Preface.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Greedy Strategy.- 3. Restriction.- 4. Partition.- 5. Guillotine Cut.- 6. Relaxation.- 7. Linear Programming.- 8. Primal-Dual Scheme and Local Ratio.- 9. Semidefinite Programming.- 10. Inapproximability.- Bibliography.- Index.

When precise algorithmic solutions are difficult to compute, the use of approximation algorithms can help. Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms is a textbook for a graduate course in theoretical computer science taught globally in universities. It can also be used as a reference work for researchers in the area of design and analysis algorithms. There are few texts available for this standard course, and those that do exist mainly follow a problem-oriented format. This text follows a structured, technique-oriented presentation. Approximation algorithms are organized into chapters based on the design techniques for the algorithms, enabling the reader to study algorithms of the same nature with ease, and providing an improved understanding of the design and analysis techniques for approximation algorithms. Instructors benefit from this approach allowing for an easy way to present the ideas and techniques of algorithms with a unified approach.

From the reviews:“This book is intended for graduate courses of different levels, and course plans based on different chapter selections are proposed. Each chapter is accompanied by several pages of exercises and historical notes, setting the material and the references in context. The comprehensive bibliography covers a huge amount of literature in the heuristics and approximations area, as well as specific application problems. The index is detailed. This makes the book a good source for a course on approximation algorithms. ...For the more advanced reader the book seems to be an excellent in-depth resource on approximation algorithms, for their beginning up to the latest developments.”—Gudula Runger, Computing Reviews“It contains a large amount of precisely selected topics covering various aspects and design techniques related to approximation algorithms. … It has been intended as a textbook for a graduate course in theoretical computer science. … it can also be used as a reference book for postgraduate students and researchers in the area of design and analysis of algorithms. It also serves as a reference for established researchers by providing efficient tools for various applied areas like applied mathematics, engineering, medicine, economics, and other sciences.” (Vladimír Lacko, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1237, 2012)“This textbook organizes approximation algorithms into chapters based on the design techniques. … this book is particularly suited for students who, possibly starting from scratch, want to first encounter, then absorb, and finally master the main techniques which have emerged as general paradigms in the design of approximation algorithms. This includes self-study by novices … but also teaching by experts in standard courses.” (Romeo Rizzi, Mathematical Reviews, January, 2013)

The technique-oriented approach provides a unified view of the design techniques for approximation algorithms Detailed algorithms, as well as complete proofs and analyses, are presented for each technique Numerous examples help the reader to better understand the design and analysis techniques Collects a great number of applications, many from recent research papers Includes a large collection of approximation algorithms of geometric problems Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras