Recognizing Level-k-Based Phylogenetic Networks is NP-Complete

Fuente: arXiv
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Autore principale: Suzuki, Takatora
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Suzuki, Takatora
author_facet Suzuki, Takatora
contents Phylogenetic networks generalize phylogenetic trees by representing reticulate evolution. Tree-based networks and their support trees have been extensively studied, but not all networks are tree-based. To measure how far such networks are from being tree-based, Suzuki and Hayamizu (2025) formulated the problem of finding the support network with minimum level of a given rooted almost-binary phylogenetic network. They conjectured that this problem is NP-hard and provided exponential-time algorithms. In this paper, we prove this conjecture by showing that, for every fixed integer $k \geq 1$, it is NP-complete to decide whether the minimum level is at most $k$.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_26852
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Recognizing Level-k-Based Phylogenetic Networks is NP-Complete
Suzuki, Takatora
Populations and Evolution
Discrete Mathematics
05C20 (Primary), 05C85, 68Q17, 92D15 (Secondary)
Phylogenetic networks generalize phylogenetic trees by representing reticulate evolution. Tree-based networks and their support trees have been extensively studied, but not all networks are tree-based. To measure how far such networks are from being tree-based, Suzuki and Hayamizu (2025) formulated the problem of finding the support network with minimum level of a given rooted almost-binary phylogenetic network. They conjectured that this problem is NP-hard and provided exponential-time algorithms. In this paper, we prove this conjecture by showing that, for every fixed integer $k \geq 1$, it is NP-complete to decide whether the minimum level is at most $k$.
title Recognizing Level-k-Based Phylogenetic Networks is NP-Complete
topic Populations and Evolution
Discrete Mathematics
05C20 (Primary), 05C85, 68Q17, 92D15 (Secondary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.26852