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Algorithms: Design and Analysis, Part 1

Date: 
Monday, July 1, 2013
https://www.coursera.org/course/algo
Platform: 
Coursera
Course topic: 
Engineering & Computer Science

In this course you will learn several fundamental principles of algorithm design. You'll learn the divide-and-conquer design paradigm, with applications to fast sorting, searching, and multiplication. You'll learn several blazingly fast primitives for computing on graphs, such as how to compute connectivity information and shortest paths. Finally, we'll study how allowing the computer to "flip coins" can lead to elegant and practical algorithms and data structures. Learn the answers to questions such as: How do data structures like heaps, hash tables, bloom filters, and balanced search trees actually work, anyway? How come QuickSort runs so fast? What can graph algorithms tell us about the structure of the Web and social networks? Did my 3rd-grade teacher explain only a suboptimal algorithm for multiplying two numbers?

FAQ: 

Will I get a statement of accomplishment after completing this class?
Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a statement of accomplishment signed by the instructor.

What is the format of the class?
The class consists of lecture videos, which are broken into small chunks, usually between eight and twelve minutes each. Some of these may contain integrated quiz questions. There will also be standalone quizzes that are not part of video lectures. There will be approximately two hours worth of video content per week.

What should I know to take this class?
How to program in at least one programming language (like C, Java, or Python); familiarity with proofs, including proofs by induction and by contradiction; and some discrete probability, like how to compute the probability that a poker hand is a full house. At Stanford, a version of this course is taken by sophomore, junior, and senior-level computer science majors.

Instructor(s)

Tim Roughgarden

Associate Professor of Computer Science and (by courtesy) Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University

Tim Roughgarden is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and (by courtesy) Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, where he holds the Chambers Faculty Scholar development chair. At Stanford, he has taught the Design and Analysis of Algorithms course for the past eight years. His research concerns the theory and applications of algorithms, especially for networks, auctions and other game-theoretic applications, and data privacy.

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