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On the advantage over a random assignment
Author(s) -
Håstad Johan,
Venkatesh S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
random structures and algorithms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Book series
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.314
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1098-2418
pISSN - 1042-9832
ISBN - 1-58113-495-9
DOI - 10.1002/rsa.20031
Subject(s) - measure (data warehouse) , mathematics , approximation algorithm , time complexity , modulo , mathematical optimization , focus (optics) , algorithm , discrete mathematics , computer science , physics , database , optics
We initiate the study of a new measure of approximation. This measure compares the performance of an approximation algorithm to the random assignment algorithm. This is a useful measure for optimization problems where the random assignment algorithm is known to give essentially the best possible polynomial time approximation. In this paper, we focus on this measure for the optimization problems Max‐Lin‐2 in which we need to maximize the number of satisfied linear equations in a system of linear equations modulo 2, and Max‐ k ‐Lin‐2, a special case of the above problem in which each equation has at most k variables. The main techniques we use, in our approximation algorithms and inapproximability results for this measure, are from Fourier analysis and derandomization. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2004