Spring 2017 Syllabus

Description Analytic Combinatorics aims to enable precise quantitative predictions of the properties of large combinatorial structures. The theory has emerged over recent decades as essential both for the scientific analysis of algorithms in computer science and for the study of scientific models in many other disciplines. This course combines motivation for the study of the field with an introduction to underlying techniques, by covering as applications the analysis of numerous fundamental algorithms from computer science. The second half of the course introduces Analytic Combinatorics, starting from basic principles.

Prerequisites COS 226 and COS 340 or equivalent background in computer science and mathematics.

Staff


Robert Sedgewick
Faculty
Office hours: by appointment anytime Wednesday , CS 319.

Jérémie Lumbroso
Faculty
Office hours: Tuesday, 3–4, CS 209.

RESOURCES

Required Reading (1st half)
Analysis of Algorithms, 2nd Edition
Robert Sedgewick and Philippe Flajolet
Addison-Wesley, 2013
ISBN 0-321-90575-X
[ Amazon · Inform IT ].
Required Reading (2nd half)
Analytic Combinatorics,
by Philippe Flajolet and Robert Sedgewick
Cambridge University Press, 2009
ISBN 978-0-521-89806-5.
[ Amazon ].

Lectures Available as studio-produced videos for students to watch at their own pace (and rewatch to clear up any confusion and to study for exams), two lectures per week. The first lecture will be a live lecture (no videos available) that places the course content in a CS context by considering a CS application with wide impact. Anyone with an interest in learning what analytic combinatorics is all about is welcome to attend (Monday, February 6, Louis A. Simpson International Building, Meeting Room A71, 3:00-4:20).

Class Meetings Wednesdays 3:00–4:20, Louis A. S. A71. For exams, exam and assignment preparation and postmortem, and enrichment as appropriate. Except for exams and the first meeting, class meetings will normally last less than an hour and are optional. The first lecture is a live lecture on Monday, February 6; otherwise we will not meet on Mondays.

Online course materials Lecture videos, lecture slides, assignments, and other resources are accessible through the Analysis of Algorithms and Analytic Combinatorics booksites. The "Online Course Materials" tab on the booksites is another path to these resources. The lecture videos for Analysis of Algorithms are accessible only on campus—if you want off-campus access, learn about VPN, or purchase access here.

GRADING

Your grade for the course will be based on the following components:

Exams are in-class, closed-book, no-electronics. A one-page cheatsheet is allowed, one-sided for the midterm and two-sided for the final.

For problem sets, you may work together in groups of two or three (no larger) and discuss approaches to solving problems, but you must document such collaboration and each student must prepare all submitted solutions without assistance from anyone.

To be fair to people who sumbit on time and to minize disruption to our grading workflow, we need to deduct points at our discretion for late submissions, but it is always better to submit than to not submit.

Copyright.   All rights reserved. None of this material may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission. Permission is granted to instructors who adopt the textbooks to use this material in conjunction with their course.