The Discrepancy Method: Randomness and Complexity

ISBN-13: 9780521770934 / Angielski / Twarda / 2000 / 494 str.

Bernard Chazelle; B. Chazelle

Opis

The discrepancy method has produced the most fruitful line of attack on a pivotal computer science question: What is the computational power of random bits? It has also played a major role in recent developments in complexity theory. This book tells the story of the discrepancy method in a few succinct independent vignettes. The chapters explore such topics as communication complexity, pseudo-randomness, rapidly mixing Markov chains, points on a sphere, derandomization, convex hulls and Voronoi diagrams, linear programming, geometric sampling and VC-dimension theory, minimum spanning trees, circuit complexity, and multidimensional searching. The mathematical treatment is thorough and self-contained, with minimal prerequisites. More information can be found on the book's home page at http: //www.cs.princeton.edu/ chazelle/book.html.

Recenzje

' … the main point is that by presenting the discrepancy method in such an impressive way as this book does, the author helps us to imagine the fantastic possibilities that randomization opens up to everybody, and he shows that current research in theoretical computer science has an astonishing impact on common fundamentals of all sciences. I believe that any reader interested in principal questions will enjoy this book.' The Computer Journal

Spis treści

1. Combinatorial discrepancy; 2. Upper bounds in geometric discrepancy; 3. Lower bounds in geometric discrepancy; 4. Sampling; 5. Geometric searching; 6. Complexity lower bounds; 7. Convex hulls and Voronoi diagrams; 8. Linear programming and extensions; 9. Pseudo-randomness; 10. Communication complexity; 11. Minimum spanning trees; A. Probability theory; B. Harmonic analysis; C. Convex geometry.