Jens Vygen

The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is a central topic in discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science. It has been one of the driving forces in combinatorial optimization. The design and analysis of better and better approximation algorithms for the TSP has proved challenging but very fruitful. This is the first book on approximation algorithms for the TSP, featuring a comprehensive collection of all major results and an overview of the most intriguing open problems. Many of the presented results have been discovered only recently, and some are published here for the first time, including better approximation algorithms for the asymmetric TSP and its path version. This book constitutes and advances the state of the art and makes it accessible to a wider audience. Featuring detailed proofs, over 170 exercises, and 100 color figures, this book is an excellent resource for teaching, self-study, and further research.

This comprehensive textbook on combinatorial optimization places special emphasis on theoretical results and algorithms with provably good performance, in contrast to heuristics. It is based on numerous courses on combinatorial optimization and specialized topics, mostly at graduate level. This book reviews the fundamentals, covers the classical topics (paths, flows, matching, matroids, NP-completeness, approximation algorithms) in detail, and proceeds to advanced and recent topics, some of which have not appeared in a textbook before. Throughout, it contains complete but concise proofs, and also provides numerous exercises and references. This sixth edition has again been updated, revised, and significantly extended. Among other additions, there are new sections on shallow-light trees, submodular function maximization, smoothed analysis of the knapsack problem, the (ln 4+?)-approximation for Steiner trees, and the VPN theorem. Thus, this book continues torepresent the state of the art of combinatorial optimization.

Algorithmen spielen eine immer wichtigere Rolle in fast allen Bereichen der Mathematik. Dieses Lehrbuch eignet sich für den Studienbeginn und stellt den klassischen Vorlesungen über Analysis und Lineare Algebra eine dritte mathematische Grundvorlesung zur Seite, die die Autoren in den letzten Jahren mehrfach an der Universität Bonn gehalten haben. Ziel dieses Buches ist die Vermittlung grundlegender mathematischer Fähigkeiten, besonders im Hinblick auf Entwurf und Analyse von Algorithmen, sowie deren Implementierung. Neben einigen fundamentalen Algorithmen (z. B. Sieb des Eratosthenes, Euklidischer Algorithmus, Sortieralgorithmen, Algorithmen auf Graphen, Gauß-Elimination) werden auch elementare Datenstrukturen, graphentheoretische Grundlagen und numerische Fragen behandelt. Zudem werden grundlegende Programmierkenntnisse vermittelt, und es wird gezeigt, wie man Algorithmen in C++ implementiert. In dieser Neuauflage sind mehr als 150 Übungsaufgaben hinzugefügtworden.

Dieses umfassende Lehrbuch über Kombinatorische Optimierung ist die deutsche Übersetzung der sechsten Auflage des Buches „Combinatorial Optimization – Theory and Algorithms". Es ist aus verschiedenen Vorlesungen unterschiedlichen Niveaus (angefangen im 3. Semester des Bachelorstudiengangs) hervorgegangen, die die Autoren an der Universität Bonn gehalten haben. Das Buch legt den Schwerpunkt auf theoretische Resultate und Algorithmen mit beweisbar guten Laufzeiten und Ergebnissen. Es werden vollständige Beweise, auch für viele tiefe und neue Sätze gegeben, von denen einige bisher in der Lehrbuchliteratur noch nicht erschienen sind. Ferner enthält das Buch zahlreiche Übungsaufgaben und umfassende Literaturangaben. Diese dritte deutsche Auflage wurde entsprechend der sechsten englischen Auflage aktualisiert, überarbeitet und ergänzt. Es gibt unter anderem neue Abschnitte zu seichten leichten Bäumen, der Maximierung submodularer Funktionen, geglätteter Analyse vom Knapsack-Problem, der (ln 4 + ?)-Approximation von Steinerbäumen und dem VPN Problem. Aus Besprechungen der englischen Auflagen:"This book on combinatorial optimization is a beautiful example of the ideal textbook." Operations Research Letters 33 (2005), p.216-217"… this very recommendable book documents the relevant knowledge on combinatorial optimization and records those problems and algorithms that define this discipline today. To read this is very stimulating for all the researchers, practitioners, and students interested in combinatorial optimization." OR News 19 (2003), p.42"...gives an excellent comprehensive view of the exciting field of combinatorial optimization." Zentralblatt MATH 1149.90126

This comprehensive textbook on combinatorial optimization places special emphasis on theoretical results and algorithms with provably good performance, in contrast to heuristics. It is based on numerous courses on combinatorial optimization and specialized topics, mostly at graduate level. This book reviews the fundamentals, covers the classical topics (paths, flows, matching, matroids, NP-completeness, approximation algorithms) in detail, and proceeds to advanced and recent topics, some of which have not appeared in a textbook before. Throughout, it contains complete but concise proofs, and also provides numerous exercises and references. This sixth edition has again been updated, revised, and significantly extended. Among other additions, there are new sections on shallow-light trees, submodular function maximization, smoothed analysis of the knapsack problem, the (ln 4+?)-approximation for Steiner trees, and the VPN theorem. Thus, this book continues torepresent the state of the art of combinatorial optimization.

Algorithms play an increasingly important role in nearly all fields of mathematics. This book allows readers to develop basic mathematical abilities, in particular those concerning the design and analysis of algorithms as well as their implementation. It presents not only fundamental algorithms like the sieve of Eratosthenes, the Euclidean algorithm, sorting algorithms, algorithms on graphs, and Gaussian elimination, but also discusses elementary data structures, basic graph theory, and numerical questions. In addition, it provides an introduction to programming and demonstrates in detail how to implement algorithms in C++. This textbook is suitable for students who are new to the subject and covers a basic mathematical lecture course, complementing traditional courses on analysis and linear algebra. Both authors have given this "Algorithmic Mathematics" course at the University of Bonn several times in recent years.

Questo libro di testo di ottimizzazione combinatoria pone in particolare risalto i risultati teorici e gli algoritmi che, al contrario delle euristiche, hanno una garanzia di avere buone prestazioni. Comprende una vasta scelta di argomenti e nasce come riferimento di diversi corsi di ottimizzazione combinatoria sia di base che di livello avanzato. Il libro contiene dimostrazioni complete (ma concise) anche di molti risultati avanzati, alcuni dei quali non sono mai apparsi prima in un libro. Vengono anche trattati molti dei temi di ricerca più attuali e sono riportati molti riferimenti alla letteratura. Quindi questo libro, traduzione della quarta edizione in lingua originale, rappresenta lo stato dell’arte dell’ottimizzazione combinatoria.

Now fully updated in a third edition, this is a comprehensive textbook on combinatorial optimization. It puts special emphasis on theoretical results and algorithms with provably good performance, in contrast to heuristics. The book contains complete but concise proofs, also for many deep results, some of which have not appeared in print before. Recent topics are covered as well, and numerous references are provided. This third edition contains a new chapter on facility location problems, an area which has been extremely active in the past few years. Furthermore there are several new sections and further material on various topics. New exercises and updates in the bibliography were added.