Distributed Subgraph Detection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a constant-round distributed algorithm for detecting tree subgraphs in the CONGEST model, contrasting with the difficulty of detecting cycles, and extends to property testing of complex graph patterns.

Contribution

It presents the first constant-round deterministic algorithm for detecting any tree subgraph in distributed networks, and applies this to improve distributed property testing for complex graph patterns.

Findings

Constant-round detection of tree subgraphs in the CONGEST model.

Implications for distributed property testing of complex graph patterns.

Extension of previous cycle detection results to broader classes of subgraphs.

Abstract

In the standard CONGEST model for distributed network computing, it is known that "global" tasks such as minimum spanning tree, diameter, and all-pairs shortest paths, consume large bandwidth, for their running-time is $\Omega(\mbox{poly}(n))$ rounds in $n$-node networks with constant diameter. Surprisingly, "local" tasks such as detecting the presence of a 4-cycle as a subgraph also requires $\widetilde{\Omega}(\sqrt{n})$ rounds, even using randomized algorithms, and the best known upper bound for detecting the presence of a 3-cycle is $\widetilde{O}(n^{\frac{2}{3}})$ rounds. The objective of this paper is to better understand the landscape of such subgraph detection tasks. We show that, in contrast to \emph{cycles}, which are hard to detect in the CONGEST model, there exists a deterministic algorithm for detecting the presence of a subgraph isomorphic to $T$ running in a \emph{constant} number of rounds, for every tree $T$. Our algorithm provides a distributed implementation of a combinatorial technique due to Erd\H{o}s et al. for sparsening the set of partial solutions kept by the nodes at each round. Our result has important consequences to \emph{distributed property-testing}, i.e., to randomized algorithms whose aim is to distinguish between graphs satisfying a property, and graphs far from satisfying that property. In particular, we get that, for every graph pattern $H$ composed of an edge and a tree connected in an arbitrary manner, there exists a distributed testing algorithm for $H$-freeness, performing in a constant number of rounds. Although the class of graph patterns $H$ formed by a tree and an edge connected arbitrarily may look artificial, all previous results of the literature concerning testing $H$-freeness for classical patterns such as cycles and cliques can be viewed as direct consequences of our result, while our algorithm enables testing more complex patterns.