Phase transition in the assignment problem for random matrices
Abstract
Description
We report an analytic and numerical study of a phase transition in a P problem (the assignment problem) that separates two phases whose representatives are the simple matching problem (an easy P problem) and the traveling salesman problem (a NP-complete problem). Like other phase transitions found in combinatoric problems (K-satisfiability, number partitioning) this can help to understand the nature of the difficulties in solving NP problems an to find more accurate algorithms for them.
7 pages, 5 figures; accepted for publication in Europhys. Lett. http://www.edpsciences.org/journal/index.cfm?edpsname=epl
7 pages, 5 figures; accepted for publication in Europhys. Lett. http://www.edpsciences.org/journal/index.cfm?edpsname=epl