Algorithms: Approximation Algorithms

4 units · Graduate courses (200-299)

Lecture, four hours; outside study, eight hours. Requisite: course 180. Background in discrete mathematics helpful. Theoretically sound techniques for dealing with NP-Hard problems. Inability to solve these problems efficiently means algorithmic techniques are based on approximation—finding solution that is near to best possible in efficient running time. Coverage of approximation techniques for number of different problems, with algorithm design techniques that include primal-dual method, linear program rounding, greedy algorithms, and local search. Letter grading.