One-Way Functions and Polynomial Time Dimension

This work solves an open problem regarding the rate of time-bounded Kolmogorov complexity and polynomial-time dimension, conditioned on a hardness assumption. Hitchcock and Vinodchandran (CCC 2004) show that the polynomial-time dimension of infinite sequences (denoted ${\mathrm{cdim}}_\mathrm{P}$) defined using betting algorithms called gales, is lower bounded by the asymptotic lower rate of polynomial-time Kolmogorov complexity (denoted $\mathcal{K}_\text{poly}$). Hitchcock and Vindochandran and Stull asked whether the converse relationship also holds. This question has thus far resisted resolution. The corresponding unbounded notions, namely, the constructive dimension and the asymptotic lower rate of unbounded Kolmogorov complexity are equal for every sequence. Analogous notions are equal even at finite-state level. In view of these results, it is reasonable to conjecture that the polynomial-time quantities are identical for every sequence and set of sequences. However, under a plausible assumption which underlies modern cryptography - namely the existence of one-way functions, we refute the conjecture thereby giving a negative answer to the open question posed by Hitchcock and Vinodchandran and Stull . We show the following, conditioned on the existence of one-way functions: There are sets $\mathcal{F}$ of infinite sequences whose polytime dimension strictly exceeds $\mathcal{K}_\text{poly}(\mathcal{F})$, that is ${\mathrm{cdim}}_\mathrm{P}(\mathcal{F}) > \mathcal{K}_\text{poly}(\mathcal{F})$. We establish a stronger version of this result, that there are individual sequences $X$ whose poly-time dimension strictly exceeds $\mathcal{K}_\text{poly}(X)$, that is ${\mathrm{cdim}}_\mathrm{P}(X) > \mathcal{K}_\text{poly}(X)$. Further, we show that the gap between these quantities can be made arbitrarily close to 1. We also establish similar bounds for strong poly-time dimension