Path Coupling Using Stopping Times

摘要

We analyse the mixing time of Markov chains using path coupling with stopping times. We apply this approach to two hypergraph problems. We show that the Glauber dynamics for independent sets in a hypergraph mixes rapidly as long as the maximum degree Δ of a vertex and the minimum size m of an edge satisfy m ≥ 2Δ + 1. We also state results that the Glauber dynamics for proper q-colourings of a hypergraph mixes rapidly if m ≥ 4 and q > Δ, and if m = 3 and q ≥ 1.65Δ We give related results on the hardness of exact and approximate counting for both problems.