Combinatorial Optimization
for MSc Students of Electrical Engineering

Fall semester 2014


Lectures:
 

Wednesday
  8.15 - 10.00 IE 219
Wednesday
10.15 - 12.00 IB 138
Seminar:
  
Monday
 14.15 - 15.45  IE 219

Teachers:
 
Viktória Kaszanitzky
(email: kaszanitzky_AT_cs.bme.hu)
Dávid Szeszlér (email: szeszler_AT_cs.bme.hu)



Requirements:

There is going to be a midterm test on the material of the Combinatorial Optimization semicourse. According to university regulations, the midterm can be repeated either to replace an unsuccessful (or missed) midterm or to improve the result of the previously written (successful) midterm test. However, please note that it is not possible to repeat both the Stochastics midterm and the Combinatorial Optimization midterm; in other words, at least one of the two midterms has to be (successfully) written without repeating. The condition of acquiring the "signature" (that is, being allowed to attend the exam) is to pass both midterms.

Midterm Results

The date of the midterm test will be subject to common discussion (during one of the classes).

Your final grade will be made up from the following components. You can collect a maximum of 25 points by the exam; another at most 20 points by the midterm; and a final maximum of 5 points by handing in homeworks. Hence a total maximum of 50 points can be collected by the Combinatorial Optimization semicourse. Another at most 50 points were collected from the Stochastics semicourse (in a similar manner), which adds up to a maximum of 100 points. Provided that you successfully pass the final exam (both from Stochastics and from Combinatorial Optimization), your final grade depends on the total number of points obtained as follows: 85-100: excellent (5); 70-84: good (4); 55-69: average (3); 40-54: pass (2).


Exams:

Exams from the Combinatorial Optimization semicourse are going to be oral.


Exams will be held separately from Stochastics exams, however, every student is required to pass both exams (that is, both the Stochastics and the Combinatorial Optimization exam) on a common single exam week. (That is, it is unfortunately not allowed to transfer the result of a successful - say - Stochastics exams to the next week and pass only the Combinatorial Optimization exam then.)

On the Combinatorial Optimization oral exam you will be assigned one of the course topics and you will be provided (at least) 45 minutes to get prepared before the actual oral exam starts. The examiner is also likely to ask a few quick questions unrelated to the course topic you were assigned.

Exam dates are listed in Neptun. The list of exam topics is downloadable from here.

Exams will be organized as follows. On each exam day (that is, 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th of January) please show up at the oral exam no later than 10:30 A.M. The room of the oral exam will be different from the ones listed in Neptun: on th 13th of January it is QBF10, on the remaining three exam days it is QBF11. With the result of your successful Comb. Opt. oral exam you can go and participate in the Stochastics written exam at the time and place listed in Neptun. Your final result from the course will be announced together with the result of the Stochastics test.


Course Materials:

Above all, please rely on your (carefully taken) notes. Sometimes you will be provided handouts covering certain parts of the material, however, there is no (English) textbook that we could advise you to use. Some of the handouts and problem sheets used during classes will be made downloadable from here during the semester.