The frequency moments of a sequence containing mi elements of type i, for 1 ≤ i ≤ n, are the numbers Fk = �n i=1 mki. We consider the space complexity of randomized algorithms that approximate the numbers Fk, when the elements of the sequence are given one by one and cannot be stored. Surprisingly, it turns out that the numbers F0, F1 and F2 can be approximated in logarithmic space, whereas the approximation of Fk for k ≥ 6 requires nΩ(1) space. Applications to data bases are mentioned as well.

We show how to efficiently construct a small probability space on n binary random variables such that for every subset, its parity is either zero or one with "almost" equal probability. They are called ffl-biased random variables. The number of random bits needed to generate the random variables is O(log n + log 1 ffl ). Thus, if ffl is polynomially small, then the size of the sample space is also polynomial. Random variables that are ffl-biased can be used to construct "almost" k-wise independent random variables where ffl is a function of k. These probability spaces have various applications: 1. Derandomization of algorithms: many randomized algorithms that require only k- wise independence of their random bits (where k is bounded by O(log n)), can be derandomized by using ffl-biased random variables. 2. Reducing the number of random bits required by certain randomized algorithms, e.g., verification of matrix multiplication. 3. Exhaustive testing of combinatorial circui...

between computers, and a resulting paradigm shift from centralized to highly distributed systems. With massive scale also comes massive instability, as node and link failures become the norm rather than the exception. For such highly volatile systems, decentralized gossip-based protocols are emerging as an approach to maintaining simplicity and scalability while achieving fault-tolerant information dissemination.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 1.1 Notations and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 Problem Formulations 4 2.1 Integer Programming Formulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.2 Continuous Formulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3 Computational Complexity 12 4 Bounds and Estimates 15 5 Exact Algorithms 19 5.1 Enumerative Algorithms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 5.2 Exact Algorithms for the Unweighted Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 5.3 Exact Algorithms for the Weighted Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 6 Heuristics 27 6.1 Sequential Greedy Heuristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 6.2 Local Search Heuristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 6.3 Advanced Search Heuristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 6.3.1 Simulated annealing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 6.3.2 Neural networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We describe a new approach for authenticating messages. Our “XOR MACs ” have several nice features, including parallelizability, incrementality, and provable security. Our method uses any finite pseudorandom function (PRF). The finite PRF can be “instantiated” via DES (yielding an alternative to the CBC MAC), via the compression function of MD5 (yielding an alternative to various “keyed MD5 ” constructions), or in a variety of other ways. The proven security is quantitative, expressing the adversary’s inability to forge in terms of her (presumed) inability to break the underlying finite PRF. This is backed by attacks showing the analysis is tight. Our proofs exploit linear algebraic techniques, and relate the security of a given XOR scheme to the probability that a certain associated matrix is of full rank. Our analysis shows that XOR schemes are actually more secure than the CBC MAC, in a

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Chernoff--Hoeffding bounds are fundamental tools used in bounding the tail probabilities of the sums of bounded and independent random variables. We present a simple technique which gives slightly better bounds than these, and which more importantly requires only limited independence among the random variables, thereby importing a variety of standard results to the case of limited independence for free. Additional methods are also presented, and the aggregate results are sharp and provide a better understanding of the proof techniques behind these bounds. They also yield improved bounds for various tail probability distributions and enable improved approximation algorithms for jobshop scheduling. The "limited independence" result implies that a reduced amount of randomness and weaker sources of randomness are sufficient for randomized algorithms whose analyses use the Chernoff--Hoeffding bounds, e.g., the analysis of randomized algorithms for random sampling and oblivious packet routi...

The purpose of this note is to present a new sampling technique and to demonstrate some of its properties. The new technique consists of picking two elements at random, and deterministically generating (from them) a long sequence of pairwise independent elements. The sequence is guarantees to intersect, with high probability, any set of non-negligible density. 1. Introduction In recent years the role of randomness in computation has become more and more dominant. Randomness was used to speed up sequential computations (e.g. primality testing, testing polynomial identities etc.), but its effect on parallel and distributed computation is even more impressive. In either cases the solutions are typically presented such that they are guarateed to produce the desired result with some non-negligible probability. It is implicitly suggested that if a higher degree of confidence is required the algorithm should be run several times, each time using different coin tosses. Since the coin tosses f...

Luby and Rackoff [27] showed a method for constructing a pseudo-random permutation from a pseudo-random function. The method is based on composing four (or three for weakened security) so called Feistel permutations, each of which requires the evaluation of a pseudo-random function. We reduce somewhat the complexity of the construction and simplify its proof of security by showing that two Feistel permutations are sufficient together with initial and final pair-wise independent permutations. The revised construction and proof provide a framework in which similar constructions may be brought up and their security can be easily proved. We demonstrate this by presenting some additional adjustments of the construction that achieve the following: -- Reduce the success probability of the adversary. -- Provide a construction of pseudo-random permutations with large input size using pseudorandom functions with small input size.

The Regularity Lemma of Szemerédi is a result that asserts that every graph can be par-titioned in a certain regular way. This result has numerous applications, but its known proof is not algorithmic. Here we first demonstrate the computational difficulty of finding a regular partition; we show that deciding if a given partition of an input graph satisfies the properties guaranteed by the lemma is co-NP-complete. However, we also prove that despite this difficulty the lemma can be made constructive; we show how to obtain, for any input graph, a partition with the properties guaranteed by the lemma, efficiently. The desired partition, for an n-vertex graph, can be found in time O(M(n)), where M(n) = O(n 2.376) is the time needed to multiply two n by n matrices with 0, 1-entries over the integers. The algorithm can be parallelized and implemented in NC 1. Besides the curious phenomenon of exhibiting a natural problem in which the search for a solution is easy whereas the decision if a given instance is a solution is difficult (if P and NP differ), our constructive version of the Regularity Lemma supplies efficient sequential and parallel algorithms for many problems, some of which are naturally motivated by the study of various graph embedding and graph coloring problems.