Even-Cycle Detection in the Randomized and Quantum CONGEST Model

We show that, for every k≥ 2, C_2k-freeness can be decided in O(n^1-1/k) rounds in the model by a randomized Monte-Carlo distributed algorithm with one-sided error probability 1/3. This matches the best round-complexities of previously known algorithms for k∈{2,3,4,5} by Drucker et al. [PODC'14] and Censor-Hillel et al. [DISC'20], but improves the complexities of the known algorithms for k>5 by Eden et al. [DISC'19], which were essentially of the form Õ(n^1-2/k^2). Our algorithm uses colored BFS-explorations with threshold, but with an original global approach that enables to overcome a recent impossibility result by Fraigniaud et al. [SIROCCO'23] about using colored BFS-exploration with local threshold for detecting cycles. We also show how to quantize our algorithm for achieving a round-complexity Õ(n^1/2-1/2k) in the quantum setting for deciding C_2k freeness. Furthermore, this allows us to improve the known quantum complexities of the simpler problem of detecting cycles of length at most 2k by van Apeldoorn and de Vos [PODC'22]. Our quantization is in two steps. First, the congestion of our randomized algorithm is reduced, to the cost of reducing its success probability too. Second, the success probability is boosted using a new quantum framework derived from sequential algorithms, namely Monte-Carlo quantum amplification.