Parameterized complexity of Min-Power asymmetric connectivity

Abstract

We investigate multivariate algorithms for the NP-hard Min-Power Asymmetric Connectivity (MinPAC) problem that has applications in wireless sensor networks. Given a directed arc-weighted n-vertex graph, MinPAC asks for a strongly connected spanning subgraph minimizing the summed vertex costs. Here, the cost of each vertex is the weight of its heaviest outgoing arc. We present linear-time algorithms for the cases where the number of strongly connected components in a so-called obligatory subgraph or the feedback edge number in the underlying undirected graph is constant. Complementing these results, we prove that the problem is W[2]-hard with respect to the solution cost, even on restricted graphs with one feedback arc and binary arc weights.