Lower bounds and parameterized approach for longest common subsequence

Abstract

In this paper, different parameterized versions of the LONGEST COMMON SUBSEQUENCE (LCS) problem are extensively investigated and computational lower bound results are derived based on current research progress in parameterized computation. For example, with the number of sequences as the parameter k, the problem is unlikely to be solvable in time f(k)n°(k) where n is the length of each sequence and / is any recursive function. The lower bound result is asymptotically tight in consideration of the dynamic programming approach of time O(nk). Computational lower bounds for polynomial-time approximation schemes (PTAS) for the LCS problem are also derived. It is shown that the LCS problem has no PTAS of time f(1/ε)n o(1/ε) for any recursive function f, unless all SNP problems are solvable in subexponential time. Compared with former results on this problem, this result has its significance. Finally a parameterized approach for the LCS problem is discussed, which is more efficient than the dynamic programming approach, especially when applied to large scale sequences. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.