Abstract
In this chapter, we start our development of the theory of parameterized intractability. In general, no parameterized complexity theory is needed to find an fpt-algorithm for a concrete fixed-parameter tractable problem. The main purpose of the theory is to give evidence that certain problems are not fixed-parameter tractable (just as the main purpose of the theory of NP completeness is to give evidence that certain problems are not polynomial time computable). In the classical theory, the notion of NP-completeness is central to a nice, simple, and far-reaching theory for intractable problems. Unfortunately, the world of parameterized intractability is more complex: There is a big variety of seemingly different classes of intractable parameterized problems.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
(2006). Reductions and Parameterized Intractability. In: Parameterized Complexity Theory. Texts in Theoretical Computer Science. An EATCS Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29953-X_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29953-X_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-29952-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29953-0
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)