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Mincut problem
Input. An edge-weighted digraph, source vertex s, and target vertex t.

each edge has a
positive capacity
capacity
10
15
15
15
10
10
15
10
16
3
Mincut problem
Def. A st-cut (cut) is a partition of the vertices into two disjoint sets,
with s in one set A and t in the other set B.
Def. Its capacity is the sum of the capacities of the edges from A to B.
10
15
capacity = 10 + 5 + 15 = 30
4
Mincut problem
10
t
don't count edges
from B to A
capacity = 10 + 8 + 16 = 34
16
5
Mincut problem
Minimum st-cut (mincut) problem. Find a cut of minimum capacity.
10
10
capacity = 10 + 8 + 10 = 28
6
Mincut application (RAND 1950s)

"Free world" goal. Cut supplies (if cold war turns into real war).
rail network connecting Soviet Union with Eastern European countries

(map declassified
by Pentagon in 1999)
Figure 2
From Harris and Ross [1955]: Schematic diagram of the railway network of the Western So-
Potential mincut application (2010s)

Government-in-powers goal. Cut off communication to set of people.
Maxflow problem
Input. An edge-weighted digraph, source vertex s, and target vertex t.
each edge has a
positive capacity
capacity
10
15
15
15
10
10
15
10
16
9
Maxflow problem
Def. An st-flow (flow) is an assignment of values to the edges such that:
Capacity constraint: 0 edge's flow edge's capacity.

Local equilibrium: inflow = outflow at every vertex (except s and t).
capacity
flow
inflow at v = 5 + 5 + 0 = 10
5/9
10
10
5
0/4
5/5
10
15
0/4
outflow at v = 10 + 0
/1
0 / 15
5/8
/6
0 / 15
10
10 / 10
10
= 10
10
10 / 16
10
Maxflow problem

Def. The value of a flow is the inflow at t.
we assume no edges point to s or from t
5/9
10
10
5
0/4
15
0 / 15
5/8
5/5
10
/1
0/4
/6
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
value = 5 + 10 + 10 = 25
10
10 / 16
11
Maxflow problem

Def. The value of a flow is the inflow at t.
Maximum st-flow (maxflow) problem. Find a flow of maximum value.
8/9
10
10
2
0/4
15
0 / 15
8/8
5/5
13
/1
0/4
/6
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
value = 8 + 10 + 10 = 28
10
13 / 16
12
Maxflow application (Tolsto 1930s)

Soviet Union goal. Maximize flow of supplies to Eastern Europe.
flow
capacity
rail network connecting Soviet Union with Eastern European countries

(map declassified
by Pentagon
in 1999)
Figure
2
From Harris and Ross [1955]: Schematic diagram of the railway network of the Western So-
13
Potential maxflow application (2010s)

"Free world" goal. Maximize flow of information to specified set of people.
facebook graph
14
Summary
Input. A weighted digraph, source vertex s, and target vertex t.
Mincut problem. Find a cut of minimum capacity.
Maxflow problem. Find a flow of maximum value.
8/9
2
10
10
0/4
15
0 / 15
8/8
5/5
13
/1
0/4
/6
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
10
10
10
13 / 16
value of flow = 28
capacity of cut = 28
Remarkable fact. These two problems are dual!

15
Ford-Fulkerson algorithm
Initialization. Start with 0 flow.
flow
capacity
initialization
0/9
10
0/4
0/5
15
/1
0 / 15
0/4
/6
10
0 / 10
0/8
0 / 15
value of flow
10
0 / 16
17
Idea: increase flow along augmenting paths

Augmenting path. Find an undirected path from s to t such that:
Can increase flow on forward edges (not full).

Can decrease flow on backward edge (not empty).
1st augmenting path
bottleneck capacity = 10
0/9
10 /
0
10
0/4
0/5
15
10
0
/1
5
0 / 15
0/4
/6
10
10
0 / 10
0/8
0 / 15
0 + 10 = 10
10
0 / 16
18


2nd augmenting path
0/9
10
10
0/4
0/5
10
/1
0 / 15
10
0/8
10 / 10
10
10 + 10 = 20
10
/
15
0/4
/6
0 / 15
10
10
0 / 16
19


3rd augmenting path
backward edge
(not empty)
0/9
5
10
10
0/4
0/5
10
15
10
/1
5
0 / 15
0/8
0/4
/6
/
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
20 + 5 = 25
10
10 / 16
20


4th augmenting path
backward edge
(not empty)
5/9
2
10
10
0/4
/1
5
5/5
5/8
13
10
15
0/4
0
/6
0 / 15
/
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
25 + 3 = 28
10
13
10
/ 16
21

Termination. All paths from s to t are blocked by either a
Full forward edge.

