Abstract
A pattern \(\alpha \) (i. e., a string of variables and terminals) matches a word w, if w can be obtained by uniformly replacing the variables of \(\alpha \) by terminal words. The respective matching problem, i. e., deciding whether or not a given pattern matches a given word, is generally -complete, but can be solved in polynomial-time for classes of patterns with restricted structure. In this paper we overview a series of recent results related to efficient matching for patterns with variables, as well as a series of extensions of this problem.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Problems that are hard for the parameterised complexity class are strongly believed to be not fixed-parameter tractable.
- 2.
- 3.
See Sect. 6 for the respective exceptions.
- 4.
A graph is outer-planar if it has a planar embedding with all vertices lying on the outer face.
References
Amir, A., Nor, I.: Generalized function matching. J. Discrete Algorithms 5, 514–523 (2007)
Angluin, D.: Finding patterns common to a set of strings. J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 21, 46–62 (1980)
Baker, B.S.: Parameterized pattern matching: algorithms and applications. J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 52, 28–42 (1996)
Bannai, H., I, T., Inenaga, S., Nakashima, Y., Takeda, M., Tsuruta, K.: The “runs” theorem. SIAM J. Comput. 46(5), 1501–1514 (2017)
Barceló, P., Libkin, L., Lin, A.W., Wood, P.T.: Expressive languages for path queries over graph-structured data. ACM Trans. Database Syst. 37, 31 (2012)
Barrett, C., et al.: CVC4. In: Gopalakrishnan, G., Qadeer, S. (eds.) CAV 2011. LNCS, vol. 6806, pp. 171–177. Springer, Heidelberg (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22110-1_14
Bodlaender, H.L.: A tourist guide through treewidth. Acta Cybern. 11(1–2), 1–21 (1993)
Bodlaender, H.L.: A linear-time algorithm for finding tree-decompositions of small treewidth. SIAM J. Comput. 25(5), 1305–1317 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1137/s0097539793251219
Bodlaender, H.L.: A partial k-arboretum of graphs with bounded treewidth. Theor. Comput. Sci. 209(1–2), 1–45 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3975(97)00228-4
Bodlaender, H.L.: Fixed-parameter tractability of treewidth and pathwidth. In: Bodlaender, H.L., Downey, R., Fomin, F.V., Marx, D. (eds.) The Multivariate Algorithmic Revolution and Beyond. LNCS, vol. 7370, pp. 196–227. Springer, Heidelberg (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30891-8_12
Bringmann, K.: Fine-grained complexity theory (tutorial). In: Niedermeier, R., Paul, C. (eds.) 36th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS 2019). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), vol. 126, pp. 4:1–4:7. Schloss Dagstuhl-Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Informatik, Dagstuhl (2019). https://doi.org/10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2019.4. http://drops.dagstuhl.de/opus/volltexte/2019/10243
Câmpeanu, C., Salomaa, K., Yu, S.: A formal study of practical regular expressions. Int. J. Found. Comput. Sci. 14, 1007–1018 (2003)
Casel, K., Day, J.D., Fleischmann, P., Kociumaka, T., Manea, F., Schmid, M.L.: Graph and string parameters: connections between pathwidth, cutwidth and the locality number. CoRR, to appear in Proceedings of the ICALP 2019, abs/1902.10983 (2019). http://arxiv.org/abs/1902.10983
Crochemore, M.: An optimal algorithm for computing the repetitions in a word. Inf. Process. Lett. 12(5), 244–250 (1981)
Day, J.D., Fleischmann, P., Manea, F., Nowotka, D.: Local patterns. In: 37th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science, FSTTCS 2017, pp. 24:1–24:14 (2017)
Day, J.D., Fleischmann, P., Manea, F., Nowotka, D., Schmid, M.L.: On matching generalised repetitive patterns. In: Hoshi, M., Seki, S. (eds.) DLT 2018. LNCS, vol. 11088, pp. 269–281. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98654-8_22
