only in principle, but also in practice: there is a simple and efficient algorithm that takes the description of a binary labeling problem and outputs its distributed time complexity.

In this paper we study array-based codes over graphs for correcting multiple node failures. These codes have applications to neural networks, associative memories, and distributed storage systems. We assume that the information is stored on the edges of a complete undirected graph and a node failure is the event where all the edges in the neighborhood of a given node have been erased. A code over graphs is called ρ-node-erasure-correcting if it allows to reconstruct the erased edges upon the failure of any ρ nodes or less. We present a binary optimal construction for double-node-erasure correction together with an efficient decoding algorithm, when the number of nodes is a prime number. Furthermore, we extend this construction for triple-node-erasure-correcting codes when the number of nodes is a prime number and two is a primitive element in ℤn. These codes are at most a single bit away from optimality.

In this paper we study array-based codes over graphs for correcting multiple node failures. These codes have applications to neural networks, associative memories, and distributed storage systems. We assume that the information is stored on the edges of a complete undirected graph and a node failure is the event where all the edges in the neighborhood of a given node have been erased. A code over graphs is called ρ-node-erasure-correcting if it allows to reconstruct the erased edges upon the failure of any ρ nodes or less. We present a binary optimal construction for double-node-erasure correction together with an efficient decoding algorithm, when the number of nodes is a prime number. Furthermore, we extend this construction for triple-node-erasure-correcting codes when the number of nodes is a prime number and two is a primitive element in Zn. These codes are at most a single bit away from optimality.

This paper studies lower bounds for fundamental optimization problems in the CONGEST model. We show that solving problems exactly in this model can be a hard task, by providing tildeΩmega (n2) lower bounds for cornerstone problems, such as minimum dominating set (MDS), Hamiltonian path, Steiner tree and max-cut. These are almost tight, since all of these problems can be solved optimally in O(n2) rounds. Moreover, we show that even in bounded-degree graphs and even in simple graphs with maximum degree 5 and logarithmic diameter, it holds that various tasks, such as finding a maximum independent set (MaxIS) or a minimum vertex cover, are still difficult, requiring a near-tight number of tildeΩ (n) rounds.