Empty backward edge.
no more augmenting paths
8/9
10
10
0/4
5/5
13
15
/1
0 / 15
/6
10
10 / 10
8/8
0/4
0 / 15
10
28
10
full forward edge

13 / 16
empty backward edge

22
Start with 0 flow.
While there exists an augmenting path:
- find an augmenting path
- compute bottleneck capacity
- increase flow on that path by bottleneck capacity
Questions.
How to compute a mincut?

How to find an augmenting path?
If FF terminates, does it always compute a maxflow?
Does FF always terminate? If so, after how many augmentations?
23
Relationship between flows and cuts

Def. The net flow across a cut (A, B) is the sum of the flows on its edges
from A to B minus the sum of the flows on its edges from B to A.
net flow across cut = 5 + 10 + 10 = 25
5/9
10
10
5
0/4
15
0 / 15
5/8
5/5
10
/1
0/4
/6
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
value of flow = 25
10
10 / 16
25

net flow across cut = 10 + 5 + 10 = 25
5/9
10
10
5
0/4
15
0 / 15
5/8
5/5
10
/1
0/4
/6
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
value of flow = 25
10
10 / 16
26

net flow across cut = (10 + 10 + 5 + 10 + 0 + 0) (5 + 5 + 0 + 0) = 25
5/9
edges from B to A
10
10
5
0/4
15
0 / 15
5/8
5/5
10
/1
0/4
/6
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
value of flow = 25
10
10 / 16
27

Flow-value lemma. Let f be any flow and let (A, B) be any cut. Then, the net
flow across (A, B) equals the value of f.
Intuition. Conservation of flow.
Pf. By induction on the size of B.
Base case: B = { t }.
Induction step: remains true by local equilibrium when moving
any vertex from A to B.
Corollary. Outflow from s = inflow to t = value of flow.
28

Weak duality. Let f be any flow and let (A, B) be any cut.
Then, the value of the flow the capacity of the cut.
Pf. Value of flow f = net flow across cut (A, B) capacity of cut (A, B).
flow bounded by capacity
flow-value lemma
8/9
2
10
10
0/4
15
0 / 15
0/4
/6
10
9 / 10
7/8
5/5
12
/1
0 / 15
10
10
10
15
12 / 16
value of flow = 27
capacity of cut = 30
29
Maxflow-mincut theorem
Augmenting path theorem. A flow f is a maxflow iff no augmenting paths.
Maxflow-mincut theorem. Value of the maxflow = capacity of mincut.
Pf. The following three conditions are equivalent for any flow f :
i. There exists a cut whose capacity equals the value of the flow f.
ii. f is a maxflow.
iii. There is no augmenting path with respect to f.
[i
ii ]
Suppose that (A, B) is a cut with capacity equal to the value of f.

Then, the value of any flow f ' capacity of (A, B) = value of f.
Thus, f is a maxflow.
weak duality
by assumption
30
ii. f is a maxflow.
[ ii
iii ] We prove contrapositive: ~iii
~ii.
Suppose that there is an augmenting path with respect to f.

Can improve flow f by sending flow along this path.
Thus, f is not a maxflow.
31
ii. f is a maxflow.
[ iii
i]
Suppose that there is no augmenting path with respect to f.
Let (A, B) be a cut where A is the set of vertices connected to s by an

undirected path with no full forward or empty backward edges.
By definition of cut, s is in A.
Since no augmenting path, t is in B.
Capacity of cut = net flow across cut
= value of flow f.
forward edges full; backward edges empty

flow-value lemma
32
Computing a mincut from a maxflow

To compute mincut (A, B) from maxflow f :
By augmenting path theorem, no augmenting paths with respect to f.

Compute A = set of vertices connected to s by an undirected path
with no full forward or empty backward edges.
8/9
10
10
2
0/4
15
0 / 15
8/8
5/5
13
/1
5
3/4
6
/6
10
10 / 10
0 / 15
10
10
full forward edge

16 / 16
forward edge
(not full)
empty backward edge

backward edge
(not empty)
33
Start with 0 flow.
While there exists an augmenting path:
- find an augmenting path
- compute bottleneck capacity
- increase flow on that path by bottleneck capacity
Questions.
How to compute a mincut? Easy.