Day, J.D., Ganesh, V., He, P., Manea, F., Nowotka, D.: The satisfiability of word equations: decidable and undecidable theories. In: Potapov, I., Reynier, P.-A. (eds.) RP 2018. LNCS, vol. 11123, pp. 15–29. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00250-3_2
Day, J.D., Manea, F., Nowotka, D.: The hardness of solving simple word equations. In: Proceedings of the MFCS 2017. LIPIcs, vol. 83, pp. 18:1–18:14 (2017)
Da̧browski, R., Plandowski, W.: Solving two-variable word equations. In: Díaz, J., Karhumäki, J., Lepistö, A., Sannella, D. (eds.) ICALP 2004. LNCS, vol. 3142, pp. 408–419. Springer, Heidelberg (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-27836-8_36
Díaz, J., Petit, J., Serna, M.: A survey of graph layout problems. ACM Comput. Surv. 34(3), 313–356 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1145/568522.568523
Diekert, V., Jez, A., Kufleitner, M.: Solutions of word equations over partially commutative structures. In: Proceedings of the 43rd International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming, ICALP 2016. Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), vol. 55, pp. 127:1–127:14 (2016)
Robson, J.M., Diekert, V.: On quadratic word equations. In: Meinel, C., Tison, S. (eds.) STACS 1999. LNCS, vol. 1563, pp. 217–226. Springer, Heidelberg (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-49116-3_20
Downey, R.G., Fellows, M.R.: Fundamentals of Parameterized Complexity. TCS. Springer, London (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5559-1
Erlebach, T., Rossmanith, P., Stadtherr, H., Steger, A., Zeugmann, T.: Learning one-variable pattern languages very efficiently on average, in parallel, and by asking queries. Theoret. Comput. Sci. 261, 119–156 (2001)
Feige, U., HajiAghayi, M., Lee, J.R.: Improved approximation algorithms for minimum weight vertex separators. SIAM J. Comput. 38(2), 629–657 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1137/05064299x
Fernau, H., Manea, F., Mercas, R., Schmid, M.L.: Pattern matching with variables: fast algorithms and new hardness results. In: 32nd International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science, STACS 2015, pp. 302–315 (2015)
Fernau, H., Manea, F., Mercas, R., Schmid, M.L.: Revisiting Shinohara’s algorithm for computing descriptive patterns. Theoret. Comput. Sci. 733, 44–54 (2018)
Fernau, H., Schmid, M.L.: Pattern matching with variables: a multivariate complexity analysis. In: Fischer, J., Sanders, P. (eds.) CPM 2013. LNCS, vol. 7922, pp. 83–94. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38905-4_10
Fernau, H., Schmid, M.L.: Pattern matching with variables: a multivariate complexity analysis. Inf. Comput. 242, 287–305 (2015)
Fernau, H., Schmid, M.L., Villanger, Y.: On the parameterised complexity of string morphism problems. In: Proceedings of the 33rd IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science, FSTTCS. Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), vol. 24, pp. 55–66 (2013)
Fernau, H., Schmid, M.L., Villanger, Y.: On the parameterised complexity of string morphism problems. Theory Comput. Syst. 59(1), 24–51 (2016)
Flum, J., Grohe, M.: Parameterized Complexity Theory. TTCSAES. Springer, Heidelberg (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29953-X
Freydenberger, D.D.: A logic for document spanners. In: Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Database Theory, ICDT 2017. Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)
Freydenberger, D.D., Holldack, M.: Document spanners: from expressive power to decision problems. Theory Comput. Syst. 62(4), 854–898 (2018)
Freydenberger, D.D.: Extended regular expressions: succinctness and decidability. Theory Comput. Syst. 53, 159–193 (2013)
Freydenberger, D.D., Reidenbach, D.: Bad news on decision problems for patterns. Inf. Comput. 208(1), 83–96 (2010)
Freydenberger, D.D., Reidenbach, D.: Existence and nonexistence of descriptive patterns. Theor. Comput. Sci. 411(34–36), 3274–3286 (2010)
Freydenberger, D.D., Reidenbach, D.: Inferring descriptive generalisations of formal languages. J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 79(5), 622–639 (2013)
