Iterative Methods in Combinatorial Optimization
Iterative Methods in Combinatorial Optimization

Author: Lap Chi Lau

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-04-18

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 1139499394

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With the advent of approximation algorithms for NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems, several techniques from exact optimization such as the primal-dual method have proven their staying power and versatility. This book describes a simple and powerful method that is iterative in essence and similarly useful in a variety of settings for exact and approximate optimization. The authors highlight the commonality and uses of this method to prove a variety of classical polyhedral results on matchings, trees, matroids and flows. The presentation style is elementary enough to be accessible to anyone with exposure to basic linear algebra and graph theory, making the book suitable for introductory courses in combinatorial optimization at the upper undergraduate and beginning graduate levels. Discussions of advanced applications illustrate their potential for future application in research in approximation algorithms.

Divisors and Sandpiles
Divisors and Sandpiles

Author: Scott Corry

Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.

Published: 2018-07-23

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 1470442183

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Divisors and Sandpiles provides an introduction to the combinatorial theory of chip-firing on finite graphs. Part 1 motivates the study of the discrete Laplacian by introducing the dollar game. The resulting theory of divisors on graphs runs in close parallel to the geometric theory of divisors on Riemann surfaces, and Part 1 culminates in a full exposition of the graph-theoretic Riemann-Roch theorem due to M. Baker and S. Norine. The text leverages the reader's understanding of the discrete story to provide a brief overview of the classical theory of Riemann surfaces. Part 2 focuses on sandpiles, which are toy models of physical systems with dynamics controlled by the discrete Laplacian of the underlying graph. The text provides a careful introduction to the sandpile group and the abelian sandpile model, leading ultimately to L. Levine's threshold density theorem for the fixed-energy sandpile Markov chain. In a precise sense, the theory of sandpiles is dual to the theory of divisors, and there are many beautiful connections between the first two parts of the book. Part 3 addresses various topics connecting the theory of chip-firing to other areas of mathematics, including the matrix-tree theorem, harmonic morphisms, parking functions, M-matrices, matroids, the Tutte polynomial, and simplicial homology. The text is suitable for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students.

Algebraic Combinatorics
Algebraic Combinatorics

Author: Richard P. Stanley

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-06-17

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1461469988

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Written by one of the foremost experts in the field, Algebraic Combinatorics is a unique undergraduate textbook that will prepare the next generation of pure and applied mathematicians. The combination of the author’s extensive knowledge of combinatorics and classical and practical tools from algebra will inspire motivated students to delve deeply into the fascinating interplay between algebra and combinatorics. Readers will be able to apply their newfound knowledge to mathematical, engineering, and business models. The text is primarily intended for use in a one-semester advanced undergraduate course in algebraic combinatorics, enumerative combinatorics, or graph theory. Prerequisites include a basic knowledge of linear algebra over a field, existence of finite fields, and group theory. The topics in each chapter build on one another and include extensive problem sets as well as hints to selected exercises. Key topics include walks on graphs, cubes and the Radon transform, the Matrix–Tree Theorem, and the Sperner property. There are also three appendices on purely enumerative aspects of combinatorics related to the chapter material: the RSK algorithm, plane partitions, and the enumeration of labeled trees. Richard Stanley is currently professor of Applied Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stanley has received several awards including the George Polya Prize in applied combinatorics, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Leroy P. Steele Prize for mathematical exposition. Also by the author: Combinatorics and Commutative Algebra, Second Edition, © Birkhauser.

Matroid Applications
Matroid Applications

Author: Neil White

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1992-03-05

Total Pages: 377

ISBN-13: 0521381657

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This volume, the third in a sequence that began with The Theory of Matroids and Combinatorial Geometries, concentrates on the applications of matroid theory to a variety of topics from engineering (rigidity and scene analysis), combinatorics (graphs, lattices, codes and designs), topology and operations research (the greedy algorithm).

Ant Colony Optimization
Ant Colony Optimization

Author: Marco Dorigo

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2004-06-04

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 9780262042192

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An overview of the rapidly growing field of ant colony optimization that describes theoretical findings, the major algorithms, and current applications. The complex social behaviors of ants have been much studied by science, and computer scientists are now finding that these behavior patterns can provide models for solving difficult combinatorial optimization problems. The attempt to develop algorithms inspired by one aspect of ant behavior, the ability to find what computer scientists would call shortest paths, has become the field of ant colony optimization (ACO), the most successful and widely recognized algorithmic technique based on ant behavior. This book presents an overview of this rapidly growing field, from its theoretical inception to practical applications, including descriptions of many available ACO algorithms and their uses. The book first describes the translation of observed ant behavior into working optimization algorithms. The ant colony metaheuristic is then introduced and viewed in the general context of combinatorial optimization. This is followed by a detailed description and guide to all major ACO algorithms and a report on current theoretical findings. The book surveys ACO applications now in use, including routing, assignment, scheduling, subset, machine learning, and bioinformatics problems. AntNet, an ACO algorithm designed for the network routing problem, is described in detail. The authors conclude by summarizing the progress in the field and outlining future research directions. Each chapter ends with bibliographic material, bullet points setting out important ideas covered in the chapter, and exercises. Ant Colony Optimization will be of interest to academic and industry researchers, graduate students, and practitioners who wish to learn how to implement ACO algorithms.

Handbook of Enumerative Combinatorics
Handbook of Enumerative Combinatorics

Author: Miklos Bona

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2015-03-24

Total Pages: 1073

ISBN-13: 1482220865

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Presenting the state of the art, the Handbook of Enumerative Combinatorics brings together the work of today's most prominent researchers. The contributors survey the methods of combinatorial enumeration along with the most frequent applications of these methods.This important new work is edited by Miklos Bona of the University of Florida where he

Digraphs
Digraphs

Author: Jorgen Bang-Jensen

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-06-29

Total Pages: 769

ISBN-13: 1447138864

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The study of directed graphs (digraphs) has developed enormously over recent decades, yet the results are rather scattered across the journal literature. This is the first book to present a unified and comprehensive survey of the subject. In addition to covering the theoretical aspects, the authors discuss a large number of applications and their generalizations to topics such as the traveling salesman problem, project scheduling, genetics, network connectivity, and sparse matrices. Numerous exercises are included. For all graduate students, researchers and professionals interested in graph theory and its applications, this book will be essential reading.

Combinatorial Optimization
Combinatorial Optimization

Author: Bernhard Korte

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2006-01-27

Total Pages: 596

ISBN-13: 3540292977

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This well-written textbook on combinatorial optimization puts special emphasis on theoretical results and algorithms with provably good performance, in contrast to heuristics. The book contains complete (but concise) proofs, as well as many deep results, some of which have not appeared in any previous books.

The World According to Mister Rogers
The World According to Mister Rogers

Author: Fred Rogers

Publisher: Hachette Books

Published: 2003-10-08

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13: 1401398685

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Experience a timeless collection of wisdom on love, friendship, respect, individuality, and honesty from the beloved PBS series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. There are few personalities who evoke such universal feelings of warmth as Fred Rogers. An enduring presence in American homes for more than thirty years, his plainspoken wisdom continues to guide and comfort many. The World According to Mister Rogers distills the legacy and singular worldview of this beloved American figure. An inspiring collection of stories, anecdotes, and insights—with sections devoted to love, friendship, respect, individuality, and honesty—The World According to Mister Rogers reminds us that there is much more in life that unites us than divides us. Culled from Fred Rogers' speeches, program transcripts, books, letters, and interviews, along with some of his never-before-published writings, The World According to Mister Rogers is a testament to a man who served as a role model to millions—and continues to inspire us all with his legacy.