INTRODUCTION TO COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION
Focuses on optimization problems over discrete structures, such as shortest paths, spanning trees, flows, matchings, and the traveling salesman problem. We will investigate structural properties of these problems, and we will study both exact methods for their solution, and approximation algorithms.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: MATH 320 , 340 , 341 , 345 , 375 , graduate/professional standing, or member of the Pre-Masters Mathematics (Visiting International) Program Course Designation: Breadth - Physical Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify and use the structural properties of combinatorial optimization problems Audience: Undergraduate 2. Apply algorithms for the solution -exact or approximate- of a combinatorial optimization problem Audience: Undergraduate 3. Explain why the algorithms studied are correct and understand their running time Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify and use the structural properties of combinatorial optimization problems Audience: Undergraduate 2. Apply algorithms for the solution -exact or approximate- of a combinatorial optimization problem Audience: Undergraduate 3. Explain why the algorithms studied are correct and understand their running time Audience: Undergraduate
Sources
Catalogue variants
- INTRODUCTION TO COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION · 3 credits.