Essential convexity and complexity of semi-algebraic constraints

DOI10.2168/LMCS-8(4:5)2012zbMATH Open1253.68143arXiv1210.0420MaRDI QIDQ3166226FDOQ3166226

Authors: Manuel Bodirsky, Peter Jonsson, Timo von Oertzen 

Publication date: 22 October 2012

Published in: Logical Methods in Computer Science (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Let Gamma be a structure with a finite relational signature and a first-order definition in (R;*,+) with parameters from R, that is, a relational structure over the real numbers where all relations are semi-algebraic sets. In this article, we study the computational complexity of constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) for Gamma: the problem to decide whether a given primitive positive sentence is true in Gamma. We focus on those structures Gamma that contain the relations leq, {(x,y,z) | x+y=z} and {1}. Hence, all CSPs studied in this article are at least as expressive as the feasibility problem for linear programs. The central concept in our investigation is essential convexity: a relation S is essentially convex if for all a,binS, there are only finitely many points on the line segment between a and b that are not in S. If Gamma contains a relation S that is not essentially convex and this is witnessed by rational points a,b, then we show that the CSP for Gamma is NP-hard. Furthermore, we characterize essentially convex relations in logical terms. This different view may open up new ways for identifying tractable classes of semi-algebraic CSPs. For instance, we show that if Gamma is a first-order expansion of (R;*,+), then the CSP for Gamma can be solved in polynomial time if and only if all relations in Gamma are essentially convex (unless P=NP).

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1210.0420

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zbMATH Keywords

computational complexitylinear programmingconvexityconstraint satisfaction problemessential convexity

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Computational difficulty of problems (lower bounds, completeness, difficulty of approximation, etc.) (68Q17) Logic in computer science (03B70)

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