On Lifting Integrality Gaps to SSEH Hardness for Globally Constrained CSPs

Abstract: A $\mu$-constrained Boolean Max-CSP$(\psi)$ instance is a Boolean Max-CSP instance on predicate $\psi:{0,1}^r \to {0,1}$ where the objective is to find a labeling of relative weight exactly $\mu$ that maximizes the fraction of satisfied constraints. In this work, we study the approximability of constrained Boolean Max-CSPs via SDP hierarchies by relating the integrality gap of Max-CSP $(\psi)$ to its $\mu$-dependent approximation curve. Formally, assuming the Small-Set Expansion Hypothesis, we show that it is NP-hard to approximate $\mu$-constrained instances of Max-CSP($\psi$) up to factor ${\sf Gap}<em>{\ell,\mu}(\psi)/\log(1/\mu)<sup>2$ (ignoring factors depending on $r$) for any $\ell \geq \ell(\mu,r)$. Here, ${\sf Gap}</em>{\ell,\mu}(\psi)$ is the optimal integrality gap of $\ell$-round Lasserre relaxation for $\mu$-constrained Max-CSP($\psi$) instances. Our results are derived by combining the framework of Raghavendra [STOC 2008] along with more recent advances in rounding Lasserre relaxations and reductions from the Small-Set Expansion (SSE) problem. A crucial component of our reduction is a novel way of composing generic bias-dependent dictatorship tests with SSE, which could be of independent interest.