Parameterized Algorithms for Computing MAD Trees

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Breitkopf, Tom-Lukas, Froese, Vincent, Herrmann, Anton, Nichterlein, André, Richer, Camille
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Breitkopf, Tom-Lukas
Froese, Vincent
Herrmann, Anton
Nichterlein, André
Richer, Camille
author_facet Breitkopf, Tom-Lukas
Froese, Vincent
Herrmann, Anton
Nichterlein, André
Richer, Camille
contents We consider the well-studied problem of finding a spanning tree with minimum average distance between vertex pairs (called a MAD tree). This is a classic network design problem which is known to be NP-hard. While approximation algorithms and polynomial-time algorithms for some graph classes are known, the parameterized complexity of the problem has not been investigated so far. We start a parameterized complexity analysis with the goal of determining the border of algorithmic tractability for the MAD tree problem. To this end, we provide a linear-time algorithm for graphs of constant modular width and a polynomial-time algorithm for graphs of bounded treewidth; the degree of the polynomial depends on the treewidth. That is, the problem is in FPT with respect to modular width and in XP with respect to treewidth. Moreover, we show it is in FPT when parameterized by vertex integrity or by an above-guarantee parameter. We complement these algorithms with NP-hardness on split graphs.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_29381
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Parameterized Algorithms for Computing MAD Trees
Breitkopf, Tom-Lukas
Froese, Vincent
Herrmann, Anton
Nichterlein, André
Richer, Camille
Data Structures and Algorithms
We consider the well-studied problem of finding a spanning tree with minimum average distance between vertex pairs (called a MAD tree). This is a classic network design problem which is known to be NP-hard. While approximation algorithms and polynomial-time algorithms for some graph classes are known, the parameterized complexity of the problem has not been investigated so far. We start a parameterized complexity analysis with the goal of determining the border of algorithmic tractability for the MAD tree problem. To this end, we provide a linear-time algorithm for graphs of constant modular width and a polynomial-time algorithm for graphs of bounded treewidth; the degree of the polynomial depends on the treewidth. That is, the problem is in FPT with respect to modular width and in XP with respect to treewidth. Moreover, we show it is in FPT when parameterized by vertex integrity or by an above-guarantee parameter. We complement these algorithms with NP-hardness on split graphs.
title Parameterized Algorithms for Computing MAD Trees
topic Data Structures and Algorithms
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.29381