A Subpolynomial Approximation Algorithm for Graph Crossing Number in Low-Degree Graphs

We consider the classical Minimum Crossing Number problem: given an $n$-vertex graph $G$, compute a drawing of $G$ in the plane, while minimizing the number of crossings between the images of its edges. This is a fundamental and extensively studied problem, whose approximability status is widely open. In all currently known approximation algorithms, the approximation factor depends polynomially on $\Delta$ -- the maximum vertex degree in $G$. The best current approximation algorithm achieves an $O(n^{1/2-\varepsilon}\cdot \text{poly}(\Delta\cdot\log n))$-approximation, for a small fixed constant $\epsilon$, while the best negative result is APX-hardness, leaving a large gap in our understanding of this basic problem. In this paper we design a randomized $O\left(2^{O((\log n)^{7/8}\log\log n)}\cdot\text{poly}(\Delta)\right )$-approximation algorithm for Minimum Crossing Number. This is the first approximation algorithm for the problem that achieves a subpolynomial in $n$ approximation factor (albeit only in graphs whose maximum vertex degree is subpolynomial in $n$). In order to achieve this approximation factor, we design a new algorithm for a closely related problem called Crossing Number with Rotation System, in which, for every vertex $v\in V(G)$, the circular ordering, in which the images of the edges incident to $v$ must enter the image of $v$ in the drawing is fixed as part of the input. Combining this result with the recent reduction of [Chuzhoy, Mahabadi, Tan '20] immediately yields the improved approximation algorithm for Minimum Crossing Number. We introduce several new technical tools, that we hope will be helpful in obtaining better algorithms for the problem in the future.