{"paper":{"title":"Approaching $\\frac{3}{2}$ for the $s$-$t$-path TSP","license":"http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/","headline":"","cross_cats":["cs.DS","math.CO"],"primary_cat":"cs.DM","authors_text":"Jens Vygen, Vera Traub","submitted_at":"2017-07-13T07:01:48Z","abstract_excerpt":"We show that there is a polynomial-time algorithm with approximation guarantee $\\frac{3}{2}+\\epsilon$ for the $s$-$t$-path TSP, for any fixed $\\epsilon>0$. It is well known that Wolsey's analysis of Christofides' algorithm also works for the $s$-$t$-path TSP with its natural LP relaxation except for the narrow cuts (in which the LP solution has value less than two). A fixed optimum tour has either a single edge in a narrow cut (then call the edge and the cut lonely) or at least three (then call the cut busy). Our algorithm \"guesses\" (by dynamic programming) lonely cuts and edges. Then we parti"},"claims":{"count":0,"items":[],"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"source":{"id":"1707.03992","kind":"arxiv","version":4},"verdict":{"id":null,"model_set":{},"created_at":null,"strongest_claim":"","one_line_summary":"","pipeline_version":null,"weakest_assumption":"","pith_extraction_headline":""},"references":{"count":0,"sample":[],"resolved_work":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}