Paper detail

Efficient parameterized algorithms for computing all-pairs shortest paths

Computing all-pairs shortest paths is a fundamental and much-studied problem with many applications. Unfortunately, despite intense study, there are still no significantly faster algorithms for it than the $\mathcal{O}(n^3)$ time algorithm due to Floyd and Warshall (1962). Somewhat faster algorithms exist for the vertex-weighted version if fast matrix multiplication may be used. Yuster (SODA 2009) gave an algorithm running in time $\mathcal{O}(n^{2.842})$, but no combinatorial, truly subcubic algorithm is known. Motivated by the recent framework of efficient parameterized algorithms (or "FPT in P"), we investigate the influence of the graph parameters clique-width ($cw$) and modular-width ($mw$) on the running times of algorithms for solving All-Pairs Shortest Paths. We obtain efficient (and combinatorial) parameterized algorithms on non-negative vertex-weighted graphs of times $\mathcal{O}(cw^2n^2)$, resp. $\mathcal{O}(mw^2n + n^2)$. If fast matrix multiplication is allowed then the latter can be improved to $\mathcal{O}(mw^{1.842}n + n^2)$ using the algorithm of Yuster as a black box. The algorithm relative to modular-width is adaptive, meaning that the running time matches the best unparameterized algorithm for parameter value $mw$ equal to $n$, and they outperform them already for $mw \in \mathcal{O}(n^{1 - \varepsilon})$ for any $\varepsilon > 0$.