Tree exploration with advice

We study the amount of knowledge about the network that is required in order to efficiently solve a task concerning this network. The impact of available information on the efficiency of solving network problems, such as communication or exploration, has been investigated before but assumptions concerned availability of particular items of information about the network, such as the size, the diameter, or a map of the network. In contrast, our approach is quantitative: we investigate the minimum number of bits of information (minimum oracle size) that has to be given to an algorithm in order to perform a task with given efficiency. We illustrate this quantitative approach to available knowledge by the task of tree exploration. A mobile entity (robot) has to traverse all edges of an unknown tree, using as few edge traversals as possible. The quality of an exploration algorithm ${\cal A}$ is measured by its competitive ratio, i.e., by comparing its cost (number of edge traversals) to the length of the shortest path containing all edges of the tree. Depth-First-Search has competitive ratio 2 and, in the absence of any information about the tree, no algorithm can beat this value. We determine the minimum number of bits of information that has to be given to an exploration algorithm in order to achieve competitive ratio strictly smaller than 2. Our main result establishes an exact threshold oracle size that turns out to be roughly loglogD, where D is the diameter of the tree. More precisely, for any constant c, we construct an exploration algorithm with competitive ratio smaller than 2, using an oracle of size at most loglogD –c, and we show that every algorithm using an oracle of size loglogD –g(D), for any function g unbounded from above, has competitive ratio at least 2.

Fast radio broadcasting with advice

We analyze the competitive ratio and the advice complexity of the online unbounded knapsack problem. An instance is given as a sequence of n items with a size and a value each, and an algorithm has to decide whether or not and how often to pack each item into a knapsack of bounded capacity. The items are given online and the total size of the packed items must not exceed the knapsack’s capacity, while the objective is to maximize the total value of the packed items. While each item can only be packed once in the classical knapsack problem (also called the 0-1 knapsack problem), the unbounded version allows for items to be packed multiple times. We show that the simple unbounded knapsack problem, where the size of each item is equal to its value, allows for a competitive ratio of 2. We also analyze randomized algorithms and show that, in contrast to the 0-1 knapsack problem, one uniformly random bit cannot improve an algorithm’s performance. More randomness lowers the competitive ratio to less than 1.736, but it can never be below 1.693. In the advice complexity setting, we measure how many bits of information (so-called advice bits) the algorithm has to know to achieve some desired solution quality. For the simple unbounded knapsack problem, one advice bit lowers the competitive ratio to 3/2. While this cannot be improved with fewer than log2n advice bits for instances of length n, a competitive ratio of 1+ε can be achieved with O(ε-1·log(nε-1)) advice bits for any ε>0}\\varvec{0}$$\\end{document}]]>. We further show that no amount of advice bounded by a function f(n) allows an algorithm to be optimal. We also study the online general unbounded knapsack problem and show that it does not allow for any bounded competitive ratio for both deterministic and randomized algorithms, as well as for algorithms using fewer than log2n advice bits. We also provide a surprisingly simple algorithm that uses O(ε-1·log(nε-1)) advice bits to achieve a competitive ratio of 1+ε for any ε>0}\\varvec{0}$$\\end{document}]]>.

We provide simple but surprisingly useful direct product theorems for proving lower bounds on online algorithms with a limited amount of advice about the future. Intuitively, our direct product theorems say that if b bits of advice are needed to ensure a cost of at most t for some problem, then r*b bits of advice are needed to ensure a total cost of at most r*t when solving r independent instances of the problem. Using our direct product theorems, we are able to translate decades of research on randomized online algorithms to the advice complexity model. Doing so improves significantly on the previous best advice complexity lower bounds for many online problems, or provides the first known lower bounds. For example, we show that - A paging algorithm needs Omega(n) bits of advice to achieve a competitive ratio better than H_k = Omega(log k), where k is the cache size. Previously, it was only known that Omega(n) bits of advice were necessary to achieve a constant competitive ratio smaller than 5/4. - Every O(n^{1-epsilon})-competitive vertex coloring algorithm must use Omega(n log n) bits of advice. Previously, it was only known that Omega(n log n) bits of advice were necessary to be optimal. For certain online problems, including the MTS, k-server, metric matching, paging, list update, and dynamic binary search tree problem, we prove that randomization and sublinear advice are equally powerful (if the underlying metric space or node set is finite). This means that several long-standing open questions regarding randomized online algorithms can be equivalently stated as questions regarding online algorithms with sublinear advice. For example, we show that there exists a deterministic O(log k)-competitive k-server algorithm with sublinear advice if and only if there exists a randomized O(log k)-competitive k-server algorithm without advice. Technically, our main direct product theorem is obtained by extending an information theoretical lower bound technique due to Emek, Fraigniaud, Korman, and Rosen [ICALP'09].

