Efficient Distributed Decomposition and Routing Algorithms in Minor-Free Networks and Their Applications

In the LOCAL model, low-diameter decomposition is a useful tool in designing algorithms, as it allows us to shift from the general graph setting to the low-diameter graph setting, where brute-force information gathering can be done efficiently. Recently, Chang and Su [PODC 2022] showed that any high-conductance network excluding a fixed minor contains a high-degree vertex, so the entire graph topology can be gathered to one vertex efficiently in the CONGEST model using expander routing. Therefore, in networks excluding a fixed minor, many problems that can be solved efficiently in LOCAL via low-diameter decomposition can also be solved efficiently in CONGEST via expander decomposition. In this work, we show improved decomposition and routing algorithms for networks excluding a fixed minor in the CONGEST model. Our algorithms cost $\text{poly}(\log n, 1/ε)$ rounds deterministically. For bounded-degree graphs, our algorithms finish in $O(ε^{-1}\log n) + ε^{-O(1)}$ rounds. Our algorithms have a wide range of applications, including the following results in CONGEST. 1. A $(1-ε)$-approximate maximum independent set in a network excluding a fixed minor can be computed deterministically in $O(ε^{-1}\log^\ast n) + ε^{-O(1)}$ rounds, nearly matching the $Ω(ε^{-1}\log^\ast n)$ lower bound of Lenzen and Wattenhofer [DISC 2008]. 2. Property testing of any additive minor-closed property can be done deterministically in $O(\log n)$ rounds if $ε$ is a constant or $O(ε^{-1}\log n) + ε^{-O(1)}$ rounds if the maximum degree $Δ$ is a constant, nearly matching the $Ω(ε^{-1}\log n)$ lower bound of Levi, Medina, and Ron [PODC 2018].