Narrowing the LOCAL$\unicode{x2013}$CONGEST Gaps in Sparse Networks via Expander Decompositions

Many combinatorial optimization problems can be approximated within $(1 \pm \epsilon)$ factors in $\text{poly}(\log n, 1/\epsilon)$ rounds in the LOCAL model via network decompositions [Ghaffari, Kuhn, and Maus, STOC 2018]. These approaches require sending messages of unlimited size, so they do not extend to the CONGEST model, which restricts the message size to be $O(\log n)$ bits. In this paper, we develop a generic framework for obtaining $\text{poly}(\log n, 1/\epsilon)$-round $(1\pm \epsilon)$-approximation algorithms for many combinatorial optimization problems, including maximum weighted matching, maximum independent set, and correlation clustering, in graphs excluding a fixed minor in the CONGEST model. This class of graphs covers many sparse network classes that have been studied in the literature, including planar graphs, bounded-genus graphs, and bounded-treewidth graphs. Furthermore, we show that our framework can be applied to give an efficient distributed property testing algorithm for an arbitrary minor-closed graph property that is closed under taking disjoint union, significantly generalizing the previous distributed property testing algorithm for planarity in [Levi, Medina, and Ron, PODC 2018 & Distributed Computing 2021]. Our framework uses distributed expander decomposition algorithms [Chang and Saranurak, FOCS 2020] to decompose the graph into clusters of high conductance. We show that any graph excluding a fixed minor admits small edge separators. Using this result, we show the existence of a high-degree vertex in each cluster in an expander decomposition, which allows the entire graph topology of the cluster to be routed to a vertex. Similar to the use of network decompositions in the LOCAL model, the vertex will be able to perform any local computation on the subgraph induced by the cluster and broadcast the result over the cluster.