West Virginia University

College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

 

CS391 A/CS491 I: Approximation Algorithms

Spring 2001

 

3 credit hours

 

Class Info:      Meeting times:    Tu-Th  11:00-12:15                       

                        Location:            Engineering Sciences Building E-201

 

Instructor:      K. Subramani               

Email:                ksmani@csee.wvu.edu

                        Office:               ESB 749                       

                        Office phone:     293-0405 ext2559    

 

Office Hours:    Times:     Monday:            9:00-11:00 am

                                         Friday:               10:00-11:00 am

                                       Or by appointment    

 

 

Prerequisites: An introduction to Linear Algebra and Algorithms.

 

 

Text ( Main ) :  Complexity and Approximation, Ausiello, et. al. Springer-Verlag.            ( A )

Text ( Auxiliary ): Combinatorial Optimization, B. Korte and  J. Vygen, Springer –Verlag  ( B )

 

Web-page:      A World Wide Web (WWW) homepage is maintained for this class at the following URL:

http://www.community.wvu.edu/~krsubramani/courses/approx/approx.html

 

                        This web-page will contain important announcements and materials handed out in class, including homework solutions.

 

Assessment:    Midterm                                         40 %

                         Final Exam                                     50%

                         Lecture Notes                                10%

         

                    You can opt out of the final exam and work on a project instead that will have a

substantial research component.

 

Grade

Boundaries:    A         75%                 You are guaranteed at least the letter grade shown here if you

                        B          60%                 obtain the corresponding score.  However, at the discretion of

                        C          50%                 the instructor, these decision boundaries may be adjusted in

                        D         40%                 the students’ favor.  A ‘+’ or ‘-’ grade may be reported if the

                                                            score is near a boundary.

 

 

 

Homework/Computer

Assignments:  There will be no homeworks.

Exams:            There will be a  midterm and a comprehensive final exam. You can substitute a research project for the final exam.

Missed Test

Policy:             You are expected to attend the final exam at the scheduled time and date.   If you have an unavoidable conflict, please let me know as soon as possible, but no later than one week before the exam.  The decision to give a make-up examination is at my discretion.  If you miss the exam without first having your absence approved, then the only acceptable excuse is for documented urgent medical reasons or approval by the appropriate university official.

 

Honor Code:  All work submitted for the quizzes, midterm and final exam must be your own unaided work. You may confer with your colleagues on interpretation and approach to homework problems (including the computer assignments), but the solutions must be your own.  All code that you turn in for your computer assignments must be well documented and entirely your own work (except for code that was given to you by the instructor).

 

Regrading:      If you believe that I made a mistake or was unfair in my grading, you may request a regrade.  However, the request must be made in writing and within one week that the assignment or exam was returned.  The decision to change the grade is entirely at the discretion of the instructor.

 

Attendance:    Attendance will not be taken.  However, you will be responsible for all material covered in class, even if it is not in the textbook.  It is your responsibility to make sure that all assignments are turned in on time and that you are aware of all announcements made in class.  Please arrive to class on time.

Social Justice

Statement:      West Virginia University is committed to social justice. I concur with that commitment and expect to foster a nurturing learning environment, based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration. If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangements with Disability Services (293-6700).  If you feel that you are being treated inappropriately or unfairly in any way, please feel free to bring your concerns to my attention. Please be assured that doing so will not prejudice the grading process. In return, I expect you to behave professionally and ethically.

 


 

 

Tentative Schedule

 

No.      Date            Lecture Topic            Reading

 

1.         01/09     Course Overview                                                                            Syllabus

2.         01/11     Linear Programming – Simple Models                                            Chapter 3 ( B )

3.         01/16     Linear Programming ( Modeling )                                                   Chapter 3 ( B )

4.         01/18     Fundamentals of Simplex Algebra                                                   Chapter 3 ( B )

5.         01/23     Simplex Algebra ( contd. )                                                              Chapter 3 ( B )

6.         01/25     The Simplex Method                                                                      Chapter 3 ( B )

7.         01/30      Simplex  ( contd. )                                                                         Chapter 3 ( B )

8.         02/01      Special Simplex                                                                             Lecture Notes

9.         02/06      Duality                                                                                          Chapter 3 ( B )

10.       02/08      Duality ( contd. )                                                                           Chapter 3 ( B )

11.       02/13      Integer Programming ( Modeling )                                                 Chapter 5 ( B )

12.       02/15      Modeling ( contd. )                                                                        Chapter 5 ( B )

13.       02/20      Network Models                                                                            Chapter 5 ( B )

14.       02/22      Network Models ( contd. )                                                             Chapter 5 ( B )

15.       02/27      Cutting Planes ( MIDTERM posted on Web )                               Chapter 5 ( B )

16.       03/01      Introduction to Complexity Classes                                       Ch.15,16 (B), Ch.1 ( A )

17.       03/06      Complexity Classes ( contd. )                                                              

18.       03/08      The Vertex-Cover Problem                                                            Ch.2,5 ( A )

19.       03/13      Vertex Cover ( contd. )                                                                  Ch. 2,5 ( A )

20.       03/15      The Independent Set Problem                                                        Chapter 2 ( A )

21.       03/20      The Traveling Salesman Problem                                                  Chapter 2 ( A )

22.       03/22      TSP ( contd. )                                                                               Lecture Notes

23.       04/03      The Knapsack problem                                                           Ch 2 ( A ), Ch 17 ( B )

24.       04/05      Knapsack ( contd. )                                                                            

25.       04/10      Scheduling Uniprocessor                                                              Chapter 2 ( A )

26.       04/12      Scheduling Multiprocessor                                                            Lecture Notes

27.       04/17      Hardness of Approximations                                                         Chapter 3  ( A )

28.       04/19      Inapproximability                                                                          Lecture Notes

29.       04/24      Matroid Theory                                                                             Chapter 13

30.       04/26      Conclusion ( Final exam )