Analysis of Algorithms (AofA) is a field at the boundary of computer science and mathematics. The goal is to obtain a precise understanding of the asymptotic, average-case characteristics of algorithms and data structures. A unifying theme is the use of probabilistic, combinatorial, and analytic methods. The objects to be studied include random branching processes, graphs, permutations, trees, and strings.

The area of Analysis of Algorithms is frequently traced to 27 July 1963, when Donald E. Knuth wrote "Notes on Open Addressing". His fundamental books, The Art of Computer Programming, established ties between areas on study that include discrete mathematics, combinatorics, probability theory, analytic number theory, asymptotic analysis, and complexity theory.

Thirty years after Knuth's pioneering paper, the first seminar entirely devoted to the Analysis of Algorihtms was held at Dagstuhl, Germany, in 1993. Since 1993, several series of seminars related to analysis of algorithms have been established. These take place on an annual or biennial schedule; see the Meetings page for links to some of these meetings.

This website is dedicated to promoting the Analysis of Algorithms. All visitors are welcome. The bulletin board and webpages below are intended to be a forum of resources to assist both new and experienced scholars in their research and applications.


Steering Committee:
Frédérique Bassino
Jim Fill
Clemens Heuberger
Cecilia Holmgren
Bruno Salvy, Chair
Mark Daniel Ward


Click here for Proposed Bylaws


Steve Melczer has published a new text An Invitation to Analytic Combinatorics: From One to Several Variables. He characterizes the book as an "introduction to Pemantle and Wilson's book on multivariate analytic combinatorics, aimed at a similar audience to Flajolet and Sedgewick and with more of a focus on explicit computation and worked examples". See his website with Sage/Maple worksheets for examples and free copy of manuscript

The Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition has been awarded to Philippe Flajolet (posthumously) and to Bob Sedgewick for their book Analytic Combinatorics. See also the official news release.

Wojciech Szpankowski, Saul Rosen Distinguished Professor of Computer Sciences and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue, was chosen to give the fourth Flajolet lecture at the AofA 2020 meeting, but this lecture was delayed until AofA 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Svante Janson, Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Uppsala, was chosen to give the fifth Flajolet lecture at the AofA 2022 meeting. The Flajolet lecture was established in honor of the late Philippe Flajolet, the prodigious and much-loved French computer scientist who died in 2011.
  1. The first Flajolet lecture was delivered by Don Knuth, Professor Emeritus of the Art of Computer Programming at Stanford, at the AofA meeting in Paris in 2014.
  2. Bob Sedgewick, William O. Baker Professor of Computer Science at Princeton, delivered the second Flajolet lecture at AofA in Krakow in 2016.
  3. Luc Devroye, James McGill Professor of Computer Science at McGill, delivered the third Flajolet lecture at AofA in Uppsala in 2018.

Meetings

The meetings page gives a listing of upcoming and recent meetings related to the Analysis of Algorithms. Whenever possible, links are provided to the homepages for the meetings.

Upcoming Meetings

Site link, speakers, registration, submission deadlines, etc. will be posted as they become available.


AofA 2023

June 26-30, 2023
Taipei, Taiwan
Contact:
Michael Fuchs, HK Hwang, Guan-Ru Yu

Resources

The Books, Journals, and Links page is a starting point for launching into the study of the Analysis of Algorithms. In particular, there are descriptions of several fundamental books related to AofA. The conference proceedings from several meetings are also listed, including citations and links. There is also a list of websites that are relevant to the Analysis of Algorithms.

Feedback?

Any additions, corrections, or other suggestions would be appreciated. Please contact mdw@purdue.edu

Last updated: Monday, November 8, 2021