SCI 352 Algorithms for Scientists

Content

An algorithm is a description of a solution for a problem. Students will learn various algorithm design methods, such as divide-and-conquer techniques, greedy algorithms, dynamic programming, backtracking and branch-and-bound searching. The different design techniques will be demonstrated by algorithms for a variety of both practical and theoretically interesting problems, such as problems in scheduling, optimization, graphs, games, geometry, pattern matching and linear algebra. We will also discuss lower bounds on the complexities of some problems. The course will will end with an introduction to complexity classes, NP-complete and NP-hard problems.

Instructor

Prof. Dr. Henk Meijer

Track

Computer Science

Period

Fall / 2007

Prerequisites

The following courses are required in order to take this course:

• SCI 151 Programming in Java
• SCI 251 Database Management

Additional Prerequisites

• Any two second year science courses plus permission or the instructor;
• Permission of the instructor.