text: The area of parameterized approximation seeks to combine approximation and parameterized algorithms to obtain, e.g., (1+eps)-approximations in f(k,eps)n^ O(1) time where k is some parameter of the input. We obtain the following results on parameterized approximability: 1) In the maximum independent set of rectangles problem (MISR) we are given a collection of n axis parallel rectangles in the plane. Our goal is to select a maximum-cardinality subset of pairwise non-overlapping rectangles. This problem is NP-hard and also W[1]-hard [Marx, ESA'05]. The best-known polynomial-time approximation factor is O(loglog n) [Chalermsook and Chuzhoy, SODA'09] and it admits a QPTAS [Adamaszek and Wiese, FOCS'13; Chuzhoy and Ene, FOCS'16]. Here we present a parameterized approximation scheme (PAS) for MISR, i.e. an algorithm that, for any given constant eps>0 and integer k>0, in time f(k,eps)n^ g(eps) , either outputs a solution of size at least k (1+eps), or declares that the optimum solution has size less than k. 2) In the (2-dimensional) geometric knapsack problem (TDK) we are given an axis-aligned square knapsack and a collection of axis-aligned rectangles in the plane (items). Our goal is to translate a maximum cardinality subset of items into the knapsack so that the selected items do not overlap. In the version of TDK with rotations (TDKR), we are allowed to rotate items by 90 degrees. Both variants are NP-hard, and the best-known polynomial-time approximation factors are 558 325+eps and 4 3+eps, resp. [, FOCS'17]. These problems admit a QPTAS for polynomially bounded item sizes [Adamaszek and Wiese, SODA'15]. We show that both variants are W[1]-hard. Furthermore, we present a PAS for TDKR. For all considered problems, getting time f(k,eps)n^ O(1) , rather than f(k,eps)n^ g(eps) , would give FPT time f'(k)n^ O(1) exact algorithms using eps=1 (k+1), contradicting W[1]-hardness.
  @cite_4: We consider the k-Center problem and some generalizations. For k-Center a set of kcenter vertices needs to be found in a graph G with edge lengths, such that the distance from any vertex ofi¾?G to its nearest center is minimized. This problem naturally occurs in transportation networks, and therefore we model the inputs as graphs with bounded highway dimension, as proposed by [ICALP 2011]. We show both approximation and fixed-parameter hardness results, and how to overcome them using fixed-parameter approximations. In particular, we prove that for any @math computing a @math -approximation is W[2]-hard for parameter k, and NP-hard for graphs with highway dimension @math . The latter does not rule out fixed-parameter @math -approximations for the highway dimension parameteri¾?h, but implies that such an algorithm must have at least doubly exponential running time in h if it exists, unless the ETH fails. On the positive side, we show how to get below the approximation factor ofi¾?2 by combining the parameters k andi¾?h: we develop a fixed-parameter 3 2-approximation with running time @math . We also provide similar fixed-parameter approximations for the weightedk-Center and @math -Partition problems, which generalize k-Center.
  @cite_8: 
  @cite_28: We prove that there is no fpt-algorithm that can approximate the dominating set problem with any constant ratio, unless FPT = W[1]. Our hardness reduction is built on the second author's recent W[1]-hardness proof of the biclique problem [25]. This yields, among other things, a proof without the PCP machinery that the classical dominating set problem has no polynomial time constant approximation under the exponential time hypothesis.
  @cite_9: In this paper, we consider the problem of maximizing the spread of influence through a social network. Given a graph with a threshold value thr(v) attached to each vertex v, the spread of influence is modeled as follows: A vertex v becomes ''active'' (influenced) if at least thr(v) of its neighbors are active. In the corresponding optimization problem the objective is then to find a fixed number k of vertices to activate such that the number of activated vertices at the end of the propagation process is maximum. We show that this problem is strongly inapproximable in time f(k)@?n^O^(^1^), for some function f, even for very restrictive thresholds. In the case that the threshold of each vertex equals its degree, we prove that the problem is inapproximable in polynomial time and it becomes r(n)-approximable in time f(k)@?n^O^(^1^), for some function f, for any strictly increasing function r. Moreover, we show that the decision version parameterized by k is W[1]-hard but becomes fixed-parameter tractable on bounded degree graphs.
