A time-space tradeoff for Boolean matrix multiplication

A time-space tradeoff is established in the branching program model for the problem of computing the product of two n*n matrices over a certain semiring. It is assumed that each element of each n*n input matrix is chosen independently to be 1 with probability n/sup -1/2/ and to be 0 with probability 1-n/sup -1/2/. Letting S and T denote expected space and time of a deterministic algorithm, the tradeoff is ST= Omega (n/sup 3.5/) for T0. The lower bounds are matched to within a logarithmic factor by upper bounds in the branching program model. Thus, the tradeoff possesses a sharp break at T= Theta (n/sup 2.5/). These expected case lower bounds are also the best known lower bounds for the worst case.<>