CS 483 Spring 2016
Design and Analysis of Algorithms

Lecture time: Tuesday and Thursday 10:30am-11:45am

Location: Art and Design Building 2026

Course webpage: http://www.cs.gmu.edu/~lifei/teaching/cs483spring16

Credit: 3

Instructor: Fei Li, Room 5326, Engineering Building, email: lifei@cs.gmu.edu

Office hours: Thursday 12:00pm-2:00pm

Teaching assistant: Phi Hung Le, Room 4456, Engineering Building, email: ple13@masonlive.gmu.edu

Office hours: Monday 11:30am-1:30pm; Wednesday 10:30am-12:30pm

News:

-        04/14/16: Assignment 6 is released. Its due date is 04/28.

-        03/29/16: Assignment 5 is released. Its due date is 04/07 04/12.

-        03/17/16: Assignment 4 is released. Its due date is 03/24.

-        02/25/16: Assignment 3 is released. Its due date is 03/03.

-        02/18/16: Assignment 2 is released. Its due date is 02/25.

-        02/04/16: Assignment 1 is released. Its due date is 02/11.

-        01/27/16: Make-up class is scheduled on May 3rd.

-        January 26th is the last day to add.

Course overview:

In this course, a thorough examination of several well-known techniques that are used for the design and analysis of efficient algorithms will be covered. Topics to be covered include theoretical measures of algorithm complexity, greedy algorithms, divide and conquer techniques, dynamic programming, graph algorithms, search strategies, and an introduction to the theory of NP-completeness.

Prerequisites:

CS 310 and CS 330 Calculus (MATH 113, 114, 213) and MATH 125. Please contact with the instructor if you are not sure.

Textbook:

Algorithm Design by Jon Kleinberg and Eva Tardos, Addison Wesley (2006).

Reserved at the Gateway Library inside the Johnson Center QA76.9.A43 K54 2006

Course materials:

Lectures

Dates

Topics

Lecture Notes

Scopes

Assignments

Notes

1

01/19

Introduction

 

 

 

2

01/21

Introduction

Representative Problems

Chapter 1.1-1.2

 

Solved Exercises

 

Demo

01/26

Class canceled due to snow

 

 

 

 

3

01/28

 

 

 

 

 

4

02/04

Algorithm Analysis

Analysis

Chapter 2.1, 2,2, 2.4, Solved Exercises

Assignment 1:

Page 67: Problem 4, Problem 6, Problem 8

 

5

02/09

 

 

 

 

6

02/11

Graphs

Graphs

Chapter 3.1-3.3

 

Assignment 1 is due

02/16

 

Class canceled due to snow

 

 

 

 

 

7

02/18

Graphs

Graphs

Chapter 3.4-3.6

Solved Exercises

Assignment 2:

Page 107: Problem 2, Problem 10, Problem 12

 

8

02/23

Greedy Algorithms

Greedy Algorithms 1

Chapter 4.1-4.2

 

 

9

02/25

 

Greedy Algorithm 2

Chapter 4.4-4.5

Assignment 3:

Page 189: Problem 3, Problem 5, Problem 7

Assignment 2 is due

10

03/01

 

 

 

 

 

11

03/03

 

 

 

 

Assignment 3 is due

03/08

Spring break

 

 

 

 

 

03/10

Spring break

 

 

 

 

 

12

Midterm Exam

03/15

 

 

 

 

 

13

03/17

 

 

 

Assignment 4:

Page 188: Problem 1, Problem 2

 

14

03/22

Divide and Conquer

Divide and Conquer 1

Chapter 5.1-5.3

 

 

15

03/24

 

Divide and Conquer 2

Master Theorem

 

Assignment 4 is due

16

03/29

 

 

 

Assignment 5:

Page 246: Problem 1, Problem 3

Implement your algorithms (for Problem 1 and Problem 3)

You can generate you own input files for these two problems.

You can use C, Java, or Python.

Sample input (test file) is at:

http://mason.gmu.edu/~ple13/cs483/

 

17

03/31

 

 

 

 

 

18

04/05

Dynamic Programming

Dynamic Programming 1

 

 

 

19

04/07

 

Dynamic Programming 2

 

 

Assignment 5 is due

20

04/12

 

 

 

 

Assignment 5 is due

21

04/14

 

 

 

Assignment 6:

Page 312: Problem 1, Problem 2. Write your solutions on papers for 1(a)-1(b) and 2(a).

Implement your algorithms for 1(c) and 2(b)

You can generate you own input files for these two problems.

You can use C, Java, or Python.

 

22

04/19

Network Flows

Network Flows 1

Demo

 

 

 

23

04/21

 

 

 

 

24

04/26

Network Flows 2

 

 

 

25

04/28

 

 

 

 

Assignment 6 is due

26

05/03 (Makeup class)

Review

 

 

 

 

27

Final Exam

05/10

9:45am-11:45am

 

 

 

 

 

 

Topics:

In this course, we will consider the algorithm design and analysis techniques of various problems coming from the following areas:

Analysis of Algorithm Efficiency (asymptotic notation, amortized analysis)

Brute Force Techniques (sorting, search, traveling salesmen)

Divide and Conquer (merge sort, quicksort, matrix multiplication, polynomial multiplication)

Graph decomposition and search (connected components, shortest path problem)

Greedy Techniques (minimum spanning tree, Huffman trees)

Dynamic Programming (edit distance,matrix chainmultiplication, knapsack, all pairs shortest paths)

Linear Programming (network flows, matching, simplex, duality)

Randomized Algorithms

Course outcomes:

An understanding of classical problems in Computer Science

An understanding of classical algorithm design and analysis strategies

An ability to analyze the computability of a problem

Be able to design and analyze new algorithms to solve a computational problem

An ability to reason algorithmically

Tentative grading:

Weekly assignments or quizzes (10 * 3 ~ 30%)

Midterm exam (30%)

Final exam (40%)

Policies:

Hand in hard copies of assignments in class. Please note that all coursework is to be done independently. Plagiarizing the homework will be penalized by maximum negative credit and cheating on the exam will earn you an F in the course. See the GMU Honor Code System and Policies at http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/acadpol.html and http://www.cs.gmu.edu/honor-code.html. You are encouraged to discuss the material BEFORE you do the assignment. As a part of the interaction you can discuss a meaning of the question or possible ways of approaching the solution. The homework should be written strictly by yourself. In case your solution is based on the important idea of someone else please acknowledge that in your solution, to avoid any accusations.

Academic honesty:

The integrity of the University community is affected by the individual choices made by each of us. GMU has an Honor Code with clear guidelines regarding academic integrity. Three fundamental and rather simple principles to follow at all times are that: (1) all work submitted be your own; (2) when using the work or ideas of others, including fellow students, give full credit through accurate citations; and (3) if you are uncertain about the ground rules on a particular assignment, ask for clarification. No grade is important enough to justify academic misconduct. 

Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another person without giving the person credit. Writers give credit through accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes. Paraphrased material must also be cited, using MLA or APA format. A simple listing of books or articles is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in the academic setting. If you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism, please see me.

Disability statement:

If you have a learning or physical difference that may affect your academic work, you will need to furnish appropriate documentation to the Disability Resource Center. If you qualify for accommodation, the DRC staff will give you a form detailing appropriate accommodations for your instructor.

In addition to providing your professors with the appropriate form, please take the initiative to discuss accommodation with them at the beginning of the semester and as needed during the term. Because of the range of learning differences, faculty members need to learn from you the most effective ways to assist you. If you have contacted the Disability Resource Center and are waiting to hear from a counselor, please tell me.