Lecture 2-cs648

Randomized AlgorithmsCS648

Lecture 2

• Randomized Algorithm for Approximate Median

• Elementary Probability theory

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RANDOMIZED MONTE CARLO ALGORITHM FOR

APPROXIMATE MEDIAN

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This lecture was delivered at slow pace and its flavor was that of a tutorial.

Reason: To show that designing and analyzing a randomized algorithm demands right insight and just elementary probability.

A simple probability exercise

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Approximate median

Definition: Given an array A[] storing n numbers and ϵ > 0, compute an element whose rank is in the range [(1- ϵ)n/2, (1+ ϵ)n/2].

Best Deterministic Algorithm:

• “Median of Medians” algorithm for finding exact median

• Running time: O(n)

• No faster algorithm possible for approximate median

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Can you give a short proof ?

½ - Approximate medianA Randomized Algorithm

Rand-Approx-Median(A)

1. Let k c log n;

2. S ∅;

3. For i=1 to k

4. x an element selected randomly uniformly from A;

5. S S U {x};

6. Sort S.

7. Report the median of S.

Running time: O(log n loglog n)

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Analyzing the error probability of Rand-approx-median

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Elements of A arranged in Increasing order of values

n/4 3n/4

Right QuarterLeft Quarter

When does the algorithm err ?To answer this question, try to characterize what

will be a bad sample S ?


Observation: Algorithm makes an error only if k/2 or more elements

sampled from the Right Quarter (or Left Quarter).

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n/4

Left Quarter Right Quarter


3n/4 Median of S


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n/4 3n/4

Right QuarterLeft Quarter

Exactly the same as the coin tossing exercise we did !

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Main result we discussed

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ELEMENTARY PROBABILITY THEORY

(IT IS SO SIMPLE THAT YOU UNDERESTIMATE ITS ELEGANCE AND POWER)

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Elementary probability theory(Relevant for CS648)

• We shall mainly deal with discrete probability theory in this course.

• We shall take the set theoretic approach to explain probability theory.

Consider any random experiment :

o Tossing a coin 5 times.

o Throwing a dice 2 times.

o Selecting a number randomly uniformly from [1..n].

How to capture the following facts in the theory of probability ?

1. Outcome will always be from a specified set.

2. Likelihood of each possible outcome is non-negative.

3. We may be interested in a collection of outcomes.

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Probability Space

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Ω

Event in a Probability Space

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AΩ

Exercises

A randomized algorithm can also be viewed as a random experiment.

1. What is the sample space associated with Randomized Quick sort ?

2. What is the sample space associated with Rand-approx-medianalgorithm ?

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An Important Advice

In the following slides, we shall state well known equations (highlighted in yellow boxes) from probability theory.

• You should internalize them fully.

• We shall use them crucially in this course.

• Make sincere attempts to solve exercises that follow.

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Union of two Events

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AB Ω

Union of three Events

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A B

C Ω

Exercises

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Conditional Probability

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Exercises

• A man possesses five coins, two of which are double-headed, one is double-tailed, and two are normal. He shuts his eyes, picks a coin at random, and tosses it. What is the probability that the lower face of the coin is a head ? He opens his eyes and sees that the coin is showing heads; what it the probability that the lower face is a head ? He shuts his eyes again, and tosses the coin again. What is the probability that the lower face is a head ? He opens his eyes and sees that the coin is showing heads; what is the probability that the lower face is a head ? He discards this coin, picks another at random, and tosses it. What is the probability that it shows heads ?

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Partition of sample space and an “important Equation”

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ΩB

Exercises

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Independent Events

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P(A ∩ B) = P(A) · P(B)

Exercises

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Technology

Lecture 2-cs648