A Deterministic $0.401$-Approximation for Non-monotone Submodular Maximization under Matroid Constraints

Abstract

Submodular maximization arises in a wide range of combinatorial optimization problems and has been extensively studied from the perspective of approximation algorithms. For maximizing nonnegative, non-monotone submodular functions subject to a matroid constraint, randomized algorithms achieve a $0.401$-approximation, whereas obtaining comparable deterministic guarantees remains challenging. In this paper, we present a deterministic $0.401$-approximation algorithm in the exact value and independence oracle model, improving upon the previous deterministic guarantee of $(0.385-\varepsilon)$ \cite{ChenGLSZ2026}. Our algorithm builds on the extended multilinear extension and provides a deterministic implementation of the recursive guided framework underlying the randomized $0.401$-approximation algorithm. The main technical ingredient is a direction oracle supported on at most two partitioned matroid bases. This oracle simultaneously satisfies the growth condition required by the extended-multilinear update and an approximate stationarity condition needed to construct the recursive guides. The resulting finite-support representation enables exact evaluation of the relevant expectations and marginal values without random sampling. The algorithm uses polynomially many value- and independence-oracle queries.