On the Structure of Valiant's Complexity Classes

In Valiant developed an algebraic analogue of the theory of NP-completeness for computations of polynomials over a field. We further develop this theory in the spirit of structural complexity and obtain analogues of well-known results by Baker, Gill, and Solovay, Ladner, and Schöning. We show...

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Main Author: Peter Bürgisser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science 1999-12-01
Series:Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science
Online Access:http://www.dmtcs.org/dmtcs-ojs/index.php/dmtcs/article/view/99
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author Peter Bürgisser
author_facet Peter Bürgisser
author_sort Peter Bürgisser
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description In Valiant developed an algebraic analogue of the theory of NP-completeness for computations of polynomials over a field. We further develop this theory in the spirit of structural complexity and obtain analogues of well-known results by Baker, Gill, and Solovay, Ladner, and Schöning. We show that if Valiant's hypothesis is true, then there is a p-definable family, which is neither p-computable nor VNP-complete. More generally, we define the posets of p-degrees and c-degrees of p-definable families and prove that any countable poset can be embedded in either of them, provided Valiant's hypothesis is true. Moreover, we establish the existence of minimal pairs for VPin VNP. Over finite fields, we give a specific example of a family of polynomials which is neither VNP-complete nor p-computable, provided the polynomial hierarchy does not collapse. We define relativized complexity classes VP h and VNP h and construct complete families in these classes. Moreover, we prove that there is a p-family h satisfying VP h = VNP h.
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spelling doaj.art-72cc69d782394a1fb7acc4a44730a7a92022-12-22T00:27:01ZengDiscrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer ScienceDiscrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science1462-72641365-80501999-12-0133On the Structure of Valiant's Complexity ClassesPeter BürgisserIn Valiant developed an algebraic analogue of the theory of NP-completeness for computations of polynomials over a field. We further develop this theory in the spirit of structural complexity and obtain analogues of well-known results by Baker, Gill, and Solovay, Ladner, and Schöning. We show that if Valiant's hypothesis is true, then there is a p-definable family, which is neither p-computable nor VNP-complete. More generally, we define the posets of p-degrees and c-degrees of p-definable families and prove that any countable poset can be embedded in either of them, provided Valiant's hypothesis is true. Moreover, we establish the existence of minimal pairs for VPin VNP. Over finite fields, we give a specific example of a family of polynomials which is neither VNP-complete nor p-computable, provided the polynomial hierarchy does not collapse. We define relativized complexity classes VP h and VNP h and construct complete families in these classes. Moreover, we prove that there is a p-family h satisfying VP h = VNP h.http://www.dmtcs.org/dmtcs-ojs/index.php/dmtcs/article/view/99
spellingShingle Peter Bürgisser
On the Structure of Valiant's Complexity Classes
Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science
title On the Structure of Valiant's Complexity Classes
title_full On the Structure of Valiant's Complexity Classes
title_fullStr On the Structure of Valiant's Complexity Classes
title_full_unstemmed On the Structure of Valiant's Complexity Classes
title_short On the Structure of Valiant's Complexity Classes
title_sort on the structure of valiant s complexity classes
url http://www.dmtcs.org/dmtcs-ojs/index.php/dmtcs/article/view/99
work_keys_str_mv AT peterburgisser onthestructureofvaliantscomplexityclasses