Log-rank conjecture

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Short description: Unsolved problem in theoretical computer science

In theoretical computer science, the log-rank conjecture states that the deterministic communication complexity of a two-party Boolean function is polynomially related to the logarithm of the rank of its input matrix.[1][2]

Let [math]\displaystyle{ D(f) }[/math] denote the deterministic communication complexity of a function, and let [math]\displaystyle{ \operatorname{rank}(f) }[/math] denote the rank of its input matrix [math]\displaystyle{ M_f }[/math] (over the reals). Since every protocol using up to [math]\displaystyle{ c }[/math] bits partitions [math]\displaystyle{ M_f }[/math] into at most [math]\displaystyle{ 2^c }[/math] monochromatic rectangles, and each of these has rank at most 1,

[math]\displaystyle{ D(f) \geq \log_2 \operatorname{rank}(f). }[/math]

The log-rank conjecture states that [math]\displaystyle{ D(f) }[/math] is also upper-bounded by a polynomial in the log-rank: for some constant [math]\displaystyle{ C }[/math],

[math]\displaystyle{ D(f) = O((\log \operatorname{rank}(f))^C). }[/math]

Lovett [3] proved the upper bound

[math]\displaystyle{ D(f) = O\left(\sqrt{\operatorname{rank}(f)} \log \operatorname{rank}(f)\right). }[/math]

This was improved by Sudakov and Tomon,[4] who removed the logarithmic factor, showing that

[math]\displaystyle{ D(f) = O\left(\sqrt{\operatorname{rank}(f)}\right). }[/math]

This is the best currently known upper bound.

The best known lower bound, due to Göös, Pitassi and Watson,[5] states that [math]\displaystyle{ C \geq 2 }[/math]. In other words, there exists a sequence of functions [math]\displaystyle{ f_n }[/math], whose log-rank goes to infinity, such that

[math]\displaystyle{ D(f_n) = \tilde\Omega((\log \operatorname{rank}(f_n))^2). }[/math]

In 2019, an approximate version of the conjecture has been disproved.[6]

See also

References

  1. Lovász, László; Saks, Michael (1988), Möbius Functions and Communication Complexity, Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science, White Plains, New York, USA, pp. 81–90 
  2. Lovett, Shachar (February 2014), "Recent advances on the log-rank conjecture in communication complexity", Bulletin of the EATCS 112 
  3. Lovett, Shachar (March 2016), "Communication is Bounded by Root of Rank", Journal of the ACM 63 (1): 1:1–1:9, doi:10.1145/2724704 
  4. Sudakov, Benny; Tomon, Istvan (30 Nov 2023). "Matrix discrepancy and the log-rank conjecture". arXiv:2311.18524 [math].
  5. Göös, Mika; Pitassi, Toniann; Watson, Thomas (2018), "Deterministic Communication vs. Partition Number", SIAM Journal on Computing 47 (6): 2435–2450, doi:10.1137/16M1059369 
  6. Chattopadhyay, Arkadev; Mande, Nikhil; Sherif, Suhail (2019), The Log-Approximate-Rank Conjecture is False, Annual ACM Symposium on the Theory of Computing, Phoenix, Arizona, USA