COMP 317 Algorithms Analysis
This course introduces the principles of algorithm design and the theory of computation. Students learn how computational problems are expressed as precise, step-by-step procedures - algorithms - and how such procedures shape the practice of computer science. The course examines major design paradigms, including greedy methods, divide-and-conquer, dynamic programming, and algorithms for flows and cuts, along with the analytical tools used to evaluate their efficiency. Additionally, this course goes beyond algorithm design to consider the limits of computation: when certain problems cannot be solved efficiently, or at all. This exploration leads to the study of NP-completeness and the foundations of computability theory. Together, these perspectives reveal both the power and the boundaries of algorithmic thinking.
Sub-field: THEORY