REASONING ABOUT ALGORITHMS

Credit Hours: 4 · Undergraduate Upper-Level

Writing algorithms is fun, but how are you sure that the algorithm you wrote is flawless? Are there computing tasks for which it is impossible to produce an efficient algorithm, or, for that matter, any algorithm? To answer these questions, you have to learn to perform mathematical reasoning about algorithmic problems and solutions COMP 382 is an introduction to such reasoning techniques. Topics covered would include elementary logic, analysis of the correctness and efficiency of algorithms, and formal computational models like finite automata and Turning machines. On the way, you are also going to learn some new algorithm design techniques.