Friedl, J.E.F.: Mastering Regular Expressions, 3rd edn. O’Reilly, Sebastopol (2006)
Garey, M.R., Johnson, D.S.: Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness. W. H. Freeman & Co., New York (1979)
Gawrychowski, P., Manea, F., Nowotka, D.: Testing generalised freeness of words. In: STACS 2014. LIPIcs, vol. 25, pp. 337–349. Schloss Dagstuhl-Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Informatik (2014)
Gawrychowski, P., I, T., Inenaga, S., Köppl, D., Manea, F.: Tighter bounds and optimal algorithms for all maximal \(\alpha \)-gapped repeats and palindromes - finding all maximal \(\alpha \)-gapped repeats and palindromes in optimal worst case time on integer alphabets. Theory Comput. Syst. 62(1), 162–191 (2018)
Gawrychowski, P., Manea, F., Mercas, R., Nowotka, D.: Hide and seek with repetitions. J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 101, 42–67 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcss.2018.10.004
Gawrychowski, P., Manea, F., Mercas, R., Nowotka, D., Tiseanu, C.: Finding pseudo-repetitions. In: 30th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science, STACS 2013, Kiel, Germany, 27 February-2 March 2013. LIPIcs, vol. 20, pp. 257–268 (2013)
Geilke, M., Zilles, S.: Learning relational patterns. In: Kivinen, J., Szepesvári, C., Ukkonen, E., Zeugmann, T. (eds.) ALT 2011. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 6925, pp. 84–98. Springer, Heidelberg (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24412-4_10
Halfon, S., Schnoebelen, P., Zetzsche, G.: Decidability, complexity, and expressiveness of first-order logic over the subword ordering. In: Proceedings of the 32nd Annual ACM/IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science, LICS 2017, pp. 1–12. IEEE Computer Society (2017)
Ibarra, O.H., Pong, T.C., Sohn, S.M.: A note on parsing pattern languages. Pattern Recogn. Lett. 16, 179–182 (1995)
Jaffar, J.: Minimal and complete word unification. J. ACM 37(1), 47–85 (1990)
Jeż, A.: Context unification is in PSPACE. In: Esparza, J., Fraigniaud, P., Husfeldt, T., Koutsoupias, E. (eds.) ICALP 2014. LNCS, vol. 8573, pp. 244–255. Springer, Heidelberg (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43951-7_21
Jeż, A.: One-variable word equations in linear time. Algorithmica 74, 1–48 (2016)
Jeż, A.: Recompression: a simple and powerful technique for word equations. J. ACM 63, 4 (2016)
Jiang, T., Salomaa, A., Salomaa, K., Yu, S.: Decision problems for patterns. J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 50(1), 53–63 (1995)
Karhumäki, J., Plandowski, W., Mignosi, F.: The expressibility of languages and relations by word equations. J. ACM 47, 483–505 (2000)
Kärkkäinen, J., Sanders, P., Burkhardt, S.: Linear work suffix array construction. J. ACM 53, 918–936 (2006)
Kearns, M.J., Pitt, L.: A polynomial-time algorithm for learning k-variable pattern languages from examples. In: Proceedings of the Second Annual Workshop on Computational Learning Theory, COLT 1989, Santa Cruz, CA, USA, 31 July–2 August 1989, pp. 57–71 (1989)
Kloks, T. (ed.): Treewidth, Computations and Approximations. LNCS, vol. 842. Springer, Heidelberg (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0045375
Kolpakov, R., Kucherov, G.: Searching for gapped palindromes. Theor. Comput. Sci. 410(51), 5365–5373 (2009)
Kolpakov, R., Podolskiy, M., Posypkin, M., Khrapov, N.: Searching of gapped repeats and subrepetitions in a word. In: Kulikov, A.S., Kuznetsov, S.O., Pevzner, P. (eds.) CPM 2014. LNCS, vol. 8486, pp. 212–221. Springer, Cham (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07566-2_22
Kosolobov, D., Manea, F., Nowotka, D.: Detecting one-variable patterns. In: Proceedings of the 24th International Symposium on String Processing and Information Retrieval , SPIRE 2017, Palermo, Italy, 26–29 September 2017, pp. 254–270 (2017)
Leighton, T., Rao, S.: Multicommodity max-flow min-cut theorems and their use in designing approximation algorithms. J. ACM 46(6), 787–832 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1145/331524.331526
