Approximation Algorithm

By Prof. Palash Dey | IIT Kharagpur

Learners enrolled: 1300 | Exam registration: 52

ABOUT THE COURSE:
Many real-world problems are NP-complete. Hence, they are unlikely to admit a polynomial-time algorithm. In this course, we will study various techniques to design efficient algorithms to compute an approximately optimal solutions.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Under-graduate and post-graduate students and faculty members.

PREREQUISITES: Knowledge of algorithm design principles.

INDUSTRY SUPPORT: All software companies especially Google, Microsoft, etc.

Summary

Course Status :	Completed
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Computer Science and Engineering Foundations of Computing
Credit Points :	3
Level :	Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date :	22 Jul 2024
End Date :	11 Oct 2024
Enrollment Ends :	05 Aug 2024
Exam Registration Ends :	16 Aug 2024
Exam Date :	26 Oct 2024 IST

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1: Review of NP-Completeness

Week 2: Approximation algorithm for the vertex cover, set cover, and traveling salesman problem

Week 3: Approximation algorithm for the Knapsack problem and the job scheduling problems

Week 4: Basics of linear programming

Week 5: Deterministic rounding: set cover, vertex cover problems

Week 6: Deterministic rounding: steiner tree, facility location problems

Week 7: Randomized rounding: max-SAT problem

Week 8: Randomized rounding: steiner tree, facility location problems

Week 9: Primal-dual method: set cover

Week 10: Primal-dual method: steiner tree

Week 11: Semidefinite programming: max cut

Week 12: Hardness of approximation: travelling salesman problem, job scheduling

Books and references

1. Approximation Algorithms by Vijay V Vazirani.
2. The Design of Approximation Algorithm by David P. Williamson David B. Shmoys.

Instructor bio

Prof. Palash Dey

IIT Kharagpur

Prof. Palash Dey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur since 2018. Before joining IIT Kharagpur, he was a post-doctoral INSPIRE faculty in TIFR, Mumbai for one year. He finished his Ph.D. and M.E. from the Department of Computer Science and Automation at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 2017 and 2013 respectively. Prior to that, he finished his B.E. from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Jadavpur University in 2010. His primary field of research is algorithmic game theory. He is broadly interested in theoretical computer science.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.
The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).
Date and Time of Exams: 26 October 2024 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.
Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.
The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.
Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Kharagpur .It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team

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