A General Composition Theorem for Approximate Degree

Abstract: A longstanding open question in Boolean function complexity asks whether approximate degree composes multiplicatively under block composition. Although a general multiplicative upper bound is known, matching lower bounds have previously been established only for restricted classes of functions. We resolve this question for all total Boolean functions by proving the matching lower bound. Together with Sherstov's upper bound, our result shows that, for every pair of total Boolean functions $f:{0,1}<sup>n\to{0,1}$ and $g:{0,1}<sup>m\to{0,1}$, [ \widetilde{deg}(f\circ g) = Θ!\left( \widetilde{deg}(f)\,\widetilde{deg}(g) \right), ] where $\widetilde{deg}$ denotes constant-error approximate degree.