  @cite_21: 
  @cite_32: We motivate and describe a new parameterized approximation paradigm which studies the interaction between performance ratio and running time for any parametrization of a given optimization problem. As a key tool, we introduce the concept of α-shrinking transformation, for α≥1. Applying such transformation to a parameterized problem instance decreases the parameter value, while preserving approximation ratio of α (or α-fidelity). For example, it is well-known that Vertex Cover cannot be approximated within any constant factor better than 2 [24] (under usual assumptions). Our parameterized α-approximation algorithm for k-Vertex Cover, parameterized by the solution size, has a running time of 1.273(2−α)k, where the running time of the best FPT algorithm is 1.273k [10]. Our algorithms define a continuous tradeoff between running times and approximation ratios, allowing practitioners to appropriately allocate computational resources. Moving even beyond the performance ratio, we call for a new type of approximative kernelization race. Our α-shrinking transformations can be used to obtain kernels which are smaller than the best known for a given problem. For the Vertex Cover problem we obtain a kernel size of 2(2−α)k. The smaller "α-fidelity" kernels allow us to solve exactly problem instances more efficiently, while obtaining an approximate solution for the original instance. We show that such transformations exist for several fundamental problems, including Vertex Cover, d-Hitting Set, Connected Vertex Cover and Steiner Tree. We note that most of our algorithms are easy to implement and are therefore practical in use.
  @cite_6: Combining the techniques of approximation algorithms and parameterized complexity has long been considered a promising research area, but relatively few results are currently known. In this paper we study the parameterized approximability of a number of problems which are known to be hard to solve exactly when parameterized by treewidth or clique-width. Our main contribution is to present a natural randomized rounding technique that extends well-known ideas and can be used for both of these widths. Applying this very generic technique we obtain approximation schemes for a number of problems, evading both polynomial-time inapproximability and parameterized intractability bounds.
  @cite_3: Given a graph G cellularly embedded on a surface Σ of genus g, a cut graph is a subgraph of G such that cutting Σ along G yields a topological disk. We provide a fixed parameter tractable approximation scheme for the problem of computing the shortest cut graph, that is, for any e > 0, we show how to compute a (1 + e) approximation of the shortest cut graph in time f(e, g)n3.
  @cite_13: The Degree Anonymity problem arises in the context of combinatorial graph anonymization. It asks, given a graph (G ) and two integers (k ) and (s ), whether (G ) can be made k-anonymous with at most (s ) modifications. Here, a graph is k-anonymous if the graph contains for every vertex at least (k-1 ) other vertices of the same degree. Complementing recent investigations on its computational complexity, we show that this problem is very hard when studied from the viewpoints of approximation as well as parameterized approximation. In particular, for the optimization variant where one wants to minimize the number of either edge or vertex deletions there is no factor- (n^ 1- ) approximation running in polynomial time unless P = NP, for any constant (0 < 1 ). For the variant where one wants to maximize (k ) and the number (s ) of either edge or vertex deletions is given, there is no factor- (n^ 1 2 - ) approximation running in time (f(s) n^ O(1) ) unless W[1] = FPT, for any constant (0 < 1 2 ) and any function (f ). On the positive side, we classify the general decision version as fixed-parameter tractable with respect to the combined parameter solution size (s ) and maximum degree.
  @cite_17: In this paper we design polynomial time approximation algorithms for several parameterized problems such as Odd Cycle Transversal, Almost 2-SAT, Above Guarantee Vertex Cover and Deletion q-Horn Backdoor Set Detection. Our algorithm proceeds by first reducing the given instance to an instance of the d-Skew-Symmetric Multicut problem, and then computing an approximate solution to this instance. Our algorithm runs in polynomial time and returns a solution whose size is bounded quadratically in the parameter, which in this case is the solution size, thus making it useful as a first step in the design of kernelization algorithms. Our algorithm relies on the properties of a combinatorial object called (L,k)-set, which builds on the notion of (L,k)-components, defined by a subset of the authors to design a linear time FPT algorithm for Odd Cycle Transversal. The main motivation behind the introduction of this object in their work was to replicate in skew-symmetric graphs, the properties of important separators introduced by Marx [2006] which has played a very significant role in several recent parameterized tractability results. Combined with the algorithm of Reed, Smith and Vetta, our algorithm also gives an alternate linear time algorithm for Odd Cycle Transversal. Furthermore, our algorithm significantly improves upon the running time of the earlier parameterized approximation algorithm for Deletion q-Horn Backdoor Set Detection which had an exponential dependence on the parameter; albeit at a small cost in the approximation ratio.
summary: A central goal of parameterized approximation is to settle the status of problems like Dominating Set or Clique , which are hard to approximate and also parameterized intractable. Recently, Chen and Lin @cite_28 made important progress by showing that Dominating Set admits no constant-factor approximation with running time @math unless @math . Generally, for problems without exact FPT-algorithms, the goal is to find out whether one can beat inapproximability bounds by allowing FPT-time in some parameter; see e.g. @cite_32 @cite_9 @cite_21 @cite_13 @cite_6 @cite_17 @cite_3 @cite_4 @cite_8 ).