Metadata-Version: 2.4
Name: salvador
Version: 0.0.1
Summary: Compute the Approximate Vertex Cover for undirected graph encoded in DIMACS format.
Home-page: https://github.com/frankvegadelgado/salvador
Author: Frank Vega
Author-email: vega.frank@gmail.com
License: MIT License
Project-URL: Source Code, https://github.com/frankvegadelgado/salvador
Project-URL: Documentation Research, https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202409.2053
Classifier: Topic :: Scientific/Engineering
Classifier: Topic :: Software Development
Classifier: Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable
Classifier: License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12
Classifier: Environment :: Console
Classifier: Intended Audience :: Developers
Classifier: Intended Audience :: Education
Classifier: Intended Audience :: Information Technology
Classifier: Intended Audience :: Science/Research
Classifier: Natural Language :: English
Requires-Python: >=3.12
Description-Content-Type: text/markdown
License-File: LICENSE
Requires-Dist: numpy>=2.2.1
Requires-Dist: scipy>=1.15.0
Requires-Dist: networkx[default]>=3.4.2
Dynamic: author
Dynamic: author-email
Dynamic: classifier
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Dynamic: description-content-type
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Dynamic: license
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# Salvador: Approximate Vertex Cover Solver

![In Loving Memory of Salvador Vega (The Grandfather I Never Knew)](docs/salvador.jpg)

This work builds upon [The Salvador Algorithm](https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202409.2053).

---

# The Minimum Vertex Cover Problem

The **Minimum Vertex Cover (MVC)** problem is a classic optimization problem in computer science and graph theory. It involves finding the smallest set of vertices in a graph that **covers** all edges, meaning at least one endpoint of every edge is included in the set.

## Formal Definition

Given an undirected graph $G = (V, E)$, a **vertex cover** is a subset $V' \subseteq V$ such that for every edge $(u, v) \in E$, at least one of $u$ or $v$ belongs to $V'$. The MVC problem seeks the vertex cover with the smallest cardinality.

## Importance and Applications

- **Theoretical Significance:** MVC is a well-known NP-hard problem, central to complexity theory.
- **Practical Applications:**
  - **Network Security:** Identifying critical nodes to disrupt connections.
  - **Bioinformatics:** Analyzing gene regulatory networks.
  - **Wireless Sensor Networks:** Optimizing sensor coverage.

## Related Problems

- **Maximum Independent Set:** The complement of a vertex cover.
- **Set Cover Problem:** A generalization of MVC.

---

## Problem Statement

Input: A Boolean Adjacency Matrix $M$.

Answer: Find a Minimum Vertex Cover.

### Example Instance: 5 x 5 matrix

|        | c1  | c2  | c3  | c4  | c5  |
| ------ | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **r1** | 0   | 0   | 1   | 0   | 1   |
| **r2** | 0   | 0   | 0   | 1   | 0   |
| **r3** | 1   | 0   | 0   | 0   | 1   |
| **r4** | 0   | 1   | 0   | 0   | 0   |
| **r5** | 1   | 0   | 1   | 0   | 0   |

The input for undirected graph is typically provided in [DIMACS](http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/Challenges) format. In this way, the previous adjacency matrix is represented in a text file using the following string representation:

```
p edge 5 4
e 1 3
e 1 5
e 2 4
e 3 5
```

This represents a 5x5 matrix in DIMACS format such that each edge $(v,w)$ appears exactly once in the input file and is not repeated as $(w,v)$. In this format, every edge appears in the form of

```
e W V
```

where the fields W and V specify the endpoints of the edge while the lower-case character `e` signifies that this is an edge descriptor line.

_Example Solution:_

Vertex Cover Found `1, 2, 5`: Nodes `1`, `2`, and `5` constitute an optimal solution.

