Introduction to Algorithms and Informatics        Spring 2010

Prof. David Avis                          Wed 10:30-12          Course home page


Assessment:   (See: Reports and Grading )

1. Participation and mini-reports (40%)

2. Final report (60%)

Students will use online software to solve problems using algorithms studied in class. In the final report, each student will research and describe an important algorithm that is used in their own area of interest.


Topics:   Subject to revision.

1. The early history of algorithms and informatics

2. Graphs and networks as models: Eulerian circuits and Chinese postmen

3. Shortest paths

4. The internet, search engines and web browsers

5. The Page Rank algorithm

6. Cryptography and data security

7. Algorithms for privacy and authentication

8. Modeling and optimization

9. Visualisation

10. The Monte Carlo method

11. Can computers learn?

12. Can computers think?




May 18, 2010