Sdp gaps and ugc hardness for multiway cut, 0-extension, and metric labeling

Abstract

The connection between integrality gaps and computational hardness of discrete optimization problems is an intriguing question. In recent years, this connection has prominently figured in several tight UGC-based hardness results. We show in this paper a direct way of turning integrality gaps into hardness results for several fundamental classification problems. Specifically, we convert linear programming integrality gaps for the Multiway Cut, 0-Extension, and and Metric Labeling problems into UGC-based hardness results. Qualitatively, our result suggests that if the unique games conjecture is true then a linear relaxation of the latter problems studied in several papers (so-called earthmover linear program) yields the best possible approximation. Taking this a step further, we also obtain integrality gaps for a semi-definite programming relaxation matching the integrality gaps of the earthmover linear program. Prior to this work, there was an intriguing possibility of obtaining better approximation factors for labeling problems via semi-definite programming.