The Frontier of Intractability for EFX with Two Agents

TL;DR

This paper investigates the computational complexity of finding envy-free up to any good (EFX) allocations in two-agent settings, providing algorithms for some valuation classes and complexity results for others.

Contribution

It introduces a greedy algorithm for weakly well-layered valuations and proves PLS-completeness for submodular valuations, advancing understanding of EFX allocation complexity.

Findings

Greedy algorithm solves EFX for weakly well-layered valuations.

EFX problem is PLS-complete for submodular valuations.

Results extend to multiple agents with identical valuations.

Abstract

We consider the problem of sharing a set of indivisible goods among agents in a fair manner, namely such that the allocation is envy-free up to any good (EFX). We focus on the problem of computing an EFX allocation in the two-agent case and characterize the computational complexity of the problem for most well-known valuation classes. We present a simple greedy algorithm that solves the problem when the agent valuations are weakly well-layered, a class which contains gross substitutes and budget-additive valuations. For the next largest valuation class we prove a negative result: the problem is PLS-complete for submodular valuations. All of our results also hold for the setting where there are many agents with identical valuations.