CS 6820 - Analysis of Algorithms

General Information

Lectures can be intense, busy following the proofs while writing them all down. But you’re not responsible for all of it, so it’s nice to just learn a bunch of cool things.

Prerequisites

• CS 4820 - Introduction to Algorithms

Topics Covered

Varies wildly, depending on who’s teaching the course. See the professor’s past websites for their “style” of teaching this course (i.e., Bobby goes for a more combinatorial optimization focus, while Dexter focuses on CS 4820 topics, but at greater depth).

Workload

Biweekly problem sets. Very interesting problems, but they can get really hard (or impossible) occasionally. Write-up is done collaboratively, which is different from 4820. Having gotten an A in 4820 is highly recommended, but does not imply you will be able to handle the course material, as it often involves current research in the field of Algorithms.

General Advice

Find a few ugrad/grad students to work together, and have fun bouncing ideas off each other. If you are really stuck, go to OH, and there will be light.

Testimonials

(Fall 2012) Best CS class at Cornell. Much more theorem proving than CS 4820. Bobby introduced me to spectral graph theory, which is now my research area! Highly recommend.

I took this with rdk, and I had a lot of fun. Recommend it if you love analyzing/proving algorithms.

(Fall 2010) Very, very fun class. One of the few classes where I was completely engaged every lecture. While the topics are more challenging than CS 4820, it was easier to keep up, since there were fewer homeworks (only 4, for this semester).

Past Offerings

Resources