Stockholm university
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Algorithms and Complexity

What does an algorithm cost, in time and memory? Learn to compare alternative algorithms, construct computer programs that use time and memory efficiently and identify and attack problems that are unrealistically resource demanding or not possible to solve on a computer.

In this course you will learn to develop and implement algorithms and analyze them with respect to correctness and efficiency; define the concepts P, NP, NP-completeness, undecidability, etc, to be able to identify and attack problems that are unrealistically resource demanding or not possible to solve, and to construct computer programs that use time and memory efficiently.

Course contents

Principles for construction of algorithms: Decomposition, greedy algorithms, dynamic programming, local and total search. Algorithm analysis. Approximation, algorithms and heuristics. Selected applications to sets, graphs, arithmetic, and geometry. Implementation of algorithms.

Data structures: Repetition of hash tables and heaps; balanced trees and randomised data structures. Use and implementation of data structures.

Computability and complexity: Reduction. Complexity classes P (polynomial time) and NP (non-deterministic polynomial time). NP-complete problems. Undecidable problems. Coping with untractable problems.