Hardness of Token Swapping on Trees

Oswin Aichholzer, Erik D. Demaine, Matias Korman, Anna Lubiw, Jayson Lynch, Zuzana Masárová, Mikhail Rudoy, Virginia Vassilevska Williams, Nicole Wein

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference paperpeer-review

Abstract

Given a graph where every vertex has exactly one labeled token, how can we most quickly execute a given permutation on the tokens? In (sequential) token swapping, the goal is to use the shortest possible sequence of swaps, each of which exchanges the tokens at the two endpoints of an edge of the graph. In parallel token swapping, the goal is to use the fewest rounds, each of which consists of one or more swaps on the edges of a matching. We prove that both of these problems remain NP-hard when the graph is restricted to be a tree. These token swapping problems have been studied by disparate groups of researchers in discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science, robot motion planning, game theory, and engineering. Previous work establishes NP-completeness on general graphs (for both problems), constant-factor approximation algorithms, and some poly-time exact algorithms for simple graph classes such as cliques, stars, paths, and cycles. Sequential and parallel token swapping on trees were first studied over thirty years ago (as "sorting with a transposition tree") and over twenty-five years ago (as "routing permutations via matchings"), yet their complexities were previously unknown. We also show limitations on approximation of sequential token swapping on trees: we identify a broad class of algorithms that encompass all three known polynomial-time algorithms that achieve the best known approximation factor (which is 2) and show that no such algorithm can achieve an approximation factor less than 2.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication30th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms, ESA 2022
EditorsShiri Chechik, Gonzalo Navarro, Eva Rotenberg, Grzegorz Herman
PublisherSchloss Dagstuhl - Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik
ISBN (Electronic)9783959772471
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2022
Event30th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms: ESA 2022 - Berlin/Potsdam, Germany
Duration: 5 Sept 20229 Sept 2022

Publication series

NameLeibniz International Proceedings in Informatics, LIPIcs
Volume244
ISSN (Print)1868-8969

Conference

Conference30th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms
Abbreviated titleESA 2022
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityBerlin/Potsdam
Period5/09/229/09/22

Keywords

  • Approximation
  • NP-hard
  • Sorting
  • Token swapping
  • Trees

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software

Fields of Expertise

  • Information, Communication & Computing

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