Previous work on the partial Latin square extension (PLSE) problem resulted in a 2-approximation algorithm based on the LP relaxation of a three-dimensional assignment IP formulation. We present an e=(e − 1)-approximation algorithm that is based on the LP relaxation of a packing IP formulation of the PLSE problem. c 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V. 							
						
							
					 															
					Carla P. Gomes, Rommel G. Regis, David B. Shmoys