Summary of selected chapters:

# Chapter 3

• $f(n)=\Theta(g(n))$ is a sandwich bound ( = )
• $f(n)=O(g(n))$ is a tight upperbound ( ≤ )
• $f(n)=\Omega(g(n))$ is a tight lowerbound ( ≥ )
• $f(n)=o(g(n))$ is a loose upperbound ( $% $ )
• $f(n)=\omega(g(n))$ is a loose lowerbound ( $>$ )

e.g. $2n^2 = O(n^2)$ but $2n^2 \neq o(n^2)$, $n=o(n^2)$ and $n=O(n^2)$, $f(n)=\omega(g(n))\;\implies\;\Omega(g(n))$

# Chapter 4

How to prove an recurrence formula?

• Substitution method: Guess the anser and proof it by mathematical induction
• Recursion tree: Build a tree with the nodes denoting the fixed cost and children denotes recurred functions. Then sum up all nodes after the tree is complete
• Using master theorem: For solving $T(n)=aT(n/b)+f(n)$

Master theorem: Let $T(n)=aT(n/b)+f(n)$ where $a\ge 1$ and $b>1$. The term $n/b$ in the formula can also be $\textrm{ceil}(n/b)$ and $\textrm{floor}(n/b)$. $T(n)$ is defined on non-negative integers. Then,

• If $f(n)=O(n^{\log_b a-\epsilon})\ \exists\epsilon>0$ then $T(n)=\Theta(n^{\log_b a})$
• If $f(n)=\Theta(n^{\log_b a})$ then $T(n)=O(n^{\log_b a}\log_2 n)$
• If $f(n)=\Omega(n^{\log_b a+\epsilon})\ \exists\epsilon>0$ and $% n_0 %]]>$ then $T(n)=\Theta(f(n))$

Interpretation of the master theorem: The recursion $T(n)=aT(n/b)$ gives $\Theta(n^{\log_b a})$. Thus if the recursion part dominates, the solution is this. But if the $f(n)$ part dominates, the result is as $f(n)$. If both parts weigh equally, both appears in the result. The proof is in section 4.4.

# Chapter 5

## Calculating probability using indicator variable

Let $I_A$ be an indicator (0 or 1) of event $A$ happened. Then the expected value of $I_A$ equals to the probability of $A$.

Example: To interview n random persion in sequential order, how many times we see the best-candidate-so-far? If we are interviewing the $k$-th persion, it is the best so far in probability of $1/k$. Defining $X_k$ to be the indicator of best-so-far, the count $N$ satisfies $E(N)=\sum_k E(X_k)=\sum_k 1/k = O(\log n)$. Indeed, $E(N)=\ln n + O(1)$.

In $n$ bins and $m$ balls, each ball falls in a bin randomly. Find the probability that no bin contains ≥2 balls.

For $m=2$, the probability is $1/n$ and the probability of not is $1-1/n$. For $m=3$, the probability of not is $1\times(1-\frac{1}{n})\times(1-\frac{2}{n})$ (first ball $\times$ second ball $\times$ third ball)

Thus for general $m$ ($m\le n$), it is $\prod_{k=1}^{m-1} (1-\frac{k}{n})$. In case $% $, we have $e^x = 1+ x + x^2/2! + \cdots \approx 1+x$ thus $\prod_{k=1}^{m-1}(1-\frac{k}{n})=\prod_{k=1}^{m-1}e^{-k/n}=\exp(-\frac{m(m-1)}{2n})$

For probability of $% $, what is the marginal $m$?
Solving $\exp(-\frac{m(m-1)}{2n}) \le \frac{1}{2}$ gives $(m-1)m\ge 2n ln2$, then

## Bibliographic data

@book{
title = "Introduction to Algorithms",
edition = "2nd",
author = "Thomas H. Cormen and Charles E. Leiserson and Ronald L. Rivest and Clifford Stein",
publisher = "MIT Press",
year = "2002",
}