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ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC)

Holographic algorithms

Jin‐Yi Cai, Pinyan Lu

Published Jun 11, 2007• 62 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We develop the theory of holographic algorithms. We definea basis manifold and give characterizations of algebraic varieties of realizable symmetric generators and recognizers on this manifold. We present a polynomial time decision algorithm for the simultaneous realizability problem. Using the general machinery we are able to giveunexpected holographic algorithms for some counting problems, modulo certain Mersenne type integers. These counting problems are P-complete without the moduli. Going beyond symmetric signatures, we define d-admissibility and d-realizability for general signatures, and give a characterizationof 2-admissibility.

DOI
10.1145/1250790.1250850

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In holographic algorithms, symmetric signatures have been particularly useful. We give a complete characterization of these symmetric signatures over all bases of size 1. These improve previous results by Cai and Choudhary (ICALP 2006, vol. 4051, pp. 703–714, 2006) where only symmetric signatures over the Hadamard basis (special basis of size 1) were obtained. In particular, we give a complete list of Boolean symmetric signatures over bases of size 1. It is an open problem whether signatures over bases of higher dimensions are strictly more powerful. The recent result by Valiant (FOCS 2006, pp. 509–517, 2006) seems to suggest that bases of size 2 might be indeed more powerful than bases of size 1. This result is with regard to a restrictive counting version of #SAT called #Pl-Rtw-Mon-3CNF. It is known that the problem is #P-hard, and its mod 2 version is ⊕P-hard. Yet its mod 7 version is solvable in polynomial time by holographic algorithms. This was ac complished by a suitable symmetric signature over a basis of size 2. We show that the same unexpected holographic algorithm can be realized over a basis of size 1. Furthermore we prove that 7 is the only modulus for which such an "accidental algorithm" exists.

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Holographic algorithms were introduced by Valiant as a new methodology to derive polynomial time algorithms. Here information and computation are represented by exponential sums using the so-called signatures. These signatures express superpositions of perfect matchings, and are used to achieve exponential sized cancellations, and thereby exponential speedups. Most holographic algorithms so far used symmetric signatures. In this paper we use unsymmetric signatures to give some new holographic algorithms. We also prove a characterization theorem for a class of realizable un-symmetric signatures, each of which may be used to design new holographic algorithms.

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We develop the theory of holographic algorithms. We definea basis manifold and give characterizations of algebraic varieties of realizable symmetric generators and recognizers on this manifold. We present a polynomial time decision algorithm for the simultaneous realizability problem. Using the general machinery we are able to giveunexpected holographic algorithms for some counting problems, modulo certain Mersenne type integers. These counting problems are P-complete without the moduli. Going beyond symmetric signatures, we define d-admissibility and d-realizability for general signatures, and give a characterizationof 2-admissibility.
In holographic algorithms, symmetric signatures have been particularly useful. We give a complete characterization of these symmetric signatures over all bases of size 1. These improve previous results by Cai and Choudhary (ICALP 2006, vol. 4051, pp. 703–714, 2006) where only symmetric signatures over the Hadamard basis (special basis of size 1) were obtained. In particular, we give a complete list of Boolean symmetric signatures over bases of size 1. It is an open problem whether signatures over bases of higher dimensions are strictly more powerful. The recent result by Valiant (FOCS 2006, pp. 509–517, 2006) seems to suggest that bases of size 2 might be indeed more powerful than bases of size 1. This result is with regard to a restrictive counting version of #SAT called #Pl-Rtw-Mon-3CNF. It is known that the problem is #P-hard, and its mod 2 version is ⊕P-hard. Yet its mod 7 version is solvable in polynomial time by holographic algorithms. This was ac complished by a suitable symmetric signature over a basis of size 2. We show that the same unexpected holographic algorithm can be realized over a basis of size 1. Furthermore we prove that 7 is the only modulus for which such an "accidental algorithm" exists.
Holographic algorithms introduced by Valiant are composed of two ingredients: matchgates, which are gadgets realizing local constraint functions by weighted planar perfect matchings, and holographic reductions, which show equivalences among problems with different descriptions via certain basis transformations. In this paper, we replace matchgates in the paradigm above by the affine type and the product type constraint functions, which are known to be tractable in general (not necessarily planar) graphs. More specifically, we present polynomial-time algorithms to decide if a given counting problem has a holographic reduction to another problem defined by the affine or product-type functions. Our algorithms also find a holographic transformation when one exists. We further present polynomial-time algorithms of the same decision and search problems for symmetric functions, where the complexity is measured in terms of the (exponentially more) succinct representations. The algorithm for the symmetric case also shows that the recent dichotomy theorem for Holant problems with symmetric constraints is efficiently decidable. Our proof techniques are mainly algebraic, e.g., using stabilizers and orbits of group actions.
Holographic algorithms are a novel approach to design polynomial time computations using linear superpositions. Most holographic algorithms are designed with basis vectors of dimension 2. Recently Valiant showed that a basis of dimension 4 can be used to solve in P an interesting (restrictive SAT) counting problem mod 7. This problem without modulo 7 is #P-complete, and counting mod 2 is NP-hard. We give a general collapse theorem for bases of dimension 4 to dimension 2 in the holographic algorithms framework. We also define an extension of holographic algorithms to allow more general support vectors. Finally we give a Basis Folding Theorem showing that in a natural setting the support vectors can be simulated by bases of dimension 2.
We establish a 1-1 correspondence between Valiant's character theory of matchgate/matchcircuit [14] and his signature theory of planar-matchgate/matchgrid [16], thus unifying the two theories in expressibility. In [5], we had established a complete characterization of general matchgates, in terms of a set of useful Grassmann-Pl"ucker identities. With this correspondence, we give a corresponding set of identities which completely characterizes planar-matchgates and their signatures. Applying this characterization we prove some negative results for holographic algorithms. On the positive side, we also give a polynomial time algorithm for a simultaneous node-edge deletion problem, using holographic algorithms. Finally we give characterizations of symmetric signatures realizable in the Hadamard basis.
Holographic algorithms are a novel approach to design polynomial time computations using linear superpositions. Most holographic algorithms are designed with basis vectors of dimension 2. Recently Valiant showed that a basis of dimension 4 can be used to solve in P an interesting (restrictive SAT) counting problem mod 7. This problem without modulo 7 is #P-complete, and counting mod 2 is NP-hard. We give a general collapse theorem for bases of dimension 4 to dimension 2 in the holographic algorithms framework. We also define an extension of holographic algorithms to allow more general support vectors. Finally we give a bases folding theorem showing that in a natural setting the support vectors can be simulated by basis of dimension 2. 1
Holographic algorithms were introduced by Valiant as a new methodology to derive polynomial time algorithms. Here information and computation are represented by exponential sums using the so-called signatures. These signatures express superpositions of perfect matchings, and are used to achieve exponential sized cancellations, and thereby exponential speedups. Most holographic algorithms so far used symmetric signatures. In this paper we use unsymmetric signatures to give some new holographic algorithms. We also prove a characterization theorem for a class of realizable un-symmetric signatures, each of which may be used to design new holographic algorithms.