TY - JOUR T1 - Approximation algorithms for partial covering problems JF - Journal of Algorithms Y1 - 2004 A1 - Gandhi,Rajiv A1 - Khuller, Samir A1 - Srinivasan, Aravind KW - Approximation algorithms KW - Partial covering KW - Primal-dual methods KW - Randomized rounding KW - Set cover KW - Vertex cover AB - We study a generalization of covering problems called partial covering. Here we wish to cover only a desired number of elements, rather than covering all elements as in standard covering problems. For example, in k-partial set cover, we wish to choose a minimum number of sets to cover at least k elements. For k-partial set cover, if each element occurs in at most f sets, then we derive a primal-dual f-approximation algorithm (thus implying a 2-approximation for k-partial vertex cover) in polynomial time. Without making any assumption about the number of sets an element is in, for instances where each set has cardinality at most three, we obtain an approximation of 4/3. We also present better-than-2-approximation algorithms for k-partial vertex cover on bounded degree graphs, and for vertex cover on expanders of bounded average degree. We obtain a polynomial-time approximation scheme for k-partial vertex cover on planar graphs, and for covering k points in Rd by disks. VL - 53 SN - 0196-6774 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196677404000689 CP - 1 M3 - 10.1016/j.jalgor.2004.04.002 ER -