COM 304 - Algorithms |
Fall 2008 |
| Instructor-- | Danny Krizanc |
| Office-- | Bill 315A |
| Office Hours-- | Tuesday 2-6 |
| Phone-- | 860-685-2186 (Wes); 860-439-2074 (Conn) |
| E-mail-- | dkrizanc at wesleyan dot edu |
This course will cover the design and analysis of efficient algorithms. Basic topics will include greedy algorithms, divide-and-conquer algorithms, and dynamic programming. Depending on the time available other more advanced topics will be addressed such as probabilistic and heuristic algorithms as well as computational complexity.
The following textbook is required:
The list of algorithms textbooks (good and bad) grows every year. A short list of some with merit might include:
There will be five written assignments, approximately one every two weeks. The best four assignment grades will contribute 12.5 per cent to your final grade for a total of fifty per cent. No late assignments will be accepted. There will be two in-class tests worth twenty per cent each. The final ten per cent of the grade will based upon participation. You are expected to keep up with the assigned readings and come to class prepared to ask questions.
The following is the plan for the course. This is subject to change.
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Topic | Readings |
| 1 | Analysis of Algorithms | Chapters 1-3 |
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Recurrences and Divide-and-Conquer Algorithms | Chapters 4, 7, 9 (also 2.3, 28.2, 33.4) |
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Dynamic Programming | Chapters 15 and 25 |
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Chapters 1-4, 7, 9, 15, 25 |
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Greedy Algorithms | Chapters 16 and 23 |
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Computational Complexity and Approximation Algorithms | Chapters 34 and 35 |
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Chapters 16, 23, 34, 35 |
| Report problems to dkrizanc at wesleyan.edu
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