The Traveling Salesman Problem

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The Mission: A Tour Around the World

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The Problem: Traveling Costs Money

1795$

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Introduction
Objectives: To explore the Traveling Salesman Problem. Overview:
TSP: Formal definition & Examples TSP is NP-hard Approximation algorithm for special cases Inapproximability result

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TSP
Instance: a complete weighted undirected graph G=(V,E) (all weights are non-negative). Problem: to find a Hamiltonian cycle of minimal cost.
3 2

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5

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Polynomial Algorithm for TSP?

What about the greedy strategy: At any point, choose the closest vertex not explored yet?

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The Greedy $trategy Fails

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The Greedy $trategy Fails

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TSP is NP-hard
The corresponding decision problem: Instance: a complete weighted undirected graph G=(V,E) and a number k. Problem: to find a Hamiltonian cycle whose cost is at most k.

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TSP is NP-hard
Theorem: HAM-CYCLE p TSP. Proof: By the straightforward efficient reduction illustrated below:
1 verify!

1 2 1

1 2

k=|V|

HAM-CYCLE
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TSP
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What Next?
Well show an approximation algorithm for TSP, with approximation factor 2 for cost functions that satisfy a certain property.

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The Triangle Inequality

Definition: Well say the cost function c satisfies the triangle inequality, if u,v,wV : c(u,v)+c(v,w)c(u,w)

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COR(B) 525-527

Approximation Algorithm
1. Grow a Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) for G. 2. Return the cycle resulting from a preorder walk on that tree.

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Demonstration and Analysis

The cost of a minimal Hamiltonian cycle the cost of a MST

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Demonstration and Analysis

The cost of a preorder walk is twice the cost of the tree

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Demonstration and Analysis

Due to the triangle inequality, the Hamiltonian cycle is not worse.

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The Bottom Line

optimal HAM cycle preorder walk our HAM cycle

MST

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What About the General Case?

Well show TSP cannot be approximated within any constant factor 1 By showing the corresponding gap version is NP-hard.

COR(B) 528

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gap-TSP[]
Instance: a complete weighted undirected graph G=(V,E). Problem: to distinguish between the following two cases:
There exists a Hamiltonian cycle, whose cost is at most |V|. The cost of every Hamiltonian cycle is more than |V|.
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Instances
1 1 1

min cost |V|

1

|V| 0 +1

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What Should an Algorithm for gap-TSP Return?

YES!
|V| DONT-CARE... |V|

NO!
min cost

gap
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gap-TSP & Approximation

Observation: Efficient approximation of factor for TSP implies an efficient algorithm for gap-TSP[].

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gap-TSP is NP-hard
Theorem: For any constant 1, HAM-CYCLE p gap-TSP[]. Proof Idea: Edges from G cost 1. Other edges cost much more.

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The Reduction Illustrated

1 1
|V|+1

|V|+1

1 HAM-CYCLE gap-TSP

Verify (a) correctness (b) efficiency

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Approximating TSP is NPhard

gap-TSP[] is NP-hard

Approximating TSP within factor is NP-hard

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Summary

Weve studied the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). Weve seen it is NP-hard. Nevertheless, when the cost function satisfies the triangle inequality, there exists an approximation algorithm with ratio-bound 2.

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Summary

For the general case weve proven there is probably no efficient approximation algorithm for TSP. Moreover, weve demonstrated a generic method for showing approximation problems are NP-hard.

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