Title
Interpolation in Valiant’s Theory
Abstract
We investigate the following question: if a polynomial can be evaluated at rational points by a polynomial-time boolean algorithm, does it have a polynomial-size arithmetic circuit? We argue that this question is certainly difficult. Answering it negatively would indeed imply that the constant-free versions of the algebraic complexity classes VP and VNP defined by Valiant are different. Answering this question positively would imply a transfer theorem from boolean to algebraic complexity. Our proof method relies on Lagrange interpolation and on recent results connecting the (boolean) counting hierarchy to algebraic complexity classes. As a by-product, we obtain two additional results: The constant-free, degree-unbounded version of Valiant’s hypothesis VP ≠ VNP implies the degree-bounded version. This result was previously known to hold for fields of positive characteristic only. If exponential sums of easy to compute polynomials can be computed efficiently, then the same is true of exponential products. We point out an application of this result to the P = NP problem in the Blum–Shub–Smale model of computation over the field of complex numbers.
Year
DOI
Venue
2011
10.1007/s00037-011-0002-8
Computational Complexity
Keywords
DocType
Volume
Computational complexity, algebraic complexity, Valiant’s model, polynomials, interpolation, Blum–Shub–Smale model, 68Q15
Journal
20
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
1
1420-8954
9
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.58
14
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Pascal Koiran1919113.85
Sylvain Perifel2646.61