Class 38:

Intractable Problems
(Smiley Puzzles and
Curing Cancer)

CS200: Computer Science

University of Virginia
Computer Science

David Evans
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/evans

Complexity and Computability

Weve learned how to measure the
complexity of any procedure ()
Average score on question 6 (8.9/10), 7
(8.6/10) and 8 (8.1/10)

Weve learned how to show some

problems are undecidable
Harder (average on question 4 = 7.7)

Today: reasoning about the complexity of

some problems
21 April 2004

CS 200 Spring 2004

Complexity Classes
Class P: problems that can be solved in
polynomial time by a deterministic TM.
O (nk) for some constant k.
Easy problems like simulating the universe are
all in P.
Class NP: problems that can be solved in
polynomial time by a nondeterministic TM
Hard problems like the pegboard puzzle
sorting are in NP (as well as all problems in P).
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CS 200 Spring 2004

Problem Classes

Fill tape with 2n *s: (2n)

Simulating Universe: O(n3)

Undecidable

NP
P

Decidable

Halting Problem: ()
Sorting: (n log n)
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Cracker Barrel: O(2n) and (n)

CS 200 Spring 2004

P = NP?
Is there a polynomial-time solution to the
hardest problems in NP?
No one knows the answer!
The most famous unsolved problem in
computer science and math
Listed first on Millennium Prize Problems
win $1M if you can solve it
(also an automatic A+ in this course)
21 April 2004

CS 200 Spring 2004

If P NP:

Fill tape with 2n *s: (2n)

Simulating Universe: O(n3)

Undecidable

NP
P

Decidable

Halting Problem: ()
Sorting: (n log n)
21 April 2004

Cracker Barrel: O(2n) and (n)

CS 200 Spring 2004

If P = NP:

Fill tape with 2n *s: (2n)

Simulating Universe: O(n3)

Undecidable

NP
P

Decidable

Halting Problem: ()
Sorting: (n log n)
21 April 2004

Cracker Barrel: O(2n) and (n)

CS 200 Spring 2004

Smileys Problem
Input: n square tiles
Output: Arrangement of the
tiles in a square, where the
colors and shapes match up,
or no, its impossible.
21 April 2004

CS 200 Spring 2004

Thanks to Peggy Reed for

making the Smiley Puzzles!

How much work is the

Smileys Problem?
Upper bound: (O)
O (n!)
Try all possible permutations

Lower bound: ()
(n)
Must at least look at every tile

Tight bound: ()

No one knows!
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CS 200 Spring 2004

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NP Problems
Can be solved by just trying all possible
answers until we find one that is right
Easy to quickly check if an answer is right
Checking an answer is in P

The smileys problem is in NP

We can easily try n! different answers
We can quickly check if a guess is
correct (check all n tiles)
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Is the Smileys Problem in P?

No one knows!
We cant find a O(nk) solution.
We cant prove one doesnt exist.

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This makes a huge difference!

1E+30
1E+28

time
since
Big
Bang

n!

1E+26

2n

1E+24
1E+22
1E+20

Solving a large smileys problem

either takes a few seconds, or
more time than the universe has
been in existence. But, no one
knows which for sure!

1E+18
1E+16
1E+14
1E+12

2032

1E+10
1E+08

today

1E+06

n2
n log n

10000
100
1
2

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CS 200 Spring 2004

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64

128

log-log scale

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Who cares about Smiley puzzles?

If we had a fast (polynomial time) procedure to solve
the smiley puzzle, we would also have a fast procedure
to solve the 3/stone/apple/tower puzzle:

3
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3SAT Smiley

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CS 200 Spring 2004

Step 1: Transform
into smileys
Step 2: Solve (using
our fast smiley
puzzle solving
procedure)
Step 3: Invert
transform (back into
3SAT problem
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The Real 3SAT Problem

(also can be quickly transformed
into the Smileys Puzzle)

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Propositional Grammar
Sentence ::= Clause
Sentence Rule: Evaluates to value of Clause

Clause ::= Clause1 Clause2

Or Rule: Evaluates to true if either clause is
true

Clause ::= Clause1 Clause2

And Rule: Evaluates to true iff both clauses are
true

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Propositional Grammar
Clause ::= Clause
Not Rule: Evaluates to the opposite value
of clause (true false)

Clause ::= ( Clause )

Group Rule: Evaluates to value of clause.

