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On the exact block cover problem

  • Haitao Jiang
  • , Bing Su
  • , Mingyu Xiao
  • , Yinfeng Xu
  • , Farong Zhong
  • , Binhai Zhu
  • Shandong University
  • Xi'an Technological University
  • University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
  • Sichuan University
  • Zhejiang Normal University
  • Montana State University

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

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Minimum Common String Partition (MCSP) has drawn a lot of attention due to its application in genome rearrangement. The best approximation algorithm has a factor O(lognlog* n) and it was shown most recently that it is FPT (but with a very high running time). In this paper, we consider the decision version of the one-sided MCSP problem (formally called the exact block cover problem); namely, when one sequence is already partitioned into k blocks, how to decide whether the other sequence can be partitioned accordingly. While this decision problem is obviously in FPT, we show interesting results in this paper: (1) If each letter is allowed to appear at most twice (or three times), then the problem is polynomially solvable, (2) There is an FPT algorithm which runs in O*(2k) time, improving the trivial bound of O*(k!), and (3) If |∑| = c, c being a constant at least 2, then the problem is NP-complete.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAlgorithmic Aspects in Information and Management - 10th International Conference, AAIM 2014, Proceedings
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages13-22
Number of pages10
ISBN (Print)9783319079554
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes
Event10th International Conference on Algorithmic Aspects of Information and Management, AAIM 2014 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Duration: 8 Jul 201411 Jul 2014

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume8546 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference10th International Conference on Algorithmic Aspects of Information and Management, AAIM 2014
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityVancouver, BC
Period8/07/1411/07/14

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