Lin, A.W., Majumdar, R.: Quadratic word equations with length constraints, counter systems, and presburger arithmetic with divisibility. In: Lahiri, S.K., Wang, C. (eds.) ATVA 2018. LNCS, vol. 11138, pp. 352–369. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01090-4_21
Lothaire, M.: Combinatorics on Words. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1997)
Lothaire, M.: Algebraic Combinatorics on Words, chap. 3. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York (2002)
Lothaire, M.: Algebraic Combinatorics on Words. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York (2002)
Lyndon, R.C.: Equations in free groups. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 96, 445–457 (1960)
Lyndon, R.C., Schupp, P.E.: Combinatorial Group Theory. Springer, Heidelberg (1977)
Makanin, G.S.: The problem of solvability of equations in a free semigroup. Matematicheskii Sbornik 103, 147–236 (1977)
Manea, F., Nowotka, D., Schmid, M.L.: On the solvability problem for restricted classes of word equations. In: Brlek, S., Reutenauer, C. (eds.) DLT 2016. LNCS, vol. 9840, pp. 306–318. Springer, Heidelberg (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-53132-7_25
Mateescu, A., Salomaa, A.: Finite degrees of ambiguity in pattern languages. RAIRO Inf. Théor. Appl. 28, 233–253 (1994)
Mateescu, A., Salomaa, A.: Aspects of classical language theory. In: Rozenberg, G., Salomaa, A. (eds.) Handbook of Formal Languages, pp. 175–251. Springer, Heidelberg (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59136-5_4
Ng, Y.K., Shinohara, T.: Developments from enquiries into the learnability of the pattern languages from positive data. Theoret. Comput. Sci. 397, 150–165 (2008)
Ordyniak, S., Popa, A.: A parameterized study of maximum generalized pattern matching problems. Algorithmica 75, 1–26 (2016)
Petit, J.: Addenda to the survey of layout problems. Bull. EATCS 105, 177–201 (2011). http://eatcs.org/beatcs/index.php/beatcs/article/view/98
Plandowski, W.: An efficient algorithm for solving word equations. In: Proceedings of the 38th Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing, STOC 2006, pp. 467–476 (2006)
Reidenbach, D.: A non-learnable class of e-pattern languages. Theor. Comput. Sci. 350(1), 91–102 (2006)
Reidenbach, D.: An examination of ohlebusch and ukkonen’s conjecture on the equivalence problem for e-pattern languages. J. Automata Lang. Comb. 12(3), 407–426 (2007)
Reidenbach, D.: Discontinuities in pattern inference. Theor. Comput. Sci. 397(1–3), 166–193 (2008)
Reidenbach, D., Schmid, M.L.: Patterns with bounded treewidth. Inf. Comput. 239, 87–99 (2014)
Schmid, M.L.: A note on the complexity of matching patterns with variables. Inf. Process. Lett. 113(19–21), 729–733 (2013)
Schulz, K.U.: Word unification and transformation of generalized equations. J. Autom. Reason. 11, 149–184 (1995)
Shinohara, T.: Polynomial time inference of pattern languages and its application. In: Proceedings of 7th IBM Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science, MFCS, pp. 191–209 (1982)
Thilikos, D.M., Serna, M.J., Bodlaender, H.L.: Cutwidth I: a linear time fixed parameter algorithm. J. Algorithms 56(1), 1–24 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalgor.2004.12.001
Zheng, Y., Ganesh, V., Subramanian, S., Tripp, O., Berzish, M., Dolby, J., Zhang, X.: Z3str2: an efficient solver for strings, regular expressions, and length constraints. Formal Methods Syst. Des. 50(2–3), 249–288 (2017)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Manea, F., Schmid, M.L. (2019). Matching Patterns with Variables. In: Mercaş, R., Reidenbach, D. (eds) Combinatorics on Words. WORDS 2019. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11682. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28796-2_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28796-2_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-28795-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-28796-2
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)