Fast Augmenting Paths by Random Sampling from Residual Graphs

Consider an n-vertex, m-edge, undirected graph with integral capacities and max-flow value v. We give a new [~ over O](m + nv)-time maximum flow algorithm. After assigning certain special sampling probabilities to edges in [~ over O](m)$ time, our algorithm is very simple: repeatedly find an augment...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Karger, David R., Levine, Matthew S.
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2015
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/97225
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0024-5847
Description
Summary:Consider an n-vertex, m-edge, undirected graph with integral capacities and max-flow value v. We give a new [~ over O](m + nv)-time maximum flow algorithm. After assigning certain special sampling probabilities to edges in [~ over O](m)$ time, our algorithm is very simple: repeatedly find an augmenting path in a random sample of edges from the residual graph. Breaking from past work, we demonstrate that we can benefit by random sampling from directed (residual) graphs. We also slightly improve an algorithm for approximating flows of arbitrary value, finding a flow of value (1 - ε) times the maximum in [~ over O](m√n/ε) time.