Efficient Algorithms and Implementations for Extracting Maximum-Size $(k,\ell)$-Sparse Subgraphs

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1. Verfasser: Madarasi, Péter
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Madarasi, Péter
author_facet Madarasi, Péter
contents A multigraph $G = (V, E)$ is $(k, \ell)$-sparse if every subset $X \subseteq V$ induces at most $\max\{k|X| - \ell, 0\}$ edges. Finding a maximum-size $(k, \ell)$-sparse subgraph is a classical problem in rigidity theory and combinatorial optimization, with known polynomial-time algorithms. This paper presents a highly efficient and flexible implementation of an augmenting path method, enhanced with a range of powerful practical heuristics that significantly reduce running time while preserving optimality. These heuristics $\unicode{x2013}$ including edge-ordering, node-ordering, two-phase strategies, and pseudoforest-based initialization $\unicode{x2013}$ steer the algorithm toward accepting more edges early in the execution and avoiding costly augmentations. A comprehensive experimental evaluation on both synthetic and real-world graphs demonstrates that our implementation outperforms existing tools by several orders of magnitude. We also propose an asymptotically faster algorithm for extracting an inclusion-wise maximal $(k,2k)$-sparse subgraph with the sparsity condition required only for node sets of size at least three, which is particularly relevant to 3D rigidity when $k = 3$. We provide a carefully engineered implementation, which is publicly available online and is proposed for inclusion in the LEMON graph library.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_16877
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Efficient Algorithms and Implementations for Extracting Maximum-Size $(k,\ell)$-Sparse Subgraphs
Madarasi, Péter
Data Structures and Algorithms
Computational Geometry
Discrete Mathematics
Combinatorics
A multigraph $G = (V, E)$ is $(k, \ell)$-sparse if every subset $X \subseteq V$ induces at most $\max\{k|X| - \ell, 0\}$ edges. Finding a maximum-size $(k, \ell)$-sparse subgraph is a classical problem in rigidity theory and combinatorial optimization, with known polynomial-time algorithms. This paper presents a highly efficient and flexible implementation of an augmenting path method, enhanced with a range of powerful practical heuristics that significantly reduce running time while preserving optimality. These heuristics $\unicode{x2013}$ including edge-ordering, node-ordering, two-phase strategies, and pseudoforest-based initialization $\unicode{x2013}$ steer the algorithm toward accepting more edges early in the execution and avoiding costly augmentations. A comprehensive experimental evaluation on both synthetic and real-world graphs demonstrates that our implementation outperforms existing tools by several orders of magnitude. We also propose an asymptotically faster algorithm for extracting an inclusion-wise maximal $(k,2k)$-sparse subgraph with the sparsity condition required only for node sets of size at least three, which is particularly relevant to 3D rigidity when $k = 3$. We provide a carefully engineered implementation, which is publicly available online and is proposed for inclusion in the LEMON graph library.
title Efficient Algorithms and Implementations for Extracting Maximum-Size $(k,\ell)$-Sparse Subgraphs
topic Data Structures and Algorithms
Computational Geometry
Discrete Mathematics
Combinatorics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16877