Analysis of a near-metric TSP approximation algorithm
The traveling salesman problem (TSP) is one of the most fundamental optimization problems. We consider the -metric traveling salesman problem ( -TSP), , the TSP restricted to graphs satisfying the -triangle inequality ({}) ≤ (({}) + ({})), for some cost function and any three vertices . The well-known path matching Christofides algorithm (PMCA) guarantees an approximation ratio of 3 /2 and is the best known algorithm for the -TSP, for 1 ≤ ≤ 2. We provide...