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Algorithms Unplugged

  • Book
  • © 2011

Overview

Editors:
  1. Berthold Vöcking

    1. Lehrstuhl für Informatik I, Algorithmen und Komplexität, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

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  2. Helmut Alt

    1. Institut für Informatik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

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  3. Martin Dietzfelbinger

    1. Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Fakultät für Informatik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany

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  4. Rüdiger Reischuk

    1. Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

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  5. Christian Scheideler

    1. Institut für Informatik, Universität Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany

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  6. Heribert Vollmer

    1. Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany

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  7. Dorothea Wagner

    1. Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

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  • Derived from a successful education project Sample algorithms offered for interesting, everyday problems Contributors are among the leading researchers and educators in algorithms

  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (41 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-X
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  2. Searching and Sorting

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-4
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    2. Binary Search

      • Thomas Seidl, Jost Enderle
      Pages 5-11

    3. Insertion Sort

      • Wolfgang P. Kowalk
      Pages 13-16

    4. Fast Sorting Algorithms

      • Helmut Alt
      Pages 17-25

    5. Parallel Sorting - The Need for Speed

      • Rolf Wanka
      Pages 27-37

    6. Topological Sorting - How Should I Begin to Complete My To Do List?

      • Hagen Höpfner
      Pages 39-45

    7. Searching Texts - But Fast! The Boyer-Moore-Horspool Algorithm

      • Markus E. Nebel
      Pages 47-56

    8. Depth-First Search (Ariadne & Co.)

      • Michael Dom, Falk Hüffner, Rolf Niedermeier
      Pages 57-68

    9. Pledge's Algorithm - How to Escape from a Dark Maze

      • Rolf Klein, Tom Kamphans
      Pages 69-75

    10. Cycles in Graphs

      • Holger Schlingloff
      Pages 77-88

    11. PageRank - What Is Really Relevant in the World-Wide Web?

      • Ulrik Brandes, Gabi Dorfmüller
      Pages 89-96

  3. Arithmetic and Encryption

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 97-100
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    2. Multiplication of Long Integers - Faster than Long Multiplication

      • Arno Eigenwillig, Kurt Mehlhorn
      Pages 101-109

    3. The Euclidean Algorithm

      • Friedrich Eisenbrand
      Pages 111-117

    4. The Sieve of Eratosthenes - How Fast Can We Compute a Prime Number Table?

      • Rolf H. Möhring, Martin Oellrich
      Pages 119-130

    5. One-Way Functions - Mind the Trap - Escape Only for the Initiated

      • Rüdiger Reischuk, Markus Hinkelmann
      Pages 131-139

    6. The One-Time Pad Algorithm - The Simplest and Most Secure Way to Keep Secrets

      • Till Tantau
      Pages 141-146

    7. Public-Key Cryptography

      • Dirk Bongartz, Walter Unger
      Pages 147-158

    8. How to Share a Secret

      • Johannes Blömer
      Pages 159-168
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Keywords

About this book

Algorithms specify the way computers process information and how they execute tasks. Many recent technological innovations and achievements rely on algorithmic ideas – they facilitate new applications in science, medicine, production, logistics, traffic, communi¬cation and entertainment. Efficient algorithms not only enable your personal computer to execute the newest generation of games with features unimaginable only a few years ago, they are also key to several recent scientific breakthroughs – for example, the sequencing of the human genome would not have been possible without the invention of new algorithmic ideas that speed up computations by several orders of magnitude. The greatest improvements in the area of algorithms rely on beautiful ideas for tackling computational tasks more efficiently. The problems solved are not restricted to arithmetic tasks in a narrow sense but often relate to exciting questions of nonmathematical flavor, such as: How can I find the exit out of a maze? How can I partition a treasure map so that the treasure can only be found if all parts of the map are recombined? How should I plan my trip to minimize cost? Solving these challenging problems requires logical reasoning, geometric and combinatorial imagination, and, last but not least, creativity – the skills needed for the design and analysis of algorithms. In this book we present some of the most beautiful algorithmic ideas in 41 articles written in colloquial, nontechnical language. Most of the articles arose out of an initiative among German-language universities to communicate the fascination of algorithms and computer science to high-school students. The book can be understood without any prior knowledge of algorithms and computing, and it will be an enlightening and fun read for students and interested adults.

Reviews

From the reviews:

“This work uses a concise presentation style with an efficient problem-solution approach for selected algorithms to solve most common situations in the modern world. The book outlines algorithms that can be applied in areas such as cryptography, evolutionary distance calculations in bioinformatics, and Internet search engines. … this book will be most useful as a resource for computer science students. … it may also be of interest to mathematics students with the appropriate background. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.” (V. Mathura, Choice, Vol. 48 (11), August, 2011)

“Presents 41 articles designed to communicate the fascination of algorithms to high-school students and interested adults. Indeed, most of us will easily find something fascinating here. … a wonderful resource for students as each chapter can be the basis for further study and research projects. … Every library used by computer science or mathematics students should include Algorithms Unplugged. It admirably achieves its purpose of engaging readers and making a book on algorithms fun to read. Many readers will be motivated to explore further.” (Art Gittleman, The Mathematical Association of America, April, 2011)

Editors and Affiliations

  • Lehrstuhl für Informatik I, Algorithmen und Komplexität, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Berthold Vöcking

  • Institut für Informatik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Helmut Alt

  • Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Fakultät für Informatik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany

    Martin Dietzfelbinger

  • Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

    Rüdiger Reischuk

  • Institut für Informatik, Universität Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany

    Christian Scheideler

  • Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Heribert Vollmer

  • Institut für Theoretische Informatik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

    Dorothea Wagner

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Algorithms Unplugged

  • Editors: Berthold Vöcking, Helmut Alt, Martin Dietzfelbinger, Rüdiger Reischuk, Christian Scheideler, Heribert Vollmer, Dorothea Wagner

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15328-0

  • Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

  • eBook Packages: Computer Science, Computer Science (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-642-15327-3Published: 11 January 2011

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-662-50600-4Published: 23 August 2016

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-642-15328-0Published: 10 December 2010

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: X, 406

  • Topics: Popular Science, general, Computers and Education, Algorithm Analysis and Problem Complexity

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