Lectures on Proof Verification and Approximation Algorithms

• Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
• Other Authors: Mayr, Ernst W. (Editor, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/edt), Prömel, Hans Jürgen (Editor, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/edt), Steger, Angelika (Editor, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/edt)
• Format: Electronic eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg : Imprint: Springer, 1998.
• Edition: 1st ed. 1998.
• Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1367
• Subjects: Computers.; Algorithms.; Computer science-Mathematics.; Combinatorics.; Calculus of variations.; Theory of Computation.; Algorithm Analysis and Problem Complexity.; Discrete Mathematics in Computer Science.; Computation by Abstract Devices.; Calculus of Variations and Optimal Control; Optimization.
• Physical Description: XII, 348 p. online resource.
• ISBN: 9783540697015
• ISSN: 0302-9743 ;
• DOI: 10.1007/BFb0053010

During 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.