IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/orijoc/v34y2022i3p1437-1452.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A General Framework for Approximating Min Sum Ordering Problems

Author

Listed:
  • Felix Happach

    (Department of Mathematics and TUM School of Management, Technische Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany)

  • Lisa Hellerstein

    (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, New York, New York 11201)

  • Thomas Lidbetter

    (Department of Management Science and Information Systems, Rutgers Business School, Newark, New Jersey 07102)

Abstract

We consider a large family of problems in which an ordering (or, more precisely, a chain of subsets) of a finite set must be chosen to minimize some weighted sum of costs. This family includes variations of min sum set cover, several scheduling and search problems, and problems in Boolean function evaluation. We define a new problem, called the min sum ordering problem (MSOP), which generalizes all these problems using a cost and a weight function defined on subsets of a finite set. Assuming a polynomial time α -approximation algorithm for the problem of finding a subset whose ratio of weight to cost is maximal, we show that under very minimal assumptions, there is a polynomial time 4 α -approximation algorithm for MSOP. This approximation result generalizes a proof technique used for several distinct problems in the literature. We apply this to obtain a number of new approximation results. Summary of Contribution: This paper provides a general framework for min sum ordering problems. Within the realm of theoretical computer science, these problems include min sum set cover and its generalizations, as well as problems in Boolean function evaluation. On the operations research side, they include problems in search theory and scheduling. We present and analyze a very general algorithm for these problems, unifying several previous results on various min sum ordering problems and resulting in new constant factor guarantees for others.

Suggested Citation

  • Felix Happach & Lisa Hellerstein & Thomas Lidbetter, 2022. "A General Framework for Approximating Min Sum Ordering Problems," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 34(3), pages 1437-1452, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orijoc:v:34:y:2022:i:3:p:1437-1452
    DOI: 10.1287/ijoc.2021.1124
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2021.1124
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/ijoc.2021.1124?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. José R. Correa & Andreas S. Schulz, 2005. "Single-Machine Scheduling with Precedence Constraints," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 30(4), pages 1005-1021, November.
    2. François Margot & Maurice Queyranne & Yaoguang Wang, 2003. "Decompositions, Network Flows, and a Precedence Constrained Single-Machine Scheduling Problem," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 51(6), pages 981-992, December.
    3. Jeffrey B. Sidney, 1975. "Decomposition Algorithms for Single-Machine Sequencing with Precedence Relations and Deferral Costs," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 283-298, April.
    4. Igor Averbakh & Jordi Pereira, 2012. "The flowtime network construction problem," IISE Transactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(8), pages 681-694.
    5. Steve Alpern & Thomas Lidbetter, 2013. "Mining Coal or Finding Terrorists: The Expanding Search Paradigm," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 61(2), pages 265-279, April.
    6. Robbert Fokkink & Ken Kikuta & David Ramsey, 2017. "The search value of a set," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 256(1), pages 63-73, September.
    7. Robbert Fokkink & Thomas Lidbetter & László A. Végh, 2019. "On Submodular Search and Machine Scheduling," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(4), pages 1431-1449, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ben Hermans & Roel Leus & Jannik Matuschke, 2022. "Exact and Approximation Algorithms for the Expanding Search Problem," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 34(1), pages 281-296, January.
    2. Robbert Fokkink & Thomas Lidbetter & László A. Végh, 2019. "On Submodular Search and Machine Scheduling," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(4), pages 1431-1449, November.
    3. Andreas S. Schulz & Nelson A. Uhan, 2011. "Near-Optimal Solutions and Large Integrality Gaps for Almost All Instances of Single-Machine Precedence-Constrained Scheduling," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 36(1), pages 14-23, February.
    4. Christoph Ambühl & Monaldo Mastrolilli & Nikolaus Mutsanas & Ola Svensson, 2011. "On the Approximability of Single-Machine Scheduling with Precedence Constraints," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 36(4), pages 653-669, November.
    5. Rostami, Salim & Creemers, Stefan & Leus, Roel, 2019. "Precedence theorems and dynamic programming for the single-machine weighted tardiness problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(1), pages 43-49.
    6. Tanaka, Shunji & Sato, Shun, 2013. "An exact algorithm for the precedence-constrained single-machine scheduling problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 229(2), pages 345-352.
    7. Steve Alpern & Thomas Lidbetter, 2019. "Approximate solutions for expanding search games on general networks," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 275(2), pages 259-279, April.
    8. Lidbetter, Thomas, 2020. "Search and rescue in the face of uncertain threats," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 285(3), pages 1153-1160.
    9. José R. Correa & Martin Skutella & José Verschae, 2012. "The Power of Preemption on Unrelated Machines and Applications to Scheduling Orders," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 37(2), pages 379-398, May.
    10. D. Prot & O. Bellenguez-Morineau, 2018. "A survey on how the structure of precedence constraints may change the complexity class of scheduling problems," Journal of Scheduling, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 3-16, February.
    11. Lisa Hellerstein & Thomas Lidbetter & Daniel Pirutinsky, 2019. "Solving Zero-Sum Games Using Best-Response Oracles with Applications to Search Games," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 67(3), pages 731-743, May.
    12. Tianyu Wang & Igor Averbakh, 2022. "Network construction/restoration problems: cycles and complexity," Journal of Combinatorial Optimization, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 51-73, August.
    13. Alpern, Steve & Lidbetter, Thomas, 2020. "Search and Delivery Man Problems: When are depth-first paths optimal?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 285(3), pages 965-976.
    14. Bui, Thuy & Lidbetter, Thomas, 2023. "Optimal patrolling strategies for trees and complete networks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 311(2), pages 769-776.
    15. Agnetis, Alessandro & Hermans, Ben & Leus, Roel & Rostami, Salim, 2022. "Time-critical testing and search problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 296(2), pages 440-452.
    16. Aybike Ulusan & Ozlem Ergun, 2018. "Restoration of services in disrupted infrastructure systems: A network science approach," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-28, February.
    17. Robbert Fokkink & Ken Kikuta & David Ramsey, 2017. "The search value of a set," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 256(1), pages 63-73, September.
    18. Angelopoulos, Spyros & Lidbetter, Thomas, 2020. "Competitive search in a network," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 286(2), pages 781-790.
    19. Vassili Kolokoltsov, 2017. "The Evolutionary Game of Pressure (or Interference), Resistance and Collaboration," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 42(4), pages 915-944, November.
    20. Hellerstein, Lisa & Lidbetter, Thomas, 2023. "A game theoretic approach to a problem in polymatroid maximization," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(2), pages 979-988.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:orijoc:v:34:y:2022:i:3:p:1437-1452. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.