Question

Given: Set of Set of Intervals. Example {{(1,2), (3,4)}, {(1, 3)}, {(13,14)}}

Wanted Result: Largest Subset, in which no Interval overlaps with another from every Set pairwise.

Example:

Input {{(1,2), (3,4)}, {(1, 3)}, {(13,14)}}

A possible Solution would be: {{(1,2), (3,4)}, {(13,14)}}

Another could be {{(1, 3)}, {(13,14)}},
it's not important that the solution above has more 'subelements',
its only important that 2 = |{{(1,2), (3,4)}, {(13,14)}}| = |{{(1, 3)}, {(13,14)}}|

Now i am looking for a good/efficient Algorithm to solve that problem.

Answer 1

Call the set containing the sets of intervals $S$ and build a graph $G_S$ from $S$ as follows: Each set of intervals $I \in S$ becomes a vertex, and there is an edge between interval set $I$ and interval set $J$ if and only if some interval in $I$ overlaps with some interval in $J$. So for your example, the graph would have three vertices:

$$ A = {(1,2),(3,4)}, B = {(1,3)}, C = {(13,14)}$$

And there is an edge from $A$ to $B$ since $(1,2)$ overlaps $(1,3)$.

Now, the number of connected components of $G_S$ gives you the "number of non-pairwise overlapping interval sets" and picking a vertex from each connected component furnishes a solution to your problem.

So back to your example: the connected components are $AB$ and $C$, so you can pick either $A$ and $C$ or $B$ and $C$, as you have said.

Regarding efficiency: the worst-case complexity of building this graph is $O(m^2n^2)$ where $m$ is the cardinality of $S$ and $n$ is the maximal cardinality of any interval set $I \in S$.

Answer 2

Vel Nias gave almost the right answer in:

http://mathoverflow.net/questions/98651/how-to-get-the-largest-subset-of-a-set-of-sets-of-intervals-with-no-overlapping-i/98663#98663

but instead of the connected components we are looking for the maximum independent set in this graph.

Answer 3

This paper claims to solve the problem.