Assadi, Liu, and Tarjan [SOSA'21] gave an auction algorithm that outputs a $(1-ε)$-approximation to Maximum Matching in bipartite graphs. Their algorithm computes a sequence of $O(\frac{1}{ε^2})$ maximal matchings in subgraphs of the input graph and can be implemented in the multi-pass streaming setting with $O(\frac{1}{ε^2})$ passes in a straightforward manner, which constitutes the state-of-the-art pass/approximation trade-off result in the multi-pass streaming setting. Their analysis uses tools from combinatorial auctions and, at its heart, relies on a clever potential function argument. Their proof, however, provides only limited insight into the inner workings of the algorithm. In this paper, we revisit the ALT-algorithm and present the following contributions. Simplification: The ALT-algorithm is built upon a freezing mechanism where vertices on one side of the bipartition that have already been rematched $Θ(\frac{1}ε)$ times over the course of the algorithm remain matched to their current partner forever. We show that this mechanism is in fact unnecessary, i.e., no special treatment of such vertices is needed. Alternative Analysis: We give an alternative analysis of the algorithm that is based on augmenting paths. Our analysis allows for a reinterpretation as one that follows the traditional approach of searching for and eliminating augmenting paths. Our analysis also copes with the removal of the freezing mechanism in a natural way, whereas the analysis of Assadi et al. strictly depends on its use. Hard Instance: We provide the first hard instance on which the algorithm requires $Ω(\frac{1}{ε^2})$ iterations/maximal matching computations. The instance is a simple path graph, where we exhibit a cyclic behaviour that prevents fast progress.

We consider the Unit Interval Selection problem in the one-pass random order streaming model. In this setting, an algorithm is presented with a sequence of n unit-length intervals on the line that arrive in uniform random order, one at a time, and the objective is to output (an approximation of) a largest set of disjoint intervals using space linear in the size of an optimal solution. Previous work only considered adversarially ordered streams and established that, within these space constraints, a (2/3)-approximation can be achieved in such streams, and this is best possible, in that going beyond such an approximation factor requires space Ω(n) [Emek et al., TALG'16]. In this work, we show that an improved expected approximation factor can be achieved if the input stream is in uniform random order, where the expectation is taken over the stream order. More specifically, we give a one-pass streaming algorithm with expected approximation factor 0.7401 that uses space O(|OPT|), where OPT denotes an optimal solution. We also show that random order algorithms with expected approximation factor above 8/9 require space Ω(n), and algorithms that compute a better than 2/3-approximation with probability above 2/3 also require Ω(n) space. On a technical level, we design an algorithm for the restricted domain [0, Δ), for some constant Δ, and use standard techniques to obtain an algorithm for unrestricted domains. For the restricted domain [0, Δ), we run O(Δ) recursive instances of our algorithm, with each instance targeting the situation where a specific interval of an optimal solution arrives first. We establish the interesting property of our algorithm that it performs worst when the input stream consists solely of a set of independent intervals. It then remains to analyse the algorithm on these simple instances. Our lower bound is proved via communication complexity arguments, similar in spirit to the robust communication lower bounds established by [Chakrabarti et al., Theory Comput. 2016].

A semi-streaming algorithm in dynamic graph streams processes any n-vertex graph by making one or multiple passes over a stream of insertions and deletions to edges of the graph and using O (n · polylog(n )) space. Semi-streaming algorithms for dynamic streams were first obtained in the seminal work of Ahn, Guha, and McGregor in 2012, alongside the introduction of the graph sketching technique, which remains the de facto way of designing algorithms in this model and a highly popular technique for designing graph algorithms in general.

In this paper, we give the first unconditional space lower bound for two-pass streaming algorithms for Maximum Bipartite Matching approximation. We show that every randomized two-pass streaming algorithm that computes a -approximation to Maximum Bipartite Matching, for any constant ɛ > 0, requires space , where n is the number of vertices of the input graph.

In the semi-streaming model for processing massive graphs, an algorithm makes multiple passes over the edges of a given n-vertex graph and is tasked with computing the solution to a problem using O(n · log(n)) space. Semi-streaming algorithms for Maximal Independent Set (MIS) that run in O(loglogn) passes have been known for almost a decade, however, the best lower bounds can only rule out single-pass algorithms. We close this large gap by proving that the current algorithms are optimal: Any semi-streaming algorithm for finding an MIS with constant probability of success requires Ω(loglogn) passes. This settles the complexity of this fundamental problem in the semi-streaming model, and constitutes one of the first optimal multi-pass lower bounds in this model. We establish our result by proving an optimal round vs communication tradeoff for the (multi-party) communication complexity of MIS. The key ingredient of this result is a new technique, called hierarchical embedding, for performing round elimination: we show how to pack many but small hard (r−1)-round instances of the problem into a single r-round instance, in a way that enforces any r-round protocol to effectively solve all these (r−1)-round instances also. These embeddings are obtained via a novel application of results from extremal graph theory—in particular dense graphs with many disjoint unique shortest paths—together with a newly designed graph product, and are analyzed via information-theoretic tools such as direct-sum and message compression arguments.

We optimally resolve the space complexity for the problem of finding an α-approximate minimum vertex cover (αMVC) in dynamic graph streams. We give a randomised algorithm for αMVC which uses O(n²/α²) bits of space matching Dark and Konrad’s lower bound [CCC 2020] up to constant factors. By computing a random greedy matching, we identify "easy" instances of the problem which can trivially be solved by returning the entire vertex set. The remaining "hard" instances, then have sparse induced subgraphs which we exploit to get our space savings and solve αMVC. Achieving this type of optimality result is crucial for providing a complete understanding of a problem, and it has been gaining interest within the dynamic graph streaming community. For connectivity, Nelson and Yu [SODA 2019] improved the lower bound showing that Ω(n log³ n) bits of space is necessary while Ahn, Guha, and McGregor [SODA 2012] have shown that O(n log³ n) bits is sufficient. For finding an α-approximate maximum matching, the upper bound was improved by Assadi and Shah [ITCS 2022] showing that O(n²/α³) bits is sufficient while Dark and Konrad [CCC 2020] have shown that Ω(n²/α³) bits is necessary. The space complexity, however, remains unresolved for many other dynamic graph streaming problems where further improvements can still be made.

We study two-pass streaming algorithms for Maximum Bipartite Matching (MBM). All known two-pass streaming algorithms for MBM operate in a similar fashion: They compute a maximal matching in the first pass and find 3-augmenting paths in the second in order to augment the matching found in the first pass. Our aim is to explore the limitations of this approach and to determine whether current techniques can be used to further improve the state-of-the-art algorithms. We give the following results: We show that every two-pass streaming algorithm that solely computes a maximal matching in the first pass and outputs a (2/3+ε)-approximation requires n^{1+Ω(1/(log log n))} space, for every ε > 0, where n is the number of vertices of the input graph. This result is obtained by extending the Ruzsa-Szemerédi graph construction of [Goel et al., SODA'12] so as to ensure that the resulting graph has a close to perfect matching, the key property needed in our construction. This result may be of independent interest. Furthermore, we combine the two main techniques, i.e., subsampling followed by the Greedy matching algorithm [Konrad, MFCS'18] which gives a 2-√2 ≈ 0.5857-approximation, and the computation of degree-bounded semi-matchings [Esfandiari et al., ICDMW'16][Kale and Tirodkar, APPROX'17] which gives a 1/2 + 1/12 ≈ 0.5833-approximation, and obtain a meta-algorithm that yields Konrad’s and Esfandiari et al.’s algorithms as special cases. This unifies two strands of research. By optimizing parameters, we discover that Konrad’s algorithm is optimal for the implied class of algorithms and, perhaps surprisingly, that there is a second optimal algorithm. We show that the analysis of our meta-algorithm is best possible. Our results imply that further improvements, if possible, require new techniques.