Cyclotomic Identity Testing and Applications

TL;DR

This paper studies the cyclotomic identity testing problem, providing randomized algorithms under certain conditions, exploring its complexity, and applying findings to string equality problems.

Contribution

It introduces randomized algorithms for CIT under GRH, analyzes its complexity for various circuit classes, and connects CIT solutions to string equality testing.

Findings

CIT is in coNP unconditionally.

Randomized polynomial-time algorithm for CIT assuming GRH.

Application to string equality in randomized NC.

Abstract

We consider the cyclotomic identity testing (CIT) problem: given a polynomial $f(x_1,\ldots,x_k)$, decide whether $f(\zeta_n^{e_1},\ldots,\zeta_n^{e_k})$ is zero, where $\zeta_n = e^{2\pi i/n}$ is a primitive complex $n$-th root of unity and $e_1,\ldots,e_k$ are integers, represented in binary. When $f$ is given by an algebraic circuit, we give a randomized polynomial-time algorithm for CIT assuming the generalised Riemann hypothesis (GRH), and show that the problem is in coNP unconditionally. When $f$ is given by a circuit of polynomially bounded degree, we give a randomized NC algorithm. In case $f$ is a linear form we show that the problem lies in NC. Towards understanding when CIT can be solved in deterministic polynomial-time, we consider so-called diagonal depth-3 circuits, i.e., polynomials $f=\sum_{i=1}^m g_i^{d_i}$, where $g_i$ is a linear form and $d_i$ a positive integer given in unary. We observe that a polynomial-time algorithm for CIT on this class would yield a sub-exponential-time algorithm for polynomial identity testing. However, assuming GRH, we show that if the linear forms~$g_i$ are all identical then CIT can be solved in polynomial time. Finally, we use our results to give a new proof that equality of compressed strings, i.e., strings presented using context-free grammars, can be decided in randomized NC.