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TITLE: Correlation Decay and Deterministic Approximation Algorithms
SPEAKER: Dr. Prasad Tetali
ABSTRACT:
The notion of a correlation decay, originating in statistical physics, has recently played an important role in yielding deterministic approximation algorithms for various counting problems. I will try to illustrate this technique with two examples: counting matchings in bounded degree graphs, and counting independent sets in certain subclasses of claw-free graphs.