Parameterized Algorithms

by Marek Cygan, Fedor V. Fomin, Łukasz Kowalik

This comprehensive textbook presents a clean and coherent account of most fundamental tools and techniques in Parameterized Algorithms and is a self-contained guide to the area. The book covers many of the recent developments of the field, including application of important separators, branching based on linear programming, Cut & Count to obtain faster algorithms on tree decompositions, algorithms based on representative families of matroids, and use of the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis. A number of older results are revisited and explained in a modern and didactic way. The book provides a toolbox of algorithmic techniques. Part I is an overview of basic techniques, each chapter discussing a certain algorithmic paradigm. The material covered in this part can be used for an introductory course on fixed-parameter tractability. Part II discusses more advanced and specialized algorithmic ideas, bringing the reader to the cutting edge of current research. Part III presents complexity results and lower bounds, giving negative evidence by way of W[1]-hardness, the Exponential Time Hypothesis, and kernelization lower bounds. All the results and concepts are introduced at a level accessible to graduate students and advanced undergraduate students. Every chapter is accompanied by exercises, many with hints, while the bibliographic notes point to original publications and related work.

630 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2015

Reviews

[Ali Shakiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book multiple times, once while I was a PhD student, once designing the "Advanced Algorithms Design" course for graduate students, and once when auditing the course by Professor Daniel Marx (one of the co-authors) at https://cms.cispa.saarland/paramalg/
This book, with the CLRS's algorithms book, is almost always with me when I am struggling to solve theoretical CS hard problems!

[Kaaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice read. A couple sections kinda drown you with over description but overall an enjoyable and educational coverage of the ideas :)