---

# Compile and Environment

## Prerequisites

- Python ≥ 3.12

## Installation

```bash
pip install salvador
```

## Execution

1. Clone the repository:

   ```bash
   git clone https://github.com/frankvegadelgado/salvador.git
   cd salvador
   ```

2. Run the script:

   ```bash
   vega -i ./benchmarks/testMatrix1
   ```

   utilizing the `vega` command provided by Salvador's Library to execute the Boolean adjacency matrix `salvador\benchmarks\testMatrix1`. The file `testMatrix1` represents the example described herein. We also support `.xz`, `.lzma`, `.bz2`, and `.bzip2` compressed text files.

   **Example Output:**

   ```
   testMatrix1: Vertex Cover Found 1, 2, 5
   ```

   This indicates nodes `1, 2, 5` form a vertex cover.

---

## Vertex Cover Size

Use the `-c` flag to count the nodes in the vertex cover:

```bash
vega -i ./benchmarks/testMatrix2 -c
```

**Output:**

```
testMatrix2: Vertex Cover Size 6
```

---

# Command Options

Display help and options:

```bash
vega -h
```

**Output:**

```bash
usage: vega [-h] -i INPUTFILE [-a] [-b] [-c] [-v] [-l] [--version]

Compute the Approximate Vertex Cover for undirected graph encoded in DIMACS format.

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -i INPUTFILE, --inputFile INPUTFILE
                        input file path
  -a, --approximation   enable comparison with a polynomial-time approximation approach within a factor of at most 2
  -b, --bruteForce      enable comparison with the exponential-time brute-force approach
  -c, --count           calculate the size of the vertex cover
  -v, --verbose         anable verbose output
  -l, --log             enable file logging
  --version             show program's version number and exit
```

---

# Batch Execution

Batch execution allows you to solve multiple graphs within a directory consecutively.

To view available command-line options for the `batch_vega` command, use the following in your terminal or command prompt:

```bash
batch_vega -h
```

This will display the following help information:

```bash
usage: batch_vega [-h] -i INPUTDIRECTORY [-a] [-b] [-c] [-v] [-l] [--version]

Compute the Approximate Vertex Cover for all undirected graphs encoded in DIMACS format and stored in a directory.

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -i INPUTDIRECTORY, --inputDirectory INPUTDIRECTORY
                        Input directory path
  -a, --approximation   enable comparison with a polynomial-time approximation approach within a factor of at most 2
  -b, --bruteForce      enable comparison with the exponential-time brute-force approach
  -c, --count           calculate the size of the vertex cover
  -v, --verbose         anable verbose output
  -l, --log             enable file logging
  --version             show program's version number and exit
```

---

# Testing Application

A command-line utility named `test_vega` is provided for evaluating the Algorithm using randomly generated, large sparse matrices. It supports the following options:

```bash
usage: test_vega [-h] -d DIMENSION [-n NUM_TESTS] [-s SPARSITY] [-a] [-b] [-c] [-w] [-v] [-l] [--version]

The Salvador Testing Application using randomly generated, large sparse matrices.

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -d DIMENSION, --dimension DIMENSION
                        an integer specifying the dimensions of the square matrices
  -n NUM_TESTS, --num_tests NUM_TESTS
                        an integer specifying the number of tests to run
  -s SPARSITY, --sparsity SPARSITY
                        sparsity of the matrices (0.0 for dense, close to 1.0 for very sparse)
  -a, --approximation   enable comparison with a polynomial-time approximation approach within a factor of at most 2
  -b, --bruteForce      enable comparison with the exponential-time brute-force approach
  -c, --count           calculate the size of the vertex cover
  -w, --write           write the generated random matrix to a file in the current directory
  -v, --verbose         anable verbose output
  -l, --log             enable file logging
  --version             show program's version number and exit
```

---

# Code

- Python implementation by **Frank Vega**.

---

# Complexity

```diff
+ This algorithm finds near-optimal solutions for the hard Minimum Vertex Cover problem in linear time. Theoretical and experimental evidence suggests that Salvador is a strong candidate for breaking the √2-ε barrier.
```

---

# License

- MIT License.
