具有许多可除条件的子集和问题

令$S$为一组自然数。我们认为$S$可分偏序下，即$s_1 \leq s_2 \iff s_1 \mid s_2$。让

$\qquad \displaystyle \alpha(S) = \max \{|V| \mid V\subseteq S, V$的反链$\}$。

如果考虑数字的多重集在的子集和问题$S$，那么与有关的问题的复杂性又能怎么说呢$\alpha(S)$？很容易看出$\alpha(S)=1$，那么问题就很容易。注意，当$\alpha(S)=1$^$\dagger$时，即使是较难的背包问题也很容易。

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$\dagger$ 解决M. Hartmann和T.Olmstead（1993）的顺序背包问题

This problem can be solved in polynomial time using linear programming, and this is actually true for any partial order $(S,\le)$. By the way, we can prove by induction that for any finite partial order set $(S,\le)$, there exists a finite set $S'\subseteq\mathbb{N}$ and a bijection $f:S\rightarrow S'$, such that for all $s_1,s_2\in S, s_1\le s_2 \Leftrightarrow f(s_1) | f(s_2)$.

Let $\mathcal{C}$ be the set formed by the chains in $S$. Remind that $C$ is a chain iff for all $v,v'$ in $C$, $v\le v'$ or $v'\le v$

$x_v$$v\in S$$y_C$$C$$(P)$

$$\begin{split} \text{Max} \displaystyle\sum\limits_{v\in S} x_v \\ \text{subject to} \displaystyle\sum\limits_{v\in C} &x_v \le 1, \forall C\in\mathcal{C}\\ &x_v \in \{0,1\}, v\in S \end{split}$$

and its dual $(D)$ :

$$\begin{split} \text{Min} \displaystyle\sum\limits_{C\in \mathcal{C}} y_C\\ \text{subject to} \displaystyle\sum\limits_{C:v\in C} &y_C \ge 1, \forall v\in S\\ &y_C \in \{0,1\}, C\in \mathcal{C} \end{split}$$

Then the problem of finding the minimum cover of an ordered set by chains is the dual of our problem. Dilworth's theorem states that

There exists an antichain A, and a partition of the order into a family P of chains, such that the number of chains in the partition equals the cardinality of A

which means that the optimal solution of these two problems match : $Opt(P)=Opt(D)$

Let $(P^*)$ (resp. $(D^*)$) be the relaxation of $(P)$ (resp. $(D)$) i.e. the same linear program where all constraints $x_v\in\{0,1\}$ (resp. $y_C\in\{0,1\}$) are replaced by $x_v\in [0,1]$ (resp. $y_C\in [0,1]$). Let $Opt(P^*)$ and $Opt(D^*)$ be their optimal solutions. Since $\{0,1\}\subseteq [0,1]$ we have :

$$Opt(P)\le Opt(P^*) \text{ and } Opt(D^*)\le Opt(D)$$ and weak duality theorem establishes that $Opt(P^*)\le Opt(D^*)$ then by putting everything together we have : $$Opt(P)= Opt(P^*)=Opt(D^*)=Opt(D)$$

Then, using Ellipsoid method, we can compute $Opt(P^*)$ ( $=Opt(P)$) in polynomial time. There are an exponential number of constraints but there exists a polynomial time separation oracle. Indeed given a solution $X$, we can enumerate all couples $s_1,s_2\in X$ and check if $s_1\le s_2$ or $s_2\le s_1$, and therefore decide in polynomial time whether $X$ is feasible or otherwise the constraint associated to the chain $\{v_1,v_2\}$ is violated.