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We consider a nonatomic congestion game on a graph, with several classes of players. Each player wants to go from its origin vertex to its destination vertex at the minimum cost and all players of a given class share the same characteristics: cost functions on each arc, and origin-destination pair. Under some mild conditions, it is known that a Nash equilibrium exists, but the computation of an equilibrium in the multiclass case is an open problem for general functions. We consider the specific case where the cost functions are affine. We show that this problem is polynomially solvable when the number of vertices and the number of classes are fixed. In particular, it shows that the parallel-link case with a fixed number of classes is polynomially solvable. On a more practical side, we propose an extension of Lemke's algorithm able to solve this problem.

One of the most famous conjecture in graph theory is Hedetniemi's conjecture stating that the chromatic number of the categorical product of graphs is the minimum of their chromatic numbers. Using a suitable extension of the definition of the categorical product, Zhu proposed in 1992 a similar conjecture for hypergraphs. We prove that Zhu's conjecture is true for the usual Kneser hypergraphs of same rank. It provides to the best of our knowledge the first non-trivial and explicit family of hypergraphs with rank larger than two satisfying this conjecture (the rank two case being Hedetniemi's conjecture). We actually prove a more general result providing a lower bound on the chromatic number of the categorical product of any Kneser hypergraphs as soon as they all have same rank. We derive from it new families of graphs satisfying Hedetniemi's conjecture. The proof of the lower bound relies on the $Z_p$-Tucker lemma.

The colorful Carath\'eodory theorem, proved by B\'ar\'any in 1982, states that given d+1 sets of points S_1,...,S_{d+1} in R^d, with each S_i containing 0 in its convex hull, there exists a subset T of the union of the S_i's containing 0 in its convex hull and such that T contains at most one point from each S_i. An intriguing question -- still open -- is whether such a set T, whose existence is ensured, can be found in polynomial time. In 1997, B\'ar\'any and Onn defined colorful linear programming as algorithmic questions related to the colorful Carath\'eodory theorem. The question we just mentioned comes under colorful linear programming. The traditional applications of colorful linear programming lie in discrete geometry. In this paper, we study its relations with other areas, such as game theory, operations research, and combinatorics. Regarding game theory, we prove that computing a Nash equilibrium in a bimatrix game is a colorful linear programming problem. We also formulate an optimization problem for colorful linear programming and show that as for usual linear programming, deciding and optimizing are computationally equivalent. We discuss then a colorful version of Dantzig's diet problem. We also propose a variant of the B\'ar\'any algorithm, which is an algorithm computing a set T whose existence is ensured by the colorful Carath\'eodory theorem. Our algorithm makes a clear connection with the simplex algorithm and we discuss its computational efficiency. Related complexity and combinatorial results are also provided., Comment: Submitted to Discrete Applied Mathematics

We consider three shortest path problems in directed graphs with random arc lengths. For the first and the second problems, a risk measure is involved. While the first problem consists in finding a path minimizing this risk measure, the second one consists in finding a path minimizing a deterministic cost, while satisfying a constraint on the risk measure. We propose algorithms solving these problems for a wide range of risk measures, which includes among several others the $CVaR$ and the probability of being late. Their performances are evaluated through experiments. One of the key elements in these algorithms is the use of stochastic lower bounds that allow to discard partial solutions. Good stochastic lower bounds are provided by the so-called Stochastic Ontime Arrival Problem. This latter problem is the third one studied in this paper and we propose a new and very efficient algorithm solving it. Complementary discussions on the complexity of the problems are also provided.

Using a $Z_q$-generalization of a theorem of Ky Fan, we extend to Kneser hypergraphs a theorem of Simonyi and Tardos that ensures the existence of multicolored complete bipartite graphs in any proper coloring of a Kneser graph. It allows to derive a lower bound for the local chromatic number of Kneser hypergraphs (using a natural definition of what can be the local chromatic number of a hypergraph).

