Maximum Clique in Disk-Like Intersection Graphs


Date

2020

Publication Type

Conference Paper

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

Altmetric

Data

Abstract

We study the complexity of Maximum Clique in intersection graphs of convex objects in the plane. On the algorithmic side, we extend the polynomial-time algorithm for unit disks [Clark '90, Raghavan and Spinrad '03] to translates of any fixed convex set. We also generalize the efficient polynomial-time approximation scheme (EPTAS) and subexponential algorithm for disks [Bonnet et al. '18, Bonamy et al. '18] to homothets of a fixed centrally symmetric convex set. The main open question on that topic is the complexity of Maximum Clique in disk graphs. It is not known whether this problem is NP-hard. We observe that, so far, all the hardness proofs for Maximum Clique in intersection graph classes I follow the same road. They show that, for every graph G of a large-enough class C, the complement of an even subdivision of G belongs to the intersection class I. Then they conclude by invoking the hardness of Maximum Independent Set on the class C, and the fact that the even subdivision preserves that hardness. However there is a strong evidence that this approach cannot work for disk graphs [Bonnet et al. '18]. We suggest a new approach, based on a problem that we dub Max Interval Permutation Avoidance, which we prove unlikely to have a subexponential-time approximation scheme. We transfer that hardness to Maximum Clique in intersection graphs of objects which can be either half-planes (or unit disks) or axis-parallel rectangles. That problem is not amenable to the previous approach. We hope that a scaled down (merely NP-hard) variant of Max Interval Permutation Avoidance could help making progress on the disk case, for instance by showing the NP-hardness for (convex) pseudo-disks.

Publication status

published

Book title

40th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2020)

Volume

182

Pages / Article No.

17

Publisher

Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik

Event

40th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science (FSTTCS 2020) (virtual)

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Disk graphs; Intersection graphs; Maximum clique; Algorithms; NP-hardness; APX-hardness

Organisational unit

03457 - Welzl, Emo (emeritus) / Welzl, Emo (emeritus) check_circle

Notes

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) the conference was conducted virtually.

Funding

171681 - Arrangements and Drawings (ArrDra) (SNF)

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