CS 684 Spring 2012

Graph Algorithms


Lecture Time: Monday 7:20 pm - 10:00 pm
Location: Sandbridge Hall 107
Course webpage: http://www.cs.gmu.edu/~lifei/teaching/cs684_spring12
Credit: 3

Instructor: Fei Li, Room 5326, Engineering Building, email: lifei@cs.gmu.edu
Office hours: Monday 2:00pm - 4:00pm

NEW:

Course Overview:

This is an advanced course in the design and analysis of efficient algorithms. The emphasis is on algorithms for standard graph problems, such as minimum spanning trees, shortest paths, network flow, and maximum matching. We will also study advanced data structures, which are crucial for the more advanced topics. Randomized algorithms will also be discussed.

Prerequisites:

CS 583. Please contact with the instructor if you are not sure.

Highly Recommended Reference Books:

Combinatorial Optimization, Theory and Algorithms by Bernhard Korte and Jen Vygen, Springer, 4th Edition (2008). (GMU's libraries have online versions of this book.)

Networks, Crowds, and Markets: Reasoning about a Highly Connected World by David Easley and Jon Kleinberg, Cambridge University Press, (2010).

Introduction to Graph Theory by Douglas B. West, 2nd Edition (2000). The 3rd Edition is coming. You may want to wait for the 3rd Edition.

More General Reference Books:

Combinatorial Optimization: Algorithms and Complexity by C. H. Papadimitriou and K. Steiglitz, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall, c1982, Reprinted by Dover Books, (1998).

Algorithm Design by Jon Kleinberg and Eva Tardos, Pearson Education, Inc. (2006). (You can find the sample chapters on the webpage.)

Introduction to Algorithms by T. H. Cormen, C. E. Leiserson, R. L. Rivest, and C. Stein, The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2nd Edition (2001).

Some handouts.
Course Materials (Tentative):
 
Lectures
Dates
Topics
Lecture Notes
Scopes
Notes
1
01/23/2012
 

Tentative Grading:

Midterm Exam (30%)

Final Exam (30%)

Assignments (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.