Polynomial approximation algorithms for the TSP and the QAP with a factorial domination number

Glover and Punnen (J. Oper. Res. Soc. 48 (1997) 502) asked whether there exists a polynomial time algorithm that always produces a tour which is not worse than at least n!/p(n) tours for some polynomial p(n) for every TSP instance on n cities. They conjectured that, unless P = NP, the answer to this question is negative. We prove that the answer to this question is, in fact, positive. A generalization of the TSP, the quadratic assignment problem, is also considered with respect to the analogous question. Probabilistic, graph-theoretical, group-theoretical and number-theoretical methods and results are used. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.