This course focuses on advanced algorithms and data structures in a specialized area of computer science or in a specific scientific domain. Both practical and theoretical aspects of algorithms will be explored to provide coverage of the state of the art and shortcomings of computing in the specialized area. This includes proofs of correctness and complexity analysis of the algorithms. Students will write a term paper that explores the current state of research in the area or reports on the student's implementation and experiments with algorithms for a chosen problem. Students will also be required to make presentations. The instructor will post the specifics of each course offering before the registration. With the approval of the program coordinator, this course can be taken for credit more than once, provided each instance concerns a different specialized area or domain.

This course provides a challenging introduction to the design and analysis of algorithms with an emphasis on problem solving and algorithmic research. It covers a variety of classical algorithms and data structures and their complexity, as well as deeper coverage of more advanced material; for example, linear programming, approximation algorithms, and randomized algorithms. The course will equip students with the intellectual tools to design, analyze, implement, and evaluate their own algorithms.