A Simple 2-Approximation for Maximum-Leaf Spanning Tree.

For an m -edge connected simple graph G , finding a spanning tree of G with the maximum number of leaves is MAXSNP-complete. The problem remains NP-complete even if G is planar and the maximal degree of G is at most four. Lu and Ravi gave the first known polynomial-time approximation algorithms with approximation factors 5 and 3. Later, they obtained a 3 -approximation algorithm that runs in near-linear time. The best known result is Solis-Oba, Bonsma, and Lowski's O (m) -time 2 -approximation algorithm. We show an alternative simple O (m) -time 2 -approximation algorithm whose analysis is simpler. This paper is dedicated to the cherished memory of our dear friend, Professor Takao Nishizeki. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]