Invitation to Fixed Parameter Algorithms

A fixed-parameter is an algorithm that provides an optimal solution to a combinatorial problem. This research-level text is an application-oriented introduction to the growing and highly topical area of the development and analysis of efficient fixed-parameter algorithms for hard problems. <br>The book is divided into three parts: a broad introduction that provides the general philosophy and motivation; followed by coverage of algorithmic methods developed over the years in fixed-parameter algorithmics forming the core of the book; and a discussion of the essential from parameterized hardness theory with a focus on W [1]-hardness which parallels NP-hardness then stating some relations to polynomial-time approximation algorithms and finishing up with a list of selected case studies to show the wide range of applicability of the presented methodology. <br>Aimed at graduate and research mathematicians programmers algorithm designers and computer scientists the book introduces the basic techniques and results and provides a fresh view on this highly innovative field of algorithmic research.