The Plogi and ACi-1 operators on the polynomial time hierarchy

Abstract

In a previous paper ([CS-92]) we studied the agreement of operators P_{log^i} and AC^{i-1} acting on NP. In this article we extend this work to other classes of the polynomial time hierarchy. We show that on Sigma_k^p, Pi_k^p, Delta_k^P and Theta_k^P-classes both operators have the same behaviour, but this coincidence does not seem to be true on other classes included in the PH hierarchy: we give a set A such that, relativized to A, P_{log^i}(P_{log^j}(NP)) is different from AC^{i-1}(P_{log^j}(NP)). As a result of these characterizations we show P_{log}(Theta_k^p) = Theta_k^p, an equality that is useful to show lowness properties. In fact, we get easily the Theta-lowness results given by Long and Sheu in their paper [LS-91]. Besides, we clarify the situation of the classes in L_2^{p,Delta} for which their membership to L_2^{p,Theta} was not clear.