Abstract :

The existence of polynomial time algorithms for the solution of parity games is a major open problem. The fastest known algorithms for the problem are randomized algorithms that run in subexponential time. These algorithms are all ultimately based on the randomized subexponential simplex algorithms of Kalai and of Matousek, Sharir and Welzl. Randomness seems to play an essential role in these algorithms. We use a completely different, and elementary, approach to obtain a deterministic subexponential algorithm for the solution of parity games. The new algorithm, like the existing randomized subexponential algorithms, uses only polynomial space, and it is almost as fast as the randomized subexponential algorithms mentioned above.

Joint work with Marcin Jurdzinski and Mike Paterson.

Biography:

Uri Zwick received his B.Sc. degree in Computer Science from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Tel Aviv University. He his currently a Professor of Computer Science in Tel Aviv University. His main research interests are: algorithms and complexity, combinatorial optimization, mathematical games, and recreational mathematics.