Multi-Pass Streaming Algorithms for Monotone Submodular Function Maximization

We consider maximizing a monotone submodular function under a cardinality constraint or a knapsack constraint in the streaming setting. In particular, the elements arrive sequentially and at any point of time, the algorithm has access to only a small fraction of the data stored in primary memory. We propose the following streaming algorithms taking $O(\varepsilon^{-1})$ passes: ----a $(1-e^{-1}-\varepsilon)$-approximation algorithm for the cardinality-constrained problem ---- a $(0.5-\varepsilon)$-approximation algorithm for the knapsack-constrained problem. Both of our algorithms run in $O^\ast(n)$ time, using $O^\ast(K)$ space, where $n$ is the size of the ground set and $K$ is the size of the knapsack. Here the term $O^\ast$ hides a polynomial of $\log K$ and $\varepsilon^{-1}$. Our streaming algorithms can also be used as fast approximation algorithms. In particular, for the cardinality-constrained problem, our algorithm takes $O(n\varepsilon^{-1} \log (\varepsilon^{-1}\log K) )$ time, improving on the algorithm of Badanidiyuru and Vondrák that takes $O(n \varepsilon^{-1} \log (\varepsilon^{-1} K) )$ time.