Exact algorithms for maximum clique: a computational study

Prosser, P. (2012) Exact algorithms for maximum clique: a computational study. Algorithms, 5(4), pp. 545-587. (doi: 10.3390/a5040545)

Abstract

We investigate a number of recently reported exact algorithms for the maximum clique problem. The program code is presented and analyzed to show how small changes in implementation can have a drastic effect on performance. The computational study demonstrates how problem features and hardware platforms influence algorithm behaviour. The effect of vertex ordering is investigated. One of the algorithms (MCS) is broken into its constituent parts and we discover that one of these parts frequently degrades performance. It is shown that the standard procedure used for rescaling published results (i.e., adjusting run times based on the calibration of a standard program over a set of benchmarks) is unsafe and can lead to incorrect conclusions being drawn from empirical data.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Prosser, Dr Patrick
• Authors: Prosser, P.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Computing Science
• Journal Name: Algorithms
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1999-4893
• ISSN (Online): 1999-4893
• Published Online: 19 November 2012
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2012 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Algorithms 5(4):545-587
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License