How to find an augmenting path? BFS works well.
If FF terminates, does it always compute a maxflow? Yes.
Does FF always terminate? If so, after how many augmentations?
yes, provided edge capacities are integers
(or augmenting paths are chosen carefully)
requires clever analysis
35
Ford-Fulkerson algorithm with integer capacities

Important special case. Edge capacities are integers between 1 and U.
flow on each edge is an integer
Invariant. The flow is integer-valued throughout Ford-Fulkerson.

Pf. [by induction]
Bottleneck capacity is an integer.

Flow on an edge increases/decreases by bottleneck capacity.
Proposition. Number of augmentations the value of the maxflow.
Pf. Each augmentation increases the value by at least 1.
critical for some applications (stay tuned)
Integrality theorem. There exists an integer-valued maxflow.

Pf. Ford-Fulkerson terminates and maxflow that it finds is integer-valued.
36
Bad case for Ford-Fulkerson

Bad news. Even when edge capacities are integers, number of augmenting
paths could be equal to the value of the maxflow.
initialize with 0 flow
10
0
10
s
flow
capacity
0
1
0
0
10
0
10
t
37

1st iteration
10
0
10
0
0
10
0
10
t
38

2nd iteration
10
0
10
10
0
0
10
0
t
39

3rd iteration
10
0
10
1
0
10
0
10
t
40

4th iteration
10
0
10
10
0
1
10
0
t
41

...
42

199th iteration
10
99 0
10
99
10
10
99 0
99
10
10
0
0
t
43

200th iteration
10
10
0
10
99 0
10
10
0
10
99 0
10
10 0
0
t
44

can be exponential in input size
Good news. This case is easily avoided. [use shortest/fattest path]
10
10
0
10 0
10
0
1
10
10 0
0
10
10
0
t
45
How to choose augmenting paths?

Use care when selecting augmenting paths.
Some choices lead to exponential algorithms.

Clever choices lead to polynomial algorithms.
augmenting path
number of paths
implementation
random path
EU
randomized queue
DFS path
EU
stack (DFS)
shortest path
EV
queue (BFS)
fattest path
E ln(E U)
priority queue
digraph with V vertices, E edges, and integer capacities between 1 and U
46

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Mincut problem

Input. An edge-weighted digraph, source vertex s, and target vertex t.

Mincut application (RAND 1950s)

rail network connecting Soviet Union with Eastern European countries

Potential mincut application (2010s)

Capacity constraint: 0 edge's flow edge's capacity.

Capacity constraint: 0 edge's flow edge's capacity.

Capacity constraint: 0 edge's flow edge's capacity.

Maxflow application (Tolsto 1930s)

rail network connecting Soviet Union with Eastern European countries

Potential maxflow application (2010s)

Remarkable fact. These two problems are dual!

Idea: increase flow along augmenting paths

Can increase flow on forward edges (not full).

Idea: increase flow along augmenting paths

Can increase flow on forward edges (not full).

Idea: increase flow along augmenting paths

Can increase flow on forward edges (not full).

Idea: increase flow along augmenting paths

Can increase flow on forward edges (not full).

Idea: increase flow along augmenting paths

Full forward edge.

full forward edge

empty backward edge

How to compute a mincut?

Relationship between flows and cuts

net flow across cut = 5 + 10 + 10 = 25

Relationship between flows and cuts

net flow across cut = 10 + 5 + 10 = 25

Relationship between flows and cuts

net flow across cut = (10 + 10 + 5 + 10 + 0 + 0) (5 + 5 + 0 + 0) = 25

Relationship between flows and cuts

Corollary. Outflow from s = inflow to t = value of flow.

Relationship between flows and cuts

Suppose that (A, B) is a cut with capacity equal to the value of f.

iii ] We prove contrapositive: ~iii

Suppose that there is an augmenting path with respect to f.

Suppose that there is no augmenting path with respect to f.

Let (A, B) be a cut where A is the set of vertices connected to s by an

forward edges full; backward edges empty

Computing a mincut from a maxflow

By augmenting path theorem, no augmenting paths with respect to f.

full forward edge

empty backward edge

How to compute a mincut? Easy.

requires clever analysis

Ford-Fulkerson algorithm with integer capacities

Invariant. The flow is integer-valued throughout Ford-Fulkerson.

Bottleneck capacity is an integer.

critical for some applications (stay tuned)

Integrality theorem. There exists an integer-valued maxflow.

Bad case for Ford-Fulkerson

initialize with 0 flow

Bad case for Ford-Fulkerson

Bad case for Ford-Fulkerson

Bad case for Ford-Fulkerson

Bad case for Ford-Fulkerson

Bad case for Ford-Fulkerson

Bad case for Ford-Fulkerson