The colourful simplicial depth conjecture states that any point in the convex hull of each of d+1 sets, or colours, of d+1 points in general position in R^d is contained in at least d^2+1 simplices with one vertex from each set. We verify the conjecture in dimension 4 and strengthen the known lower bounds in higher dimensions. These results are obtained using a combinatorial generalization of colourful point configurations called octahedral systems. We present properties of octahedral systems generalizing earlier results on colourful point configurations and exhibit an octahedral system which can not arise from a colourful point configuration. The number of octahedral systems is also given., Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures

We consider congestion games on networks with nonatomic users and user-specific costs. We are interested in the uniqueness property defined by Milchtaich [Milchtaich, I. 2005. Topological conditions for uniqueness of equilibrium in networks. Math. Oper. Res. 30 225-244] as the uniqueness of equilibrium flows for all assignments of strictly increasing cost functions. He settled the case with two-terminal networks. As a corollary of his result, it is possible to prove that some other networks have the uniqueness property as well by adding common fictitious origin and destination. In the present work, we find a necessary condition for networks with several origin-destination pairs to have the uniqueness property in terms of excluded minors or subgraphs. As a key result, we characterize completely bidirectional rings for which the uniqueness property holds: it holds precisely for nine networks and those obtained from them by elementary operations. For other bidirectional rings, we exhibit affine cost functions yielding to two distinct equilibrium flows. Related results are also proven. For instance, we characterize networks having the uniqueness property for any choice of origin-destination pairs., Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures

Given $d+1$ sets, or colours, $S_1, S_2,...,S_{d+1}$ of points in $\mathbb{R}^d$, a {\em colourful} set is a set $S\subseteq\bigcup_i S_i$ such that $|S\cap S_i|\leq 1$ for $i=1,...,d+1$. The convex hull of a colourful set $S$ is called a {\em colourful simplex}. B\'ar\'any's colourful Carath\'eodory theorem asserts that if the origin 0 is contained in the convex hull of $S_i$ for $i=1,...,d+1$, then there exists a colourful simplex containing 0. The sufficient condition for the existence of a colourful simplex containing 0 was generalized to 0 being contained in the convex hull of $S_i\cup S_j$ for $1\leq i< j \leq d+1$ by Arocha et al. and by Holmsen et al. We further generalize the sufficient condition and obtain new colourful Carath\'eodory theorems. We also give an algorithm to find a colourful simplex containing 0 under the generalized condition. In the plane an alternative, and more general, proof using graphs is given. In addition, we observe that any condition implying the existence of a colourful simplex containing 0 actually implies the existence of $\min_i|S_i|$ such simplices., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures

Let $V(n,k,s)$ be the set of $k$-subsets $S$ of $[n]$ such that for all $i,j\in S$, we have $|i-j|\geq s$ We define almost $s$-stable Kneser hypergraph $KG^r{{[n]}\choose k}_{s{\tiny{\textup{-stab}}}}^{\displaystyle\sim}$ to be the $r$-uniform hypergraph whose vertex set is $V(n,k,s)$ and whose edges are the $r$-uples of disjoint elements of $V(n,k,s)$. With the help of a $Z_p$-Tucker lemma, we prove that, for $p$ prime and for any $n\geq kp$, the chromatic number of almost 2-stable Kneser hypergraphs $KG^p {{[n]}\choose k}_{2{\tiny{\textup{-stab}}}}^{\displaystyle\sim}$ is equal to the chromatic number of the usual Kneser hypergraphs $KG^p{{[n]}\choose k}$, namely that it is equal to $\lceil\frac{n-(k-1)p}{p-1}\rceil.$ Defining $\mu(r)$ to be the number of prime divisors of $r$, counted with multiplicities, this result implies that the chromatic number of almost $2^{\mu(r)}$-stable Kneser hypergraphs $KG^r{{[n]}\choose k}_{2^{\mu(r)}{\tiny{\textup{-stab}}}}^{\displaystyle\sim}$ is equal to the chromatic number of the usual Kneser hypergraphs $KG^r{{[n]}\choose k}$ for any $n\geq kr$, namely that it is equal to $\lceil\frac{n-(k-1)r}{r-1}\rceil.$

