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Introduction.To.Algorithms,.Second.Edition下载
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Preface
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the modern study of computer
algorithms. It presents many algorithms and covers them in considerable depth, yet makes
their design and analysis accessible to all levels of readers. We have tried to keep
explanations elementary without sacrificing depth of coverage or mathematical rigor.
Each chapter presents an algorithm, a design technique, an application area, or a related topic.
Algorithms are described in English and in a "pseudocode" designed to be readable by anyone
who has done a little programming. The book contains over 230 figures illustrating how the
algorithms work. Since we emphasize efficiency as a design criterion, we include careful
analyses of the running times of all our algorithms.
The text is intended primarily for use in undergraduate or graduate courses in algorithms or
data structures. Because it discusses engineering issues in algorithm design, as well as
mathematical aspects, it is equally well suited for self-study by technical professionals.
In this, the second edition, we have updated the entire book. The changes range from the
addition of new chapters to the rewriting of individual sentences.
To the teacher
This book is designed to be both versatile and complete. You will find it useful for a variety
of courses, from an undergraduate course in data structures up through a graduate course in
algorithms. Because we have provided considerably more material than can fit in a typical
one-term course, you should think of the book as a "buffet" or "smorgasbord" from which you
can pick and choose the material that best supports the course you wish to teach.
You should find it easy to organize your course around just the chapters you need. We have
made chapters relatively self-contained, so that you need not worry about an unexpected and
unnecessary dependence of one chapter on another. Each chapter presents the easier material
first and the more difficult material later, with section boundaries marking natural stopping
points. In an undergraduate course, you might use only the earlier sections from a chapter; in
a graduate course, you might cover the entire chapter.
We have included over 920 exercises and over 140 problems. Each section ends with
exercises, and each chapter ends with problems. The exercises are generally short questions
that test basic mastery of the material. Some are simple self-check thought exercises, whereas
others are more substantial and are suitable as assigned homework. The problems are more
elaborate case studies that often introduce new material; they typically consist of several
questions that lead the student through the steps required to arrive at a solution.
We have starred (⋆) the sections and exercises that are more suitable for graduate students
than for undergraduates. A starred section is not necessarily more difficult than an unstarred
one, but it may require an understanding of more advanced mathematics. Likewise, starred
exercises may require an advanced background or more than average creativity.
To the student
We hope that this textbook provides you with an enjoyable introduction to the field of
algorithms. We have attempted to make every algorithm accessible and interesting. To help
you when you encounter unfamiliar or difficult algorithms, we describe each one in a step-bystep
manner. We also provide careful explanations of the mathematics needed to understand
the analysis of the algorithms. If you already have some familiarity with a topic, you will find
the chapters organized so that you can skim introductory sections and proceed quickly to the
more advanced material.
This is a large book, and your class will probably cover only a portion of its material. We
have tried, however, to make this a book that will be useful to you now as a course textbook
and also later in your career as a mathematical desk reference or an engineering handbook.
What are the prerequisites for reading this book?
• You should have some programming experience. In particular, you should understand
recursive procedures and simple data structures such as arrays and linked lists.
• You should have some facility with proofs by mathematical induction. A few portions
of the book rely on some knowledge of elementary calculus. Beyond that, Parts I and
VIII of this book teach you all the mathematical techniques you will need.
To the professional
The wide range of topics in this book makes it an excellent handbook on algorithms. Because
each chapter is relatively self-contained, you can focus in on the topics that most interest you.
Most of the algorithms we discuss have great practical utility. We therefore address
implementation concerns and other engineering issues. We often provide practical alternatives
to the few algorithms that are primarily of theoretical interest.
If you wish to implement any of the algorithms, you will find the translation of our
pseudocode into your favorite programming language a fairly straightforward task. The
pseudocode is designed to present each algorithm clearly and succinctly. Consequently, we do
not address error-handling and other software-engineering issues that require specific
assumptions about your programming environment. We attempt to present each algorithm
simply and directly without allowing the idiosyncrasies of a particular programming language
to obscure its essence.
To our colleagues
We have supplied an extensive bibliography and pointers to the current literature. Each
chapter ends with a set of "chapter notes" that give historical details and references. The
chapter notes do not provide a complete reference to the whole field of algorithms, however.
Though it may be hard to believe for a book of this size, many interesting algorithms could
not be included due to lack of space.
Despite myriad requests from