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Questions tagged [pcp]

Probabilistically checkable proofs

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65 votes
11 answers
5k views

What are good references to understanding the proof of the PCP theorem?

I'm familiar with a lot of results that use the PCP theorem (mainly in approximating algorithms), but I've never come across a clear explanation of the PCP theorem (ie, that $\mathsf{NP} = \mathsf{PCP}...
Alexandre Passos's user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
1k views

Super-polynomial time approximation algorithms for MAX 3SAT

The PCP theorem states that there is no polynomial time algorithm for MAX 3SAT to find an assignment satisfying $7/8+ \epsilon$ clauses of a satisfiable 3SAT formula unless $P = NP$. There is a ...
Mohammad Al-Turkistany's user avatar
37 votes
4 answers
4k views

Hardness of approximation without the PCP theorem

An important application of the PCP theorem is that it yields "hardness of approximation" type results. In some relatively simpler cases one can prove such hardness without PCP. Is there, however, any ...
Andras Farago's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
540 views

Hard gaps in maximum constraint satisfaction problems?

An equivalent formulation of PCP theorem is: For Max 3-SAT it is $NP$-hard to distinguish between satisfiable formulas and formulas where at most $r$-fraction of the clauses are satisfiable (for some $...
Mohammad Al-Turkistany's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
709 views

PCP Theorem - Alphabet Reduction Step

What follows might seem stupid (and that probably reflects my poor understanding - so please bear with me) I had a query on PCP theorem. We know that after the first three steps viz. Degree Reduction,...
Akash Kumar's user avatar
  • 1,983
7 votes
1 answer
228 views

Can NP-hard statements be proved by PCPs that only involve reading 2 bits?

For non-negative integers q, let PCP(q) denote the set of promise problems that have polynomial-length probabalistically checkable proofs over the binary alphabet in which the verifier only reads q ...
user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
465 views

PCPs with imperfect completeness

The traditional definition of PCPs have perfect completeness -- If $x\in L$, then the prover can give a proof on which the verifier (on reading constantly many bits) always accepts. Suppose we modify ...
Ramprasad's user avatar
  • 2,492
3 votes
1 answer
416 views

Consequences of Unique Games being a NPI problem

Assume that UG is $\mathsf{NPI}$, i.e. not solvable in $\mathsf{P}$ nor in $\mathsf{NP\text{-}complete}$ (so UGC is false). Is it still NP-hard to give a $(2-\epsilon)$ polytime approximation ...
NicosM's user avatar
  • 47
1 vote
3 answers
1k views

PCP characterization of NP

The PCP theorem (NP= PCP(log n, O(1)) )is a major result in complexity theory with many applications such as proving hardness of approximate results. However, it seems to me that it does not offer any ...
Mohammad Al-Turkistany's user avatar