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A primal-dual approximation algorithm for generalized steiner network problems

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Abstract

We present the first polynomial-time approximation algorithm for finding a minimum-cost subgraph having at least a specified number of edges in each cut. This class of problems includes, among others, the generalized Steiner network problem, also called the survivable network design problem. Ifk is the maximum cut requirement of the problem, our solution comes within a factor of 2k of optimal. Our algorithm is primal-dual and shows the importance of this technique in designing approximation algorithms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Room 33-219 Route 134, 10598, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA

    David P. Williamson

  2. Department of Mathematics, MIT, Room 2-382, 02139, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Michel X. Goemans

  3. Bellcore, 445 South Street, 07960, Morristown, NJ, USA

    Milena Mihail

  4. Computer Science and Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, 110016, New Delhi, India

    Vijay V. Vazirani

Authors
  1. David P. Williamson
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  2. Michel X. Goemans
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  3. Milena Mihail
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  4. Vijay V. Vazirani
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Additional information

Research supported by an NSF Graduate Fellowship, DARPA contracts N00014-91-J-1698 and N00014-92-J-1799, and AT&T Bell Laboratories.

Research supported in part by Air Force contract F49620-92-J-0125 and DARPA contract N00014-92-J-1799.

Part of this work was done while the author was visiting AT&T Bell Laboratories and Bellcore.

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Williamson, D.P., Goemans, M.X., Mihail, M. et al. A primal-dual approximation algorithm for generalized steiner network problems. Combinatorica 15, 435–454 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01299747

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01299747

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