The fusion between graph theory and combinatorial optimization has led to theoretically profound and practically useful algorithms, yet there is no book that currently covers both areas together. Handbook of Graph Theory, Combinatorial Optimization, and Algorithms is the first to present a unified, comprehensive treatment of both graph theory and c

The fusion between graph theory and combinatorial optimization has led to theoretically profound and practically useful algorithms, yet there is no book that currently covers both areas together. Handbook of Graph Theory, Combinatorial Optimization, and Algorithms is the first to present a unified, comprehensive treatment of both graph theory and combinatorial optimization. Divided into 11 cohesive sections, the handbook's 44 chapters focus on graph theory, combinatorial optimization, and algorithmic issues. The book provides readers with the algorithmic and theoretical foundations to: Understand phenomena as shaped by their graph structures Develop needed algorithmic and optimization tools for the study of graph structures Design and plan graph structures that lead to certain desirable behavior With contributions from more than 40 worldwide experts, this handbook equips readers with the necessary techniques and tools to solve problems in a variety of applications. Readers gain exposure to the theoretical and algorithmic foundations of a wide range of topics in graph theory and combinatorial optimization, enabling them to identify (and hence solve) problems encountered in diverse disciplines, such as electrical, communication, computer, social, transportation, biological, and other networks.

Combinatorial (or discrete) optimization is one of the most active fields in the interface of operations research, computer science, and applied math ematics. Combinatorial optimization problems arise in various applications, including communications network design, VLSI design, machine vision, air line crew scheduling, corporate planning, computer-aided design and man ufacturing, database query design, cellular telephone frequency assignment, constraint directed reasoning, and computational biology. Furthermore, combinatorial optimization problems occur in many diverse areas such as linear and integer programming, graph theory, artificial intelligence, and number theory. All these problems, when formulated mathematically as the minimization or maximization of a certain function defined on some domain, have a commonality of discreteness. Historically, combinatorial optimization starts with linear programming. Linear programming has an entire range of important applications including production planning and distribution, personnel assignment, finance, alloca tion of economic resources, circuit simulation, and control systems. Leonid Kantorovich and Tjalling Koopmans received the Nobel Prize (1975) for their work on the optimal allocation of resources. Two important discover ies, the ellipsoid method (1979) and interior point approaches (1984) both provide polynomial time algorithms for linear programming. These algo rithms have had a profound effect in combinatorial optimization. Many polynomial-time solvable combinatorial optimization problems are special cases of linear programming (e.g. matching and maximum flow). In addi tion, linear programming relaxations are often the basis for many approxi mation algorithms for solving NP-hard problems (e.g. dual heuristics).

This comprehensive textbook on combinatorial optimization places special emphasis on theoretical results and algorithms with provably good performance, in contrast to heuristics. It is based on numerous courses on combinatorial optimization and specialized topics, mostly at graduate level. This book reviews the fundamentals, covers the classical topics (paths, flows, matching, matroids, NP-completeness, approximation algorithms) in detail, and proceeds to advanced and recent topics, some of which have not appeared in a textbook before. Throughout, it contains complete but concise proofs, and also provides numerous exercises and references. This sixth edition has again been updated, revised, and significantly extended. Among other additions, there are new sections on shallow-light trees, submodular function maximization, smoothed analysis of the knapsack problem, the (ln 4+ɛ)-approximation for Steiner trees, and the VPN theorem. Thus, this book continues to represent the state of the art of combinatorial optimization.

This is a supplementary volume to the major three-volume Handbook of Combinatorial Optimization set. It can also be regarded as a stand-alone volume presenting chapters dealing with various aspects of the subject in a self-contained way.

The first of a multi-volume set, which deals with several algorithmic approaches for discrete problems as well as many combinatorial problems. It is addressed to researchers in discrete optimization, and to all scientists who use combinatorial optimization methods to model and solve problems.

This comprehensive textbook on combinatorial optimisation puts special emphasis on theoretical results and algorithms with provably good performance, in contrast to heuristics. It has arisen as the basis of several courses on combinatorial optimisation and more special topics at graduate level. Since the complete book contains enough material for at least four semesters (4 hours a week), one usually selects material in a suitable way. The book contains complete (but concise) proofs, also for many deep results, some of which did not appear in a book before. Many very recent topics are covered as well, and many references are provided. Thus this book represents the state-of-the-art of combinatorial optimisation.