Skip to content
Preprint

Dynamic Edge Orientation via Random Walks: From Trees to Outerplanar Graphs and Beyond

Aug 2026 · 0 citations · 37 references
Computer Science

TL;DR

The algorithm maintains constant outdegree with $O(\log n)$ worst-case update time, where the time bound holds in expectation, and also with high probability for polynomially long update sequences.

Abstract

We study the \emph{fully dynamic edge orientation problem}, focusing on \emph{worst-case} time bounds. An undirected graph undergoes edge insertions and deletions, and the goal is to maintain an orientation with small {\em maximum outdegree} (hereafter, outdegree) and small worst-case update time. The outdegree of any orientation is at least $\alpha-1$, where $\alpha$ is the graph's \emph{arboricity}, i.e., the minimum number of forests into which its edge set can be partitioned. When $\alpha = O(1)$, it is long known that both the outdegree and the worst-case update time can be bounded by $O(\log n)$. Despite numerous follow-ups, no $o(\log^3 n)$ worst-case update time is known for maintaining constant outdegree, even for very basic graph families---with a notable exception, \emph{forests}. For forests, a \emph{simple folklore} algorithm maintains outdegree 2 via \emph{random walks}: When an insertion creates a vertex of outdegree 3, the algorithm repeatedly chooses a uniformly random outgoing edge until reaching a vertex of outdegree at most 1, and then flips the resulting directed path. As the underlying graph is cycle-free, the path length is easily shown to be $O(\log n)$ in expectation, and also with high probability for polynomially long update sequences. We prove that this simple random walk paradigm extends to \emph{outerplanar graphs}. Our algorithm maintains constant outdegree with $O(\log n)$ worst-case update time, where the time bound holds in expectation, and also with high probability for polynomially long update sequences. We give a \emph{tight analysis}: outdegree 4 is achievable with $O(\log n)$-length paths, while outdegree 3 incurs $\mathtt{poly}(n)$-length paths. We also extend the argument to $K_{2,t}$-minor-free graphs, for any $t \ge 2$, with the outdegree bound depending only on $t$ and with the same update time guarantees. The locality of [...]

View source

Similar papers

Conference Jul 2026

Dynamic Dominating Set in Uniformly Sparse Graphs

This work shows that one can maintain an O(\alpha)-approximate MDS with update time for dynamic graphs whose {\em arboricity} is bounded by $\alpha$ throughout the update sequence, which replaces the dependence on $\Delta$ in prior update bounds with $\alpha$, while also improving the approximation guarantee for bounded-arboricity graphs.

A. Bukov, Shay Solomon · 0 citations
Preprint Aug 2026

Partially-Dynamic All-Pairs Maxflow and Effective Resistance via Stable Sparsifiers

A randomized data structure for undirected weighted graphs that are partially dynamic, i.e., that undergo either only edge insertions or only edge deletions is given, which follows from a simple stability principle for partially dynamic graphs.

Gramoz Goranci, Rasmus Kyng, Maximilian Probst Gutenberg et al. · 0 citations
Preprint Sep 2026

Variance of random greedy independent sets in triangle-free graphs

Inspect the vertices of a finite simple graph in uniformly random order, accepting each vertex if none of its neighbors has previously been accepted. Let $X_G$ be the number of accepted vertices. For every triangle-free graph with $n\ge2$ vertices and $e$ edges, we prove $\operatorname{Var}(X_G)\le e((n-2)/n)^2$, with equality precisely for edgeless graphs and connected stars. In particular, among trees of a given order, the star uniquely maximizes the variance, with value $(n-1)(n-2)^2/n^2$. Known expected vertex-deletion stability already yields the elementary baseline $\operatorname{Var}(X_G)\le e$. We obtain the sharp finite-order refinement by combining a stronger centered first-choice estimate with a triangle-free edge-count identity in the law of total variance.