Clause ::= Name

Name Rule: Evaluates to value associated
with Name.
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Proposition
Example

Sentence ::= Clause

Clause ::= Clause1 Clause2
Clause ::= Clause1 Clause2
Clause ::= Clause
Clause ::= ( Clause )
Clause ::= Name

(or)
(and)
(not)

a (b c) b c

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The Satisfiability Problem (SAT)

Input: a sentence in propositional
grammar
Output: Either a mapping from names
to values that satisfies the input
sentence or no way (meaning there
is no possible assignment that
satisfies the input sentence)
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SAT Example

Sentence ::= Clause

Clause ::= Clause1 Clause2
Clause ::= Clause1 Clause2
Clause ::= Clause
Clause ::= ( Clause )
Clause ::= Name

(or)
(and)
(not)

SAT (a (b c) b c)
{ a: true, b: false, c: true }
{ a: true, b: true, c: false }
SAT (a a)
no way
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The 3SAT Problem

Input: a sentence in propositional
grammar, where each clause is a
disjunction of 3 names which may be
negated.
Output: Either a mapping from names
to values that satisfies the input
sentence or no way (meaning there is
no possible assignment that satisfies
the input sentence)
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3SAT / SAT
Is 3SAT easier or harder than SAT?
It is definitely not harder than
SAT, since all 3SAT problems
are also SAT problems. Some
SAT problems are not 3SAT
problems.
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3SAT Example

Sentence ::= Clause

Clause ::= Clause1 Clause2
Clause ::= Clause1 Clause2
Clause ::= Clause
Clause ::= ( Clause )
Clause ::= Name

(or)
(and)
(not)

3SAT ( (a b c)
(a b d)
(a b d)
(b c d ) )
{ a: true, b: false, c: false, d: false}
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3SAT Smiley
Like 3/stone/apple/tower puzzle, we
can convert every 3SAT problem into
a Smiley Puzzle problem!
Transformation is more complicated,
but still polynomial time.
So, if we have a fast (P) solution to
Smiley Puzzle, we have a fast
solution to 3SAT also!
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NP Complete
Cook and Levin proved that 3SAT was
NP-Complete (1971)
A problem is NP-complete if it is as hard
as the hardest problem in NP
If 3SAT can be transformed into a different
problem in polynomial time, than that
problem must also be NP-complete.
Either all NP-complete problems are
tractable (in P) or none of them are!
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NP-Complete Problems
Easy way to solve by trying all possible guesses
If given the yes answer, quick (in P) way to check
if it is right
Solution to puzzle (see if it looks right)
Assignments of values to names (evaluate logical
proposition in linear time)

If given the no answer, no quick way to check if it

is right
No solution (cant tell there isnt one)
No way (cant tell there isnt one)
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Traveling Salesperson Problem

Input: a graph of cities and roads with
distance connecting them and a
minimum total distant
Output: either a path that visits each
with a cost less than the minimum, or
no.

If given a path, easy to check if it

visits every city with less than
minimum distance traveled
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Graph Coloring Problem

Input: a graph of nodes with edges
connecting them and a minimum
number of colors
Output: either a coloring of the nodes
such that no connected nodes have the
same color, or no.

If given a coloring, easy to check if it

no connected nodes have the same
color, and the number of colors used.
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Pegboard Problem
- Input: a configuration of n pegs on a
cracker barrel style pegboard
- Output: if there is a sequence of jumps
that leaves a single peg, output that
sequence of jumps. Otherwise, output
false.
If given the sequence of jumps, easy (O(n))
to check it is correct. If not, hard to know if
Proof that variant of this
there is a solution.
problem is NP-Complete is
attached to todays notes.
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Minesweeper Consistency Problem

Input: a position of n
squares in the game
Minesweeper
Output: either a
assignment of bombs to
squares, or no.

If given a bomb assignment, easy to

check if it is consistent.
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Drug Discovery Problem

Input: a set of proteins,
a desired 3D shape
Output: a sequence of
proteins that produces
the shape (or
impossible)

Caffeine
If given a sequence, easy (not really) to
check if sequence has the right shape.
Note: US Drug sales = $200B/year

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Is it ever useful to be
confident that a problem is
hard?

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