Seminar Details
Network Coding Gaps for Completion Times of Multiple Unicasts
- Start Date: October 7, 2020
- Event Start Time: 11:00 AM
- Event End Time: 12:00 PM
- Organizers: Sepehr Assadi || Swastik Kopparty
- Seminar Series: Theoretical Computer Science Seminar
- Presenter(s): David Wajc - Stanford University
- Event Location: Online Event
- Event Additional Info: <p>The <strong>Theory of Computing Seminar is being held online. </strong>Contact the organizers for the link to the seminar.</p>
- Presentation Type: Stand Alone Presentation
- Abstract:
We study network coding gaps for the problem of makespan minimization of multiple unicasts. In this problem, distinct packets at different nodes in a network need to be delivered to a destination specific to each packet, as fast as possible. The emph{network coding gap} specifies how much coding packets together in a network can help compared to the more natural approach of routing.
While makespan minimization using routing has been intensely studied for the multiple unicasts problem, no bounds on network coding gaps for this problem are known. We develop new techniques which allow us to upper bound the network coding gap for the makespan of $k$ unicasts, proving this gap is at most polylogarithmic in $k$. Complementing this result, we show there exist instances of $k$ unicasts for which this coding gap is polylogarithmic in $k$. Our results also hold for average completion time, and more generally any $ell_p$ norm of completion times.
Based on joint work with Bernhard Haeupler and Goran Zuzic, to appear in FOCS'2020.