Design and Analysis of Algorithms

Course Basics

Section 01: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:30AM - 12:20AM, Science Center 199
Lab A: Thursday 1:05PM - 2:35PM, Clothier Hall 016
Lab B: Thursday 2:45PM - 4:15PM, Clothier Hall 016
Instructor: Joshua Brody
Email: lastname at cs.swarthmore.edu
Office: Science Center 260
Office Hours: Monday 9-11, Tuesday 3:30-5:00
whenever my office door is open, and by appointment
Other Section: Lila Fontes (MWF 11:30-12:20, SCI 183)
Textbook: Algorithm Design, by Kleinberg and Tardos. (K&T)
See also Introduction to Algorithms, by Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest, Stein.
Course Discussion: Piazza (mandatory enrollment)
Only the Kleinberg and Tardos book is required, but CLRS is a useful reference.

Welcome to CS41. This class explores algorithmic design and analysis in a more formal approach than CS21 or CS35. Algorithmic problems arise in many diverse areas of computer science. Often, one must take open ended, abstract, real-world problems and extract a clean mathematical problem that can be approached algorithmically. Designing a solution requires knowing the rules and common techniques of the model of computation used. Multiple models represent various abstractions of real computer systems and may result in very different solutions. Regardless of the model however, good algorithmic design requires careful analysis of complexity and proofs of correctness. Topics covered include asymptotic notation, graph algorithms, greedy algorithms, divide and conquer, dynamic programming, NP-completeness, approximation algorithms, and randomized algorithms.