CS261 - Problem Set Two

Due date: Thursday, 7 February 2013, by end of lecture

Please make your answers clear and concise. For most answers, you should not need more than the
equivalent of a page with size 12 font if typed. You’re less likely to receive partial credit if your proof is
difficult to read or understand. To improve legibility, type your solutions if you can.
Please answer each question on a separate sheet of paper. Put your name and problem number on each
sheet.

1. (20 points) The following problem is a variant of the set cover problem: Given a ground set V
and subsets S1 , . . . , Sm and a parameter k, find k sets Si1 , . . . , Sik such that the size of their union
is maximized. Show that the greedy algorithm which stops after picking k sets achieves a constant
approximation ratio (In fact the constant is e−1 e ' 0.632, but any constant factor will receive full
credit.). Using this claim, give an alternate proof that the greedy algorithm gives a factor of O(log n)
for the original set cover problem. [Hint: Show that at every stage greedy picks a set which covers at
least 1/k fraction of the uncovered elements, for appropriate definition of what ”uncovered” means.]
2. (20 points) Consider a set of n elements and a collection of subsets of these elements, where each
subset has at most a constant number of elements (say, k). The goal is to find the largest possible
number of subsets that do not intersect. How well can you approximate this problem ?
3. (20 points) A tournament is a directed graph constructed by taking an undirected complete graph
and assigning some direction to each edge. A feedback vertex set is a set of nodes whose removal
makes the graph acyclic. Minimum feedback vertex set is the problem of finding the smallest set of
vertices whose removal makes the graph acyclic. Give a factor 3 approximation algorithm for minimum
feedback vertex set in tournaments. [Hint: Start by proving that it is sufficient to eliminate all length-3
cycles.]
4. (20 points) Given a directed graph G with non-negative weights on edges, you are asked to delete
some edges so that the remaining subgraph is acyclic. Your goal is to maximize the total weight of
remaining edges, i.e. find an acyclic subgraph of maximum total edge-weight. Design an algorithm
that produces a 2 factor approximation to this problem.
5. (20 points) You are given a graph G that has a set of nodes S that is both a maximum independent
set and a minimum vertex cover at the same time.
(a) (7 points) Prove that G has to be bipartite.
(b) (13 points) Prove that in a bipartite graph, the existence of a perfect matching guarantees the
existence of a set that is both a minimum vertex cover and a maximum independent set at the
same time.