Parameterized algorithms for double hypergraph dualization with rank limitation and maximum minimal vertex cover

Journal article, 2011

Motivated by the need for succinct representations of all "small" transversals (or hitting sets) of a hypergraph of fixed rank, we study the complexity of computing such a representation. Next, the existence of a minimal hitting set of at least a given size arises as a subproblem. We give one algorithm for hypergraphs of any fixed rank, and we largely improve an earlier algorithm (by H. Fernau, 2005) for the rank-2 case, i.e., for computing a minimal vertex cover of at least a given size in a graph. We were led to these questions by combinatorial aspects of the protein inference problem in shotgun proteomics.