Combinatorial Optimization: Polyhedra and Efficiency (Algorithms and Combinatorics)

From the reviews: Schrijver's 3 volumes on combinatorial optimization reflect the current state of the art in this field, in particular from the viewpoint of polyhedral combinatorics and efficient algorithms. [...] The book offers a masterly introduction with many interesting historical remarks as well as an in-depth survey of combinatorial optimization. It is divided into eight main parts with 83 chapters. The main parts are (I) paths and flows, (II) bipartite matching and covering, (III) nonbipartite matching and covering, (IV) matroids and submodular functions, (V) trees, branchings and connectors, (VI) cliques, stable sets and colouring, (VII) multiflows and disjoint paths and, finally, (VIII) hypergraphs.[...] The reader is supposed to have a basic knowledge of graph theory and linear as well as integer programming. The author gives short and elegant proofs to all main results. [...]These three volumes contain an immense richness of results up to 2002 and will prove to be indispensible for any further research in the field of combinatorial optimization. Rainer E. Burkard (Graz) Zentralblatt Math Database, 2003 [..] Now comes Schrijver's book, a current and extremely comprehensive account, running 1,451 pages; by itself the bibliography would make a long book. But even as the book provides reference material to satisfy the experts, strong undergraduates will profit by dipping straight into nearly any chapter. Mathematics and computer science students should consult it, both to supplement their theoretical coursework or to find algorithms for practical projects. Summing Up: All three books: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. American Library Association, 2003Alexander Schrijver is the author of 'Combinatorial Optimization: Polyhedra and Efficiