Design and Analysis of Algorithms

Course Basics

Section 01: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:30AM - 11:20AM, Science Center 183
Lab A: Thursday 1:05pm - 2:35pm, Clothier Hall 016
Lab B: Thursday 2:45pm - 4:15pm, Clothier Hall 016
Instructor: Lila Fontes
Email: fontes at cs.swarthmore.edu
Office: Science Center 258
Office Hours: M 2-4pm, and by appointment
Other Section: Bryce Wiedenbeck (MWF 11:30-12:20)
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. (If you have financial need regarding the required textbook, please come talk to me.)

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.