Huck Bennett

Huck Bennett, Mitchell Black, Amir Nayyeri et al.

The goal of graph inference is to design algorithms for learning properties of a hidden graph using queries to an oracle that returns information about the graph. Graph reconstruction, verification, and property testing are all types of graph inference. In this work, we study graph inference using an oracle that returns the effective resistance (ER) between a pair of vertices. Effective resistance is a distance originating from the study of electrical circuits with many applications. However, ER has received little attention from a graph inference perspective. Indeed, although it is known that an $n$-vertex graph can be uniquely reconstructed from all $\binom{n}{2}$ possible ER queries, little else is known. We address this gap with several new results, including: 1. $O(n)$-query algorithms for testing whether a graph is a tree; deciding whether two graphs are equal assuming one is a subgraph of the other; and testing whether a given vertex (or edge) is a cut vertex (or cut edge). 2. Property testing algorithms, including for testing whether a graph is vertex- or edge-biconnected. We also give a reduction to adapt property testing results from the bounded-degree model to our ER query model. This yields ER-query-based algorithms for testing $k$-connectivity, bipartiteness, planarity, and containment of a fixed subgraph. 3. Graph reconstruction algorithms, including an algorithm for reconstructing a graph from a low-width tree decomposition; a $Θ(k^2)$-query, polynomial-time algorithm for recovering the adjacency matrix $A$ of a hidden graph, given $A$ with $k$ of its entries deleted; and a $k$-query, exponential-time algorithm for the same task. We also compare the power of ER queries and shortest path queries, which are closely related but better studied. Interestingly, we show that the two query models are incomparable in power.

Huck Bennett, Chris Peikert, Yi Tang

We show improved fine-grained hardness of two key lattice problems in the $\ell_p$ norm: Bounded Distance Decoding to within an $α$ factor of the minimum distance ($\mathrm{BDD}_{p, α}$) and the (decisional) $γ$-approximate Shortest Vector Problem ($\mathrm{SVP}_{p,γ}$), assuming variants of the Gap (Strong) Exponential Time Hypothesis (Gap-(S)ETH). Specifically, we show: 1. For all $p \in [1, \infty)$, there is no $2^{o(n)}$-time algorithm for $\mathrm{BDD}_{p, α}$ for any constant $α> α_\mathsf{kn}$, where $α_\mathsf{kn} = 2^{-c_\mathsf{kn}}$ and $c_\mathsf{kn}$ is the $\ell_2$ kissing-number constant, assuming $c_\mathsf{kn} > 0$ and that non-uniform Gap-ETH holds. 2. For all $p \in [1, \infty)$, there is no $2^{o(n)}$-time algorithm for $\mathrm{BDD}_{p, α}$ for any constant $α> α^\ddagger_p$, where $α^\ddagger_p$ is explicit and satisfies $α^\ddagger_p = 1$ for $1 \leq p \leq 2$, $α^\ddagger_p < 1$ for all $p > 2$, and $α^\ddagger_p \to 1/2$ as $p \to \infty$, unless randomized Gap-ETH is false. 3. For all $p \in [1, \infty) \setminus 2 \mathbb{Z}$ and all $C > 1$, there is no $2^{n/C}$-time algorithm for $\mathrm{BDD}_{p, α}$ for any constant $α> α^\dagger_{p, C}$, where $α^\dagger_{p, C}$ is explicit and satisfies $α^\dagger_{p, C} \to 1$ as $C \to \infty$ for any fixed $p \in [1, \infty)$, assuming $c_\mathsf{kn} > 0$ and that non-uniform Gap-SETH holds. 4. For all $p > p_0 \approx 2.1397$, $p \notin 2\mathbb{Z}$, and all $C > C_p$, there is no $2^{n/C}$-time algorithm for $\mathrm{SVP}_{p, γ}$ for some constant $γ> 1$, where $C_p > 1$ is explicit and satisfies $C_p \to 1$ as $p \to \infty$, unless randomized Gap-SETH is false.