Lectures on Proof Verification and Approximation Algorithms
Author: Ernst W. Mayr
Publisher: Springer
Published: 2006-06-08
Total Pages: 351
ISBN-13: 3540697012
DOWNLOAD EBOOKDuring the last few years, we have seen quite spectacular progress in the area of approximation algorithms: for several fundamental optimization problems we now actually know matching upper and lower bounds for their approximability. This textbook-like tutorial is a coherent and essentially self-contained presentation of the enormous recent progress facilitated by the interplay between the theory of probabilistically checkable proofs and aproximation algorithms. The basic concepts, methods, and results are presented in a unified way to provide a smooth introduction for newcomers. These lectures are particularly useful for advanced courses or reading groups on the topic.