INFORMATION ON CS 7301.002 (Fall'2010)
Linear Programming and Approximation Algorithms
10:00-11:15pm TTh, ECSS 2.203

Office Hours: Tue, 2:30-3:30 pm
in Room ECSS 3-611.

Teaching Assistants: Jiaofei Zhong

Office Hours: ???
Room: ??
email: fayzhong@student.utdallas.edu

Textbook

Ding-Zhu Du, Ker-I Ko and Xiaodong Hu:
Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms
Unpublished Lecture Notes (available in class)

Vjiay Vazirani:
Approximation Algorithms
Springer 2001

Lectures

Syllabus .

Chapter 1 Introduction (1) constant-Approximation
Chapter 1 Introduction (2) PTAS

Chapter 7 Linear Programming (1) Simplex Method
Chapter 7 Linear Programming (2) Combinatorial Rounding
Chapter 7 Linear Programming (3) Pipage Rounding
Reading for Pipage Rounding
Chapter 7 Linear Programming (4) Ellipsoid Method
Reading for Ellipsoid Method
Reading for Ellipsoid Method
Reading for Ellipsoid Method
Chapter 7 Linear Programming (5) Iterative Rounding
Chapter 7 Linear Programming (6) Random Rounding
Open Problems Target Coverage

Chapter 8 Primal-Dual Method and Local Ratio (1) Duality of LP
Chapter 8 Primal-Dual Method and Local Ratio (2) Primal-Dual Approximation Schema
Chapter 8 Primal-Dual Method and Local Ratio (3) Local Ratio
Chapter 8 Primal-Dual Method and Local Ratio (4) Network Problem
Chapter 8 Primal-Dual Method and Local Ratio (5) Equivalence
Problem Solving and Research Seminar
Reading for Local Ratio
Reading for Local Ratio
Reading for Local Ratio

Chapter 9 Semi-definite Programming (1) What is SDP?
Chapter 9 Semi-definite Programming (2) Interior Point Method
Chapter 9 Semi-definite Programming (3) Primal-Dual Interior-Point Method
Chapter 9 Semi-definite Programming (4) Interior-Point Method for SDP?
Chapter 9 Semi-definite Programming (5) Hyperplane Rounding
Chapter 9 Semi-definite Programming (6) Outward Rotation
Chapter 9 Semi-definite Programming (7) Multivariate Normal Rounding
Problem Solving and Research Seminar

Chapter 10 Inapproximatbility (1) Many-One Reduction with Gap
Chapter 10 Inapproximatbility (2) Gap Amplifying and Preserving
Chapter 10 Inapproximatbility (3) L-reduction and APX-Complete
Chapter 10 Inapproximatbility (4) PCP Theorems
Chapter 10 Inapproximatbility (5) O(log n)-Inapproximability
Chapter 10 Inapproximatbility (6) n^{O(1)}-Inapproximability
Chapter 10 Inapproximatbility (7) Unique-Game-Hardness
Problem Solving and Research Seminar

Homeworks, Examinations and Grade

There is no homework and no exam. After each Chapter,
a research seminar is designed to discusss possible
research project. Students are encourage to bring
their research project to the research seminar. Based
on contributions in the discussion, students will be organized
into groups to write papers. Grade will be given based on
the research performance of each student.

Please submit your report on Nov 30 about your idea on research problems that we discussed in classes.