Abstract
In the Cluster Deletion problem the goal is to remove the minimum number of edges of a given graph, such that every connected component of the resulting graph constitutes a clique. It is known that the decision version of Cluster Deletion is NP-complete on (\(P_5\)-free) chordal graphs, whereas Cluster Deletion is solved in polynomial time on split graphs. However, the existence of a polynomial-time algorithm of Cluster Deletion on interval graphs, a proper subclass of chordal graphs, remained a well-known open problem. Our main contribution is that we settle this problem in the affirmative, by providing a polynomial-time algorithm for Cluster Deletion on interval graphs. Moreover, despite the simple formulation of a polynomial-time algorithm on split graphs, we show that Cluster Deletion remains NP-complete on a natural and slight generalization of split graphs that constitutes a proper subclass of \(P_5\)-free chordal graphs. Although the later result arises from the already-known reduction for \(P_5\)-free chordal graphs, we give an alternative proof showing an interesting connection between edge-weighted and vertex-weighted variations of the problem. To complement our results, we provide faster and simpler polynomial-time algorithms for Cluster Deletion on subclasses of such a generalization of split graphs.
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Notes
Note that the class of split graphs is closed under the addition of true twins in the clique.
The term laminar comes from the notion of laminar family of sets: a family of sets is called laminar if any two of its sets are either disjoint or one includes the other.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Paloma T. Lima for bringing to our attention the class of starlike graphs introduced in [6]. A preliminary version of this paper appeared as an extended abstract in the proceedings of MFCS 2019 [24]. This long version contains full proofs of all statements, a new characterization of stable-like graphs, and an extended polynomial case of starlike graphs (laminar-like graphs) not appeared in [24]. The research work done by A. L. Konstantinidis is co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund—ESF) through the Operational Programme “Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning” in the context of the project “Strengthening Human Resources Research Potential via Doctorate Research” (MIS-5000432), implemented by the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY). The research work done by C. Papadopoulos was supported by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) under the “First Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects to support Faculty members and Researchers and the procurement of high-cost research equipment grant”, Project FANTA (eFficient Algorithms for NeTwork Analysis), number HFRI-FM17-431.
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Konstantinidis, A.L., Papadopoulos, C. Cluster Deletion on Interval Graphs and Split Related Graphs. Algorithmica 83, 2018–2046 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00453-021-00817-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00453-021-00817-8