{"title":"最优决策树的一个简单逼近算法","authors":"Zhengjia Zhuo, Viswanath Nagarajan","doi":"10.1016/j.orl.2025.107370","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the optimal decision tree (ODT) problem, we are given <em>m</em> hypotheses, out of which an unknown “true” hypothesis is drawn according to some probability distribution. The task is to identify the true hypothesis by performing costly queries, each with known responses. ODT is NP-hard to approximate within a factor of <span><math><mi>ln</mi><mo></mo><mi>m</mi></math></span>, and existing <span><math><mi>O</mi><mo>(</mo><mi>ln</mi><mo></mo><mi>m</mi><mo>)</mo></math></span> approximation algorithms are complex with large leading constants. We provide a simple algorithm and analysis for ODT, proving an approximation ratio of <span><math><mn>8</mn><mi>ln</mi><mo></mo><mi>m</mi></math></span>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54682,"journal":{"name":"Operations Research Letters","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 107370"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"A simple approximation algorithm for optimal decision tree\",\"authors\":\"Zhengjia Zhuo, Viswanath Nagarajan\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.orl.2025.107370\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><div>In the optimal decision tree (ODT) problem, we are given <em>m</em> hypotheses, out of which an unknown “true” hypothesis is drawn according to some probability distribution. The task is to identify the true hypothesis by performing costly queries, each with known responses. ODT is NP-hard to approximate within a factor of <span><math><mi>ln</mi><mo></mo><mi>m</mi></math></span>, and existing <span><math><mi>O</mi><mo>(</mo><mi>ln</mi><mo></mo><mi>m</mi><mo>)</mo></math></span> approximation algorithms are complex with large leading constants. We provide a simple algorithm and analysis for ODT, proving an approximation ratio of <span><math><mn>8</mn><mi>ln</mi><mo></mo><mi>m</mi></math></span>.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":54682,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Operations Research Letters\",\"volume\":\"64 \",\"pages\":\"Article 107370\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":0.9000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-09-25\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Operations Research Letters\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"91\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167637725001312\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"管理学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q4\",\"JCRName\":\"OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Operations Research Letters","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167637725001312","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
A simple approximation algorithm for optimal decision tree
In the optimal decision tree (ODT) problem, we are given m hypotheses, out of which an unknown “true” hypothesis is drawn according to some probability distribution. The task is to identify the true hypothesis by performing costly queries, each with known responses. ODT is NP-hard to approximate within a factor of , and existing approximation algorithms are complex with large leading constants. We provide a simple algorithm and analysis for ODT, proving an approximation ratio of .
期刊介绍:
Operations Research Letters is committed to the rapid review and fast publication of short articles on all aspects of operations research and analytics. Apart from a limitation to eight journal pages, quality, originality, relevance and clarity are the only criteria for selecting the papers to be published. ORL covers the broad field of optimization, stochastic models and game theory. Specific areas of interest include networks, routing, location, queueing, scheduling, inventory, reliability, and financial engineering. We wish to explore interfaces with other fields such as life sciences and health care, artificial intelligence and machine learning, energy distribution, and computational social sciences and humanities. Our traditional strength is in methodology, including theory, modelling, algorithms and computational studies. We also welcome novel applications and concise literature reviews.