The paper deals with sigma-games on grid graphs (in dimension 2 and more) and conditions under which any completely symmetric configuration of lit vertices can be reached -- in particular the completely lit configuration -- when starting with the all-unlit configuration. The answer is complete in dimension 2. In dimension greater than or equal to 3, the answer is complete for the sigma^+ -game, and for the sigma^- -game if at least one of the sizes is even. The case sigma^-, dimension greater than or equal to 3 and all sizes odd remains open., Comment: The bibliography has been corrected

In the present paper, we study algorithmic questions for the arc-intersection graph of directed paths on a tree. Such graphs are known to be perfect (proved by Monma and Wei in 1986). We present faster algorithms than all previously known algorithms for solving the minimum coloring and the minimum clique cover problems. They both run in $O(np)$ time, where $n$ is the number of vertices of the tree and $p$ the number of paths. Another result is a polynomial algorithm computing a kernel in the intersection graph, when its edges are oriented in a clique-acyclic way. Indeed, such a kernel exists for any perfect graph by a theorem of Boros and Gurvich. Such algorithms computing kernels are known only for few classes of perfect graphs.

Given a network with a continuum of users at some origins, suppose that the users wish to reach specific destinations, but that they are not indifferent to the time needed to reach their destination. They may have several possibilities (of routes or deparure time), but their choices modify the travel times on the network. Hence, each user faces the following problem: given a pattern of travel times for the different possible routes that reach the destination, find a shortest path. The situation in a context of perfect information is a so-called Nash equilibrium, and the question whether there is such an equilibrium and of finding it if it exists is the so-called equilibrium assignment problem. It arises for various kind of networks, such as computers, communication or transportation network. When each user occupies permanently the whole route from the origin to its destination, we call it the static assignment problem, which has been extensively studied with pioneers works by Wardrop or Beckmann. A less studied, but more realistic, and maybe more difficult, problem is when the time needed to reach an arc is taken into account. We speak then of a dynamic assignment problem. Several models have been proposed. For some of them, the existence of an equilibrium has been proved, but always under some technical assumptions or in a very special case (a network with one arc for the case when the users may chose their departure time). The present paper proposes a compact model, with minimal and natural assumptions. For this model, we prove that there is always an equilibrium. To our knowledge, this imply all previous results about existence of an equilibrium for the dynamic assignment problem., Comment: 13 pages

The notion of polytopal map between two polytopal complexes is defined. Surprisingly, this definition is quite simple and extends naturally those of simplicial and cubical maps. It is then possible to define an induced chain map between the associated chain complexes. Finally, we use this new tool to give the first combinatorial proof of the splitting necklace theorem of Alon. The paper ends with open questions, such as the existence of Sperner's lemma for a polytopal complex or the existence of a cubical approximation theorem., Comment: Presented at the TGGT 08 Conference, May 2008, Paris. The definition of a polytopal map has been modified

Carath\'eodory's, Helly's and Radon's theorems are three basic results in discrete geometry. Their max-plus counterparts have been proved by various authors. In this paper, more advanced results in discrete geometry are shown to have also their max-plus counterparts: namely, the colorful Carath\'eodory theorem and the Tverberg theorem. A conjecture connected to the Tverberg theorem -- Sierksma's conjecture --, although still open for the usual convexity, is shown to be true in the max-plus settings., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures

We analyse the large momentum behaviour of 4-dimensional massive euclidean Phi-4-theory using the flow equations of Wilson's renormalization group. The flow equations give access to a simple inductive proof of perturbative renormalizability. By sharpening the induction hypothesis we prove new and, as it seems, close to optimal bounds on the large momentum behaviour of the correlation functions. The bounds are related to what is generally called Weinberg's theorem., Comment: 14 pages