Baker game and polynomial-time approximation schemes

Abstract: Baker devised a technique to obtain approximation schemes for many optimization problems restricted to planar graphs; her technique was later extended to more general graph classes. In particular, using the Baker's technique and the minor structure theorem, Dawar et al. gave Polynomial-Time Approximation Schemes (PTAS) for all monotone optimization problems expressible in the first-order logic when restricted to a proper minor-closed class of graphs. We define a Baker game formalizing the notion of repeated application of Baker's technique interspersed with vertex removal, prove that monotone optimization problems expressible in the first-order logic admit PTAS when restricted to graph classes in which the Baker game can be won in a constant number of rounds, and prove without use of the minor structure theorem that all proper minor-closed classes of graphs have this property.