The algorithm design manual (Q4355891)

Confirming the meaning of the Greek word ``telos'', this book in the Springer-Verlag TELOS Series represents also a ``turning point'' in the rich landscape of computer-science literature; Intended to be a manual on algorithm design, the Skiena's book is considerably different from other books on algorithms because of several important reasons: (1) The algorithm design process is reduced to a sequence of questions to be asked about the problem at hand and searching into an algorithm large catalog; (2) For practical persons looking for a program more than an algorithm, the book provides pointers to solid implementations, enclosed on CD-ROM whenever they are available. Thus the critical issue in algorithm design is transferred to properly modelling the application at hand; (3) By browsing the catalog of important algorithmic problems attached to the book, the reader can identify the name of the problem (algorithm), its solution(s), computational complexity, field(s) of application etc.; (4) To provide a better relationship between the algorithmic problems and the real world, the book encloses a collection of ``war stories'', useful stories about the real problem modelling and implementation. The book is divided into two parts: (I) Techniques, a general guide to techniques for the design and analysis of computer algorithms, and (II) Resources, comprising the catalog resources, implementations, and an extensive bibliography. Since coming into details is not possible, the titles of the chapters still can offer a closer idea to the real contents of the book. Techniques (Part I) comprise Introduction to Algorithms (Ch. 1), Data Structures and Sorting (Ch. 2), Breaking Problems Down (Ch. 3) Graph Algorithms (Ch. 4), Combinatorial Search and Heuristic Methods (Ch. 5), Intractable Problems and Approximations (Ch. 6), How to Design Algorithms (Ch. 7). Resources (Part II) consist of a Catalog of Algorithmic Problems (Ch. 8: Data Structures (8.1), Numerical Problems (8.2), Combinatorial Problems (8.3), Polynomial-Time Graph Problems (8.4), Graph Problems: Hard Problems (8.5), Computational Geometry (8.6), Set and String Problems (8.7)) and Algorithmic Resources (Ch. 9: Software Systems (9.1), Data Sources (9.2), Textbooks (9.3), On-line Resources (9.4), and Professional Consulting Services (9.5)). The book comes with a substantial electronic supplement, an ISO-9660 compatible, multiplatform CD-ROM containing: (1) A complete hypertext version of the full printed book; (2) Over 50 MB of source code of C, C++, Fortran, and Pascal programs for all cited implementations. (3) There are provided more than thirty hours of audio lectures on the design and analysis of algorithms, the equivalent of a one-semester course on algorithms. In sum, an outstanding book in form and contents, prefiguring a new and very practical approach to a field always considered to be the though core of applied computer science: algorithm design and implemention.