Mubin Shaikh · 0 citations
Preprint Sep 2026

Counting Paths and Trees via Exterior Algebra

We give randomized approximation algorithms for counting k-paths and k-forests in a host graph. Here k denotes the number of pattern vertices, n and m denote the numbers of host vertices and edges or arcs, {\epsilon} is the relative error, and {\delta} is the failure probability. Our main results are: 1. Paths: We approximate the number of directed paths on $k$ vertices in $2^k k^{O(1)}(n+m)\varepsilon^{-2}\log(2/\delta)$ arithmetic operations. 2. Trees and forests: For every fixed $\eta>0$, we approximate the number of non-induced copies of a given forest on $k$ vertices in $(2+\eta)^k n^{O_\eta(1)}\varepsilon^{-2}\log(2/\delta)$ arithmetic operations. Our path algorithm resolves a conjecture of Koutis and Williams~[CACM 2016] and answers an open question of Lokshtanov, Saurabh, and Zehavi~[SODA 2021] by giving a $2^k poly(n,\varepsilon^{-1})$-time approximation scheme. Our algorithms combine exterior algebra with random matrix estimators, using the tensor-train moment bound of Rakhshan and Rabusseau~[AISTATS 2020]. For forests, we use a small-component separator to evaluate the estimator efficiently.

Fahad Panolan, Saket Saurabh, M. Zehavi et al. · 0 citations
Jul 2026

Reachability in Directed Acyclic Graphs with Near-Linear Cut Queries

This work begins a systematic study of basic problems in directed \emph{acyclic} graphs (DAGs) and shows that reachability from a single vertex and even topological sorting are both computable in O(n \log^3 n) many cut queries.

Sanjeev Khanna, Aaron Putterman, Junkai Song · 1 citation
Preprint Aug 2026

The Cayley Completion of a Graph

A finite connected graph is rarely a Cayley graph. We measure how far it is from being one: given $G$ with $n$ vertices and $m$ edges, how few edges must be added, or added and deleted, before the result is a Cayley graph of an abelian group of order $n$ on the same vertex set? This defines two invariants, the completion number $\gamma^{+}$ (additions only) and the Cayley edit distance $\gamma_{\triangle}$ (both), each normalized by $m$. We show that deciding the edit version is NP-complete already for a fixed cyclic host, by a reduction from Hamiltonian Cycle in which the edit cost of a labeling is $n+m-2k$ when it realizes a longest path with $k$ edges; the optimal cost is $m-n+2pp(G)$, bounded in polynomial time by the matching number. We prove that irregularity alone forces $\gamma^{+}(G)\ge n\Delta^{*}/(2m)-1$, where $\Delta^{*}$ is the least $d\ge\Delta$ with $nd$ even, computable in linear time from the degree sequence; we characterize equality exactly. It is attained on the star, where $\gamma^{+}(K_{1,q})=(q-1)/2$ and the star maximizes $\gamma^{+}$, while $\gamma_{\triangle}$ stays bounded by an absolute constant. We determine paths and grids exactly, $\gamma^{+}(P_n)=\gamma^{+}(P_n\,\square\,P_n)=1/(n-1)$, and show $\gamma_{\triangle}(K_{1,q})\to 2$, not the $3/2$ suggested by the additive case. We report an exhaustive certified census of all $995$ connected graphs on at most seven vertices. The degree bound is attained on $89.4\%$ and the two invariants separate strictly on $84.7\%$, though both rates vary sharply with order: attainment $100\%,100\%,84.8\%,89.7\%$ and separation $0\%,61.9\%,73.2\%,87.7\%$ for $n=4,5,6,7$, dominated by the $853$ graphs on seven vertices. The star uniquely maximizes both. Edit count and the bi-Lipschitz distortion of the completed host are independent, moving oppositely on stars and paths.Data and certificates at doi:10.5281/zenodo.21852006.

Rigobert Fokam Souop, Laurent Bitjoka · 2 citations · ⚡2

We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads. See our Cookie Policy.