Approximation Algorithms

Vijay V. Vazirani

ISBN 10: 3642084699 / ISBN 13: 9783642084690

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2010

Beschreibung

Druck auf Anfrage Neuware - Printed after ordering - Although this may seem a paradox, all exact science is dominated by the idea of approximation. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) Most natural optimization problems, including those arising in important application areas, are NP-hard. Therefore, under the widely believed con jecture that P -=/= NP, their exact solution is prohibitively time consuming. Charting the landscape of approximability of these problems, via polynomial time algorithms, therefore becomes a compelling subject of scientific inquiry in computer science and mathematics. This book presents the theory of ap proximation algorithms as it stands today. It is reasonable to expect the picture to change with time. This book is divided into three parts. In Part I we cover combinato rial algorithms for a number of important problems, using a wide variety of algorithm design techniques. The latter may give Part I a non-cohesive appearance. However, this is to be expected - nature is very rich, and we cannot expect a few tricks to help solve the diverse collection of NP-hard problems. Indeed, in this part, we have purposely refrained from tightly cat egorizing algorithmic techniques so as not to trivialize matters. Instead, we have attempted to capture, as accurately as possible, the individual character of each problem, and point out connections between problems and algorithms for solving them.

Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 9783642084690

Bibliografische Details

• Titel: Approximation Algorithms
• Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Springer Berlin Heidelberg
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2010
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN-10: 3642084699
• ISBN-13: 9783642084690
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Zustand: Neu
• Abmessungen: 235B x 155 H x 22 T Millimeter Breite: 235 mm, Höhe: 155 mm, Tiefe: 22 mm
• Gewicht: 610 Gramm

Über diesen Titel

Inhaltsangabe

Most natural optimization problems, including those arising in important application areas, are NP-hard. Therefore, under the widely believed conjecture that P≠NP, their exact solution is prohibitively time consuming. Charting the landscape of approximability of these problems, via polynomial-time algorithms, therefore becomes a compelling subject of scientific inquiry in computer science and mathematics. This book presents the theory of approximation algorithms.

This book is divided into three parts. Part I covers combinatorial algorithms for a number of important problems, using a wide variety of algorithm design techniques. Part II presents linear programming based algorithms. These are categorized under two fundamental techniques: rounding and the primal-dual schema. Part III covers four important topics: the first is the problem of finding a shortest vector in a lattice; the second is the approximability of counting, as opposed to optimization, problems; the third topic is centered around recent breakthrough results, establishing hardness of approximation for many key problems, and giving new legitimacy to approximation algorithms as a deep theory; and the fourth topic consists of the numerous open problems of this young field.

This book is suitable for use in advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses on approximation algorithms. An undergraduate course in algorithms and the theory of NP-completeness should suffice as a prerequisite for most of the chapters. This book can also be used as supplementary text in basic undergraduate and graduate algorithms courses.

 

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Charlotte y Peter Fiell son dos autoridades en historia, teoría y crítica del diseño y han escrito más de sesenta libros sobre la materia, muchos de los cuales se han convertido en éxitos de ventas. También han impartido conferencias y cursos como profesores invitados, han comisariado exposiciones y asesorado a fabricantes, museos, salas de subastas y grandes coleccionistas privados de todo el mundo. Los Fiell han escrito numerosos libros para TASCHEN, entre los que se incluyen 1000 Chairs, Diseño del siglo XX, El diseño industrial de la A a la Z, Scandinavian Design y Diseño del siglo XXI.