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ScienceQuiet 9d · day 9

Computer scientist breaks 1996 approximation limit for shortest-path algorithm

A new result reportedly improves on the 30-year-old Dor-Halperin-Zwick bound for estimating shortest paths across huge networks.

newest coverage 8d agosummary written 8d ago4 pieces6 likes & upvotes Google NewsHacker NewsMastodon

What to know

  • A 1996 algorithm by Dor, Halperin, and Zwick has been the standard for 30 years for approximating shortest distances across every pair of points in large networks, guaranteeing estimates within twice the true shortest distance.
  • That method works well for distant points but becomes unreliable for nearby ones, as sampled shortcut points can be too far from the direct route.
  • Available coverage reports that this long-standing limit has now been broken, but the excerpted material cuts off before detailing the new algorithm's approach or identifying the researcher by name.
  • The problem (All-Pairs Shortest Paths, or APSP) has applications beyond mapping, including communication networks and biological structures like neurons and blood vessels.

Dor, Halperin, and Zwick (DHZ) 1996 researchers who set the prior approximation bound

Computer scientist breaks 1996 approximation limit for shortest-path algorithm
sciencedaily.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in two hours at Oct 30, 7 AM; 4 pieces over 9 days (2 articles · 2 posts) Oct 30, 7 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Google News 2, Mastodon 1Oct 30, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Oct 30, 11 AM — quietOct 30, 1 PM — quietOct 30, 3 PM — quietOct 30, 5 PM — quietOct 30, 7 PM — quietOct 30, 9 PM — quietOct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 1 AM — quietOct 31, 3 AM — quietOct 31, 5 AM — quietOct 31, 7 AM — quietOct 31, 9 AM — quietOct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 1 PM — quietOct 31, 3 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 7 PM — quietOct 31, 9 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 2 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 6 AM — quietNov 1, 8 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 12 PM — quietNov 1, 2 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 8 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quiet 1–2
Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 9:06 AM ET
  1. 2

    Story surfaces on Hacker News

    The Science Daily article is submitted to Hacker News, introducing the APSP breakthrough to a technical audience.

    “2‑approximation…”
    — Science Daily, science news outlet · source
  2. 1

    Story is syndicated across Google News and Mastodon

    The Science Daily piece is republished/aggregated via Google News and shared on Mastodon under the same headline, extending the story's reach without adding new technical detail.

    • us@pubeurope.com

      https://www. europesays.com/us/1153725/ A computer scientist breaks through a limit that stood since 1996 # ComputersAndInternet ;Communications;ComputerProgramming;Internet;MathPuzzles;ComputerModeling;ComputerScience;Hacking # Computing # Technology # UnitedStates # UnitedStates # US

      us@pubeurope.comMastodon9d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  3. background

    Report describes a break in the 1996 shortest-path approximation limit — Science Daily publishes an account of a computer scientist surpassing the 1996 Dor-Halperin-Zwick (DHZ) bound for approximating All-Pairs Shortest Paths (APSP) in large networks, a method that had stood as the benchmark for three decades.