COMP 480/580 Probabilistic Algorithms and Data Structures

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  • Overview

    This course will be ideal for someone wanting to build a strong foundation in the theory and practice of algorithms for processing Big-Data. We will discuss advanced data structures and algorithms going beyond deterministic setting and emphasize the role of randomness in getting significant, often exponential, improvements in computations and memory.

    Grading

    Prerequisite

    COMP 182 or equivalent required. COMP 382 is useful but not required. Basic Knowledge of Probability. Knowledge of programming is required. Capability to manipulate primitive data structures such as arrays, list, etc. will be needed for assignments.

    Materials

    Most of the materials (scribes and slides) needed will be posted on this website. Some of the materials are fairly new and textbook is yet to be written. A Nice Book to have is "Probability and Computing: Randomized Algorithms and Probabilistic Analysis " by Michael Mitzenmacher and Eli Upfal.

    Schedule

    Students with Disability

    If you have a documented disability that may affect academic performance, you should: 1) make sure this documentation is on file with Disability Support Services (Allen Center, Room 111 / adarice@rice.edu / x5841) to determine the accommodations you need; and 2) meet with me to discuss your accommodation needs.