Limits of Computation

by: Edna E. Reiter (Author),Clayton Matthew Johnson(Author)
Edition: 1st

Publication Date: December 6, 2012

Language: English

Print Length: 280 pages

ISBN-10: 1439882061

ISBN-13: 9781439882061

Book Description

Limits of Computation: An Introduction to the Undecidable and the Intractable offers a gentle introduction to the theory of computational complexity. It explains the difficulties of computation, addressing problems that have no algorithm at all and problems that cannot be solved efficiently. The book enables readers to understand: What does it mean for a problem to be unsolvable or to be NP-complete?What is meant by a computation and what is a general model of a computer?What does it mean for an algorithm to exist and what kinds of problems have no algorithm?What problems have algorithms but the algorithm may take centuries to finish?Developed from the authors’ course on computational complexity theory, the text is suitable for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students without a strong background in theoretical computer science. Each chapter presents the fundamentals, examples, complete proofs of theorems, and a wide range of exercises.
Limits of Computation: An Introduction to the Undecidable and the Intractable offers a gentle introduction to the theory of computational complexity. It explains the difficulties of computation, addressing problems that have no algorithm at all and problems that cannot be solved efficiently. The book enables readers to understand: What does it mean for a problem to be unsolvable or to be NP-complete?What is meant by a computation and what is a general model of a computer?What does it mean for an algorithm to exist and what kinds of problems have no algorithm?What problems have algorithms but the algorithm may take centuries to finish?Developed from the authors’ course on computational complexity theory, the text is suitable for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students without a strong background in theoretical computer science. Each chapter presents the fundamentals, examples, complete proofs of theorems, and a wide range of exercises.