We study the advice complexity and the random bit complexity of the online knapsack problem: Given a knapsack of unit capacity, and n items that arrive in successive time steps, an online algorithm has to decide for every item whether it gets packed into the knapsack or not. The goal is to maximize the value of the items in the knapsack without exceeding its capacity. In the model of advice complexity of online problems, one asks how many bits of advice about the unknown parts of the input are both necessary and sufficient to achieve a specific competitive ratio. It is well-known that even the unweighted online knapsack problem does not admit any competitive deterministic online algorithm. We show that a single bit of advice helps a deterministic algorithm to become 2-competitive, but that Ω(log n) advice bits are necessary to further improve the deterministic competitive ratio. This is the first time that such a phase transition for the number of advice bits has been observed for any problem. We also show that, surprisingly, instead of an advice bit, a single random bit allows for a competitive ratio of 2, and any further amount of randomness does not improve this. Moreover, we prove that, in a resource augmentation model, i.e., when allowing a little overpacking of the knapsack, a constant number of advice bits suffices to achieve a near-optimal competitive ratio. We also study the weighted version of the problem proving that, with O(log n) bits of advice, we can get arbitrarily close to an optimal solution and, using asymptotically fewer bits, we are not competitive.

A mobile agent (robot) has to explore an unknown terrain modeled as a planar embedding of an undirected planar connected graph. Exploration consists in visiting all nodes and traversing all edges of the graph, and should be completed using as few edge traversals as possible. The agent has an unlabeled map of the terrain which is another planar embedding of the same graph, preserving the clockwise order of neighbors at each node. The starting node of the agent is marked in the map but the map is unoriented: the agent does not know which direction in the map corresponds to which direction in the terrain. The quality of an exploration algorithm [Formula: see text] is measured by comparing its cost (number of edge traversals) to that of the optimal algorithm having full knowledge of the graph. The ratio between these costs, for a given input consisting of a graph and a starting node, is called the overhead of algorithm [Formula: see text] for this input. We seek exploration algorithms with small overhead. We show an exploration algorithm with overhead of at most 7/5 for all trees, which is the best possible overhead for some trees. We also show an exploration algorithm with the best possible overhead, for any tree with starting node of degree 2. For a large class of planar graphs, called stars of graphs, we show an exploration algorithm with overhead of at most 3/2. Finally, we show a lower bound 5/3 on the overhead of exploration algorithms for some planar graphs.

Let M = {0, 1, 2, ..., m—1} , N = {0, 1, 2,..., n—1} , and f:M × N → {0, 1} a Boolean-valued function. We will be interested in the following problem and its related questions. Let i e M, j e N be integers known only to two persons P1 and P2, respectively. For P1 and P2 to determine cooperatively the value f(i, j), they send information to each other alternately, one bit at a time, according to some algorithm. The quantity of interest, which measures the information exchange necessary for computing f, is the minimum number of bits exchanged in any algorithm. For example, if f(i, j) = (i + j) mod 2. then 1 bit of information (conveying whether i is odd) sent from P1 to P2 will enable P2 to determine f(i, j), and this is clearly the best possible. The above problem is a variation of a model of Abelson [1] concerning information transfer in distributive computions.

The potential gains of multiple antennas in wireless systems can be limited by channel state information imperfections. In this context, this paper tackles the limited feedback in multiuser correlated multiple input single output (MU-MISO). We propose a framework to feedback the minimum number of bits with limited performance degradation. This framework is based on decor relating the channel state information by compression and then quantize the compressed (CSI) and feedback it to the base station (BS). We characterize the rate loIEEss resulting from the proposed framework. An upper bound on the rate loss is derived in terms of the amount of feedback and the statistics of the channel. Based on this characterization, we propose an adaptive bit allocation algorithm that takes into the account the channel statistics to reduce the rate loss induced by the quantization. Moreover, in order to maintain a constant rate loss with respect to perfect CSI, it is shown that the number of feedback bits should scale linearly with the SNR (in dB) and to the rank of the user transmit correlation matrix. We validate the proposed framework by Monte-carlo simulations.

The implementation of data acquisition and real-time backprojection via a bit-slice microprocessor system places serious constraints on data format in TOF-PET systems. To minimize hardware costs and complexity and enhance processing speed, internal data representation is to be realized with a minimum number of bits without significant loss of accuracy. Specifically, we have examined in detail data formats necessary for the quantization of the TOF data and reconstruction filtering via integer FFT's. Estimates of data degradation as related to number of bits utilized have been obtained. It is shown that a significant reduction in image memory size and improvement in speed of computation can be achieved with the appropriate choice of data formats and algorithms.

We consider a model for online computation in which the online algorithm receives, together with each request, some information regarding the future, referred to as advice . The advice provided to the online algorithm may allow an improvement in its performance, compared to the classical model of complete lack of information regarding the future. We are interested in the impact of such advice on the competitive ratio, and in particular, in the relation between the size b of the advice, measured in terms of bits of information per request, and the (improved) competitive ratio. Since b = 0 corresponds to the classical online model, and $ b = \lceil \log |\mathcal{A}| \rceil $, where $\mathcal{A}$ is the algorithm's action space, corresponds to the optimal (offline) one, our model spans a spectrum of settings ranging from classical online algorithms to offline ones. In this paper we propose the above model and illustrate its applicability by considering two of the most extensively studied online problems, namely, metrical task systems (MTS) and the k-server problem. For MTS we establish tight (up to constant factors) upper and lower bounds on the competitive ratio of deterministic and randomized online algorithms with advice for any choice of 1 ≤ b ≤ *** (logn ) , where n is the number of states in the system: we prove that any randomized online algorithm for MTS has competitive ratio *** ( log(n ) / b ) and we present a deterministic online algorithm for MTS with competitive ratio O (log(n ) / b ) . For the k -server problem we construct a deterministic online algorithm for general metric spaces with competitive ratio k O (1 / b ) for any choice of *** (1) ≤ b ≤ logk .

Maximum distance separable (MDS) codes are those codes whose minimum distance attains the Singleton bound for a given length and given dimension. It is a well-known fact that the only binary linear block codes that are MDS are the simple parity codes and the repetition codes. Known MDS codes (the Reed-Solomon codes, for instance) are defined over larger alphabets. This approach requires that (i) the encoding and decoding procedures are performed as operations over a finite field and (ii) an update in a single information bit (e.g. in storage applications) requires an update in the redundancy symbols and usually affects a number of bits in each redundancy symbol. Thus, the optimal redundancy is achieved at the expense of additional complexity in the encoding/decoding procedures as well as in the number of redundancy bits affected by an update in the information. We construct MDS codes that have the following two properties: (i) the redundancy bits are computed by simple XOR operations; and (ii) an update in an information bit affects a minimal number of redundancy bits. >

In this paper, the binary coded decimal (BCD) adder is efficiently mapped to FPGA resources to minimize the LUT consumption for different bit‐widths. Every FPGA slice contains a fast carry chain block CARRY4 which is used to add two BCD digits along with an input carry. The decimal adjustment after the addition is efficiently mapped to LUT to minimize the overall LUT count. As a result, the proposed design can efficiently realize one‐digit BCD addition in a single FPGA slice. Given the trade‐off between LUT consumption and delay the proposed design definitely offers a better trade‐off than the existing competing designs. Further using Boolean algebra, the INIT values stored in LUT are optimized to contain minimum number of bits set to . For any ‐digit BCD addition, the proposed design saves up to LUTs. However, it exhibits slightly higher delay than the competing designs which varies with the number of digits to be added. The delay for one‐digit BCD addition using LUT‐based design is approximately 6.543 ns, while the proposed design exhibits a delay of 7.717 ns. Further for eight‐digit BCD addition, the best‐case delay is ns while the proposed design exhibits ns more delay. The area savings achieved by the proposed design definitely makes it an appropriate choice for smaller embedded systems, where often area is prioritized over delay.

This paper describes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation of a fixed-point low-density lattice code (LDLC) decoder where the Gaussian mixture messages that are exchanged during the iterative decoding process are approximated to a single Gaussian. A detailed quantization study is first performed to find the minimum number of bits required for the fixed-point decoder to attain a frame error rate (FER) performance similar to floating-point. Then efficient numerical methods are devised to approximate the required non-linear functions. Finally, the paper presents a comparison of the performance of the different decoder architectures as well as a detailed analysis of the resource requirements and throughput trade-offs of the primary design blocks for the different architectures. A novel pipelined LDLC decoder architecture is proposed where resource re-utilization along with pipelining allows for a parallelism equivalent to 50 variable nodes on the target FPGA device. The pipelined architecture attains a throughput of 10.5 Msymbols/sec at a distance of 5 dB from capacity which is a 1.8times improvement in throughput compared to an implementation with 20 parallel variable nodes without pipelining. This implementation also achieves 24times improvement in throughput over a baseline serial decoder.

Efficient high level design tools that can map behavioral descriptions to FPGA architectures are one of the key requirements to fully leverage FPGA for high throughput computations and meet time-to-market pressures. We present a compiler that takes as input algorithms described in MATLAB and generates RTL VHDL. The RTL VHDL then can be mapped to FPGAs using existing commercial tools. The input application is mapped to multiple FPGAs by parallelizing the application and embedding communication and synchronization primitives automatically. Our compiler infers the minimum number of bits required to represent the variable through a precision analysis framework. The compiler can leverage optimized IP cores to enhance the hardware generated. The compiler also exploits parallelism in the input algorithm by pipelining in the presence of resource constraints. We demonstrate the utility of the compiler by synthesizing hardware for a couple of signal/image processing algorithms and comparing them with manually designed hardware.

In the last decade we have witnessed substantial progress towards the application of vocoders in communications and multimedia. Vocoders are typically based on a source‐system model whose parameters are encoded in a compact binary format. The objective in voice or speech coding is to represent speech with a minimum number of bits while preserving its perceptual quality. A number of vocoders are embedded in cellular and multimedia standards. The objective of this chapter is to provide a review of vocoding algorithms with emphasis on those methods that are part of telephony standards