Balanced Min Cost Flow on Skew Symmetric Networks with Convex Costs

Abstract

We consider the solution of matching problems with a convex cost function via a network flow algorithm. We review the general mapping between matching problems and flow problems on skew symmetric networks and revisit several results on optimality of network flows. We use these results to derive a balanced capacity scaling algorithm for match ing problems with a linear cost function. The latter is later generalized to a balanced capacity scaling algorithm also for a convex cost function. We prove the correctness and discuss the complexity of our solution.