University of Lahore

Gujrat Campus
Approximation Algorithms
(Chapter-35 Cormen)

Compiled by

Prof. Dr. Ahsan Abdullah

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Background
Heuristic techniques for solving optimization
problems in an approximate way have always been
used throughout the history of computing.

Nevertheless, no precise notion of approximation had

been proposed until the late sixties and early
seventies.

Approximation Algorithms have guaranteed

performance ratio, characterizing those situations in
which the approximate solution is provably close to an
optimum one.

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Background
Some problems:

1. Able to devise algorithms that could provide

approximate solutions that were arbitrarily close to
the optimum e.g. HEURISTICS

1(a), in many cases the quality of the approximation

was very poor (allowing, for example, a relative error
of 50%) and it was not clear why?

2. Some problems resisting to any type of solution

and even very weak approximate solutions seemed to
be impervious e.g. DECISION problems

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Definition

An “algorithm” to solve an optimization

problem that runs in polynomial time in the
length of the input and outputs a solution
that is guaranteed to be close to the
optimal solution. "Close" has some well-
defined sense called the performance
guarantee.

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Introduction
An algorithm which solves a problem approximately.

Another way to deal with NP-Complete problems.

This is one of the most active areas for research

currently in theoretical computer science.

Can be a heuristic method as well. Required when:

❑ The problem size is too big

❑ Solution becomes computationally expensive

❑ Looking for quick and provable quality solutions

rather than accurate ones.
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Introduction
For an NP-hard problem, an algorithm could be 2 of:

❑ Works on all instances.

❑ In polynomial time.
❑ Is optimal

Here, we drop the third of these, and give

algorithms that do work in polynomial time on
all instances, but which don’t give the optimal
answer.

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Introduction
Suppose we have a problem P (likely -hard, though not
necessarily so).

An algorithm for P is an approximation algorithm if for

all instances, it returns a solution whose maximum
“non-optimality” is provable.

(Hard to give a good informal definition. Basic idea: for

all instances, P gives a solution whose value is most a
given factor away from the value of the optimal
solution.)

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Performance
Performance of these algorithms are measured:

❑ By how close to the actual optimum can be reached

❑ By the gain in order (running time).

A -Approximation Algorithm is a polynomial-time

algorithm that always finds a solution of objective
function value within a factor  of optimal;

 is also referred to as the performance guarantee of

the algorithm or competitive ratio. Ideally  is 5%

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Performance
s-optimum solution

And approximation algorithms has an absolute

performance guarantee or bounded error ε, if it
has been proven that

Dominance number guarantee: How many solutions for

the problem is not better than the solution provided by
solution of the analyzed approximation algorithm?
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Performance

Global Maximum

<1

>1

Global Minimum

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Performance?

Most people not impressed by:

❑ Scheme which provably will require less than

twenty times the money that is minimally needed.

❑ An approximation algorithm with the polynomial

running time quite bad, like O(n 2000).

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Examples
◼ Vertex Cover
◼ Maximum clique (impossible to approximate to
a constant factor)
◼ Bin Packing (approximated by arbitrary
factor)
Maximum Satisfiability (Does not applies)
◼ Steiner Tree and TSP
◼ Feedback Vertex Set
◼ Shortest Superstring
◼ Knapsack
◼ Euclidean TSP
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VERTEX-COVER

◼ Instance: an undirected graph G=(V,E).

◼ Problem: to find a set CV of minimal size s.t.
for any (u,v)E, either uC or vC.
Example:

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VC Approximation Algorithm

◼ C
◼ E’  E
◼ while E’  
◼ do let (u,v) be an arbitrary edge of E’
◼ C  C  {u,v}
◼ remove from E’ every edge incident
to either u or v.
◼ return C.

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VC Approximation Algorithm: Demo

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VC Approximation Algorithm: Correctness

The set of vertices our algorithm returns is

clearly a vertex-cover, since we iterate until
every edge is covered.

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VC Approximation Algorithm: Goodness?
Observe the set of edges our algorithm chooses

No mutual vertices!

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VC Approximation Algorithm: Goodness?

Thus every VC must contain at least that many vertices

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VC Approximation Algorithm: Goodness?
Where the size of our VC is only twice as big

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VC Approximation Algorithm: How well!!

Upper bound
◼ A little better (w/hard work) : 2-o(1)

Hardness results
◼ Previously: 7/6

◼ Theorem: NP-hard to approximate to within

105-21 = 1.36067… (> 4/3)

◼ Conjecture: NP-hard to within 2-  >0

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