A (1-e^-1-ε)-Approximation for the Monotone Submodular Multiple Knapsack Problem
We study the problem of maximizing a monotone submodular function subject to a Multiple Knapsack constraint (SMKP) . The input is a set I of items, each associated with a non-negative weight, and a set of bins, each having a capacity. Also, we are given a submodular, monotone and non-negative function f over subsets of the items. The objective is to find a subset of items A ⊆ I and a packing of the items in the bins, such that f(A) is maximized. SMKP is a natural extension of both Multiple Knapsack and the problem of monotone submodular maximization subject to a knapsack constraint. Our main result is a nearly optimal polynomial time (1-e^-1-ε)-approximation algorithm for the problem, for any ε>0. Our algorithm relies on a refined analysis of techniques for constrained submodular optimization combined with sophisticated application of tools used in the development of approximation schemes for packing problems.
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