Length-Bounded Cuts: Proper Interval Graphs and Structural Parameters

Matthias Bentert, Klaus Heeger, Dusan Knop

Abstract: In the presented paper we study the Length-Bounded Cut problem for special graph classes as well as from a parameterized-complexity viewpoint. Here, we are given a graph $G$, two vertices $s$ and $t$, and positive integers $\beta$ and $\lambda$. The task is to find a set of edges $F$ of size at most $\beta$ such that every $s$-$t$-path of length at most $\lambda$ in $G$ contains some edge in $F$. Bazgan et al. conjectured that Length-Bounded Cut admits a polynomial-time algorithm if the input graph $G$ is a~proper interval graph. We confirm this conjecture by showing a dynamic-programming based polynomial-time algorithm. We strengthen the W[1]-hardness result of Dvo\v{r}\'ak and Knop. Our reduction is shorter, seems simpler to describe, and the target of the reduction has stronger structural properties. Consequently, we give W[1]-hardness for the combined parameter pathwidth and maximum degree of the input graph. Finally, we prove that Length-Bounded Cut is W[1]-hard for the feedback vertex number. Both our hardness results complement known XP algorithms.