Complexity and polynomial-time approximation algorithms around the scaffolding problem

Abstract

We explore in this paper some complexity issues inspired by the contig scaffolding problem in bioinformatics. We focus on the following problem: given an undirected graph with no loop, and a perfect matching on this graph, find a set of cycles and paths covering every vertex of the graph, with edges alternatively in the matching and outside the matching, and satisfying a given constraint on the numbers of cycles and paths. We show that this problem is NP-complete, even in bipartite graphs. We also exhibit non-approximability and polynomial-time approximation results, in the optimization versions of the problem. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.