Alberto Marchetti-Spaccamela

Counting triangles in data streams

We present two space bounded random sampling algorithms that compute an approximation of the number of triangles in an undirected graph given as a stream of edges. Our first algorithm does not make any assumptions on the order of edges in the stream. It uses space that is inversely related to the ratio between the number of triangles and the number of triples with at least one edge in the induced subgraph, and constant expected update time per edge. Our second algorithm is designed for incidence streams (all edges incident to the same vertex appear consecutively). It uses space that is inversely related to the ratio between the number of triangles and length 2 paths in the graph and expected update time O(log|V|⋅(1+s⋅|V|/|E|)), where s is the space requirement of the algorithm. These results significantly improve over previous work [20, 8]. Since the space complexity depends only on the structure of the input graph and not on the number of nodes, our algorithms scale very well with increasing graph size and so they provide a basic tool to analyze the structure of large graphs. They have many applications, for example, in the discovery of Web communities, the computation of clustering and transitivity coefficient, and discovery of frequent patterns in large graphs.We have implemented both algorithms and evaluated their performance on networks from different application domains. The sizes of the considered graphs varied from about 8,000 nodes and 40,000 edges to 135 million nodes and more than 1 billion edges. For both algorithms we run experiments with parameter s=1,000, 10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000 to evaluate running time and approximation guarantee. Both algorithms appear to be time efficient for these sample sizes. The approximation quality of the first algorithm was varying significantly and even for s=1,000,000 we had more than 10% deviation for more than half of the instances. The second algorithm performed much better and even for s=10,000 we had an average deviation of less than 6% (taken over all but the largest instance for which we could not compute the number of triangles exactly).

Fully Dynamic Algorithms for Maintaining Shortest Paths Trees

We propose fully dynamic algorithms for maintaining the distances and the shortest paths from a single source in either a directed or an undirected graph with positive real edge weights, handling insertions, deletions, and weight updates of edges. The algorithms require linear space and optimal query time. The cost of the update operations depends on the class of the considered graph and on the number of the output updates, i.e., on the number of vertices that, due to an edge modification, either change the distance from the source or change the parent in the shortest paths tree. We first show that, if we deal only with updates on the weights of edges, then the update procedures require O(logn) worst case time per output update for several classes of graphs, as in the case of graphs with bounded genus, bounded arboricity, bounded degree, bounded treewidth, and bounded pagenumber. For general graphs with n vertices and m edges the algorithms require O(mlogn) worst case time per output update. We also show that, if insertions and deletions of edges are allowed, then similar amortized bounds hold.

The Preemptive Uniprocessor Scheduling of Mixed-Criticality Implicit-Deadline Sporadic Task Systems

Systems in many safety-critical application domains are subject to certification requirements. For any given system, however, it may be the case that only a subset of its functionality is safety-critical and hence subject to certification, the rest of the functionality is non safety critical and does not need to be certified, or is certified to a lower level of assurance. An algorithm called EDF-VD (for Earliest Deadline First with Virtual Deadlines) is described for the scheduling of such mixed-criticality task systems. Analyses of EDF-VD significantly superior to previously-known ones are presented, based on metrics such as processor speedup factor (EDF-VD is proved to be optimal with respect to this metric) and utilization bounds.

Stochastic on-line knapsack problems

Different classes of on-line algorithms are developed and analyzed for the solution of {0, 1} and relaxed stochastic knapsack problems, in which both profit and size coefficients are random variables. In particular, a linear time on-line algorithm is proposed for which the expected difference between the optimum and the approximate solution value isO(log3/2n). AnΩ(1) lower bound on the expected difference between the optimum and the solution found by any on-line algorithm is also shown to hold.

Modes and cuts in metabolic networks: Complexity and algorithms

Constraint-based approaches recently brought new insight into our understanding of metabolism. By making very simple assumptions such as that the system is at steady-state and some reactions are irreversible, and without requiring kinetic parameters, general properties of the system can be derived. A central concept in this methodology is the notion of an elementary mode (EM for short) which represents a minimal functional subsystem. The computation of EMs still forms a limiting step in metabolic studies and several algorithms have been proposed to address this problem leading to increasingly faster methods. However, although a theoretical upper bound on the number of elementary modes that a network may possess has been established, surprisingly, the complexity of this problem has never been systematically studied. In this paper, we give a systematic overview of the complexity of optimisation problems related to modes. We first establish results regarding network consistency. Most consistency problems are easy, i.e., they can be solved in polynomial time. We then establish the complexity of finding and counting elementary modes. We show in particular that finding one elementary mode is easy but that this task becomes hard when a specific EM (i.e. an EM containing some specified reactions) is sought. We then show that counting the number of elementary modes is musical sharpP-complete. We emphasize that the easy problems can be solved using currently existing software packages. We then analyse the complexity of a closely related task which is the computation of so-called minimum reaction cut sets and we show that this problem is hard. We then present two positive results which both allow to avoid computing EMs as a prior to the computation of reaction cuts. The first one is a polynomial approximation algorithm for finding a minimum reaction cut set. The second one is a test for verifying whether a set of reactions constitutes a reaction cut; this test can be readily included in existing algorithms to improve their performance. Finally, we discuss the complexity of other cut-related problems.

A Generalized Parallel Task Model for Recurrent Real-time Processes

A model is considered for representing recurrent precedence-constrained tasks that are to execute on multiprocessor platforms. A recurrent task is specified as a directed a cyclic graph (DAG), a period, and a relative deadline. Each vertex of the DAG represents a sequential job, while the edges of the DAG represent precedence constraints between these jobs. All the jobs of the DAG are released simultaneously and need to complete execution within the specified relative deadline of their release. The task may release jobs in this manner an unbounded number of times, with successive releases occurring at least the specified period apart. The scheduling problem is to determine whether such a recurrent task can be scheduled to always meet all deadlines upon a specified number of processors that are dedicated for the use of this task. This problem is shown to be computationally intractable, but amenable to efficient approximate solutions. EDF is shown to be a good approximate scheduling algorithm. Polynomial and pseudo-polynomial schedulability tests, of differing effectiveness, are presented for determining whether a given task can be scheduled by EDF to always meet all deadlines on a specified number of processors.

Feasibility Analysis in the Sporadic DAG Task Model

Real-time systems increasingly contain processing units with multiple cores. To use this additional computational power in hard deadline environments, one needs schedulability tests for task models that represent the possibilities of parallel execution of jobs of a task. A standard model is to represent a (sporadically) recurrent task by a directed a cyclic graph (DAG). The nodes of the DAG correspond to the jobs of the task. All such jobs are released simultaneously, have to be completed within some common relative deadline, and some pairs of jobs are linked by a precedence constraint, i.e., an arc of the DAG. This poses new challenges for analyzing whether a task system is feasible, in particular for the commonly used online algorithms Earliest Deadline First (EDF) and Deadline Monotonic (DM). While for ordinary sporadic tasks the required algorithmic techniques are well-understood, despite recent research much remains open in this model. In this work, we completely close the gap between the algorithmic understanding of feasibility analysis for the usual sporadic task model and the case where each sporadic task is a DAG. We show for DAG tasks that EDF has a tight speedup bound of 2 - 1/m, where m is the number of processors, while DM has a speedup bound of at most 3 - 1/m. Moreover, we present polynomial and pseudopolynomial time tests, of differing effectiveness, for determining whether a set of sporadic DAG tasks can be scheduled by EDF or DM to meet all deadlines on a specified number of processors. We remark that the effectiveness of some of our tests matches the best known algorithms for ordinary sporadic task sets, thus closing the gap.A model has been proposed in [1] for representing recurrent precedence-constrained tasks to be executed on multiprocessor platforms, where each recurrent task is modeled by a directed acyclic graph (DAG), a period, and a relative deadline. Each vertex of the DAG represents a sequential job, while the edges of the DAG represent precedence constraints between these jobs. All the jobs of the DAG are released simultaneously and have to be completed within some specified relative deadline. The task may release jobs in this manner an unbounded number of times, with successive releases occurring at least the specified period apart. The feasibility problem is to determine whether such a recurrent task can be scheduled to always meet all deadlines on a specified number of dedicated processors. The case of a single task has been considered in [1]. The main contribution of this paper is to consider the case of multiple tasks. We show that EDF has a speedup bound of 2 − 1/m, where m is the number of processors. Moreover, we present polynomial and pseudopolynomial schedulability tests, of differing effectiveness, for determining whether a set of sporadic DAG tasks can be scheduled by EDF to meet all deadlines on a specified number of processors.

Semidynamic Algorithms for Maintaining Single-Source Shortest Path Trees

Abstract. We consider the problem of updating a single-source shortest path in either a directed or an undirected graph, with positive real edge weights. Our algorithms for the incremental problem (handling edge insertions and cost decrements) work for any graph; they have optimal space requirements and query time, but their performances depend on the class of the considered graph. The cost of updates is computed in terms of amortized complexity and depends on the size of the output modifications. In the case of graphs with bounded genus (including planar graphs), graphs with bounded arboricity (including bounded degree graphs), and graphs with bounded treewidth, the incremental algorithms require O(log n) amortized time per vertex update, where a vertex is considered updated if it reduces its distance from the source. For general graphs with n vertices and m edges our incremental solution requires O( \sqrt{m} log n) amortized time per vertex update. We also consider the decremental problem for planar graphs, providing algorithms and data structures with analogous performances. The algorithms, based on Dijkstras technique [6], require simple data structures that are really suitable for a practical and straightforward implementation.

Online weighted flow time and deadline scheduling

Abstract In this paper we study some aspects of weighted flow time. We first show that the online algorithm Highest Density First is an O(1)-speed O(1)-approximation algorithm for P | r i , pmtn | ∑ w i F i . We then consider a related Deadline Scheduling Problem that involves minimizing the weight of the jobs unfinished by some unknown deadline D on a uniprocessor. We show that any c -competitive online algorithm for weighted flow time must also be c -competitive for deadline scheduling. We then give an O(1)-competitive algorithm for deadline scheduling.

A note on the complexity of finding and enumerating elementary modes

In the context of the study into elementary modes of metabolic networks, we prove two complexity results. Enumerating elementary modes containing a specific reaction is hard in an enumeration complexity sense. The decision problem if there exists an elementary mode containing two specific reactions is NP-complete. The complexity of enumerating all elementary modes remains open.