Algorithms for Data Processing Lecture VIII: Intractable Problems–NP Problems Alessandro Artale Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
[email protected] of Computer Science http://www.inf.unibz.it/˜artale 2019/20 – First Semester MSc in Computational Data Science — UNIBZ Some material (text, figures) displayed in these slides is courtesy of: Alberto Montresor, Werner Nutt, Kevin Wayne, Jon Kleinberg, Eva Tardos. A. Artale Algorithms for Data Processing Definition. P = set of decision problems for which there exists a poly-time algorithm. Problems and Algorithms – Decision Problems The Complexity Theory considers so called Decision Problems. • s Decision• Problem. X Input encoded asX a finite“yes” binary string ; • Decision ProblemA : Is conceived asX a set of strings on whichs the answer to the decision problem is ; yes if s ∈ X Algorithm for a decision problemA s receives an input string , and no if s 6∈ X ( ) = A. Artale Algorithms for Data Processing Problems and Algorithms – Decision Problems The Complexity Theory considers so called Decision Problems. • s Decision• Problem. X Input encoded asX a finite“yes” binary string ; • Decision ProblemA : Is conceived asX a set of strings on whichs the answer to the decision problem is ; yes if s ∈ X Algorithm for a decision problemA s receives an input string , and no if s 6∈ X ( ) = Definition. P = set of decision problems for which there exists a poly-time algorithm. A. Artale Algorithms for Data Processing Towards NP — Efficient Verification • • The issue here is the3-SAT contrast between finding a solution Vs. checking a proposed solution.I ConsiderI for example : We do not know a polynomial-time algorithm to find solutions; but Checking a proposed solution can be easily done in polynomial time (just plug 0/1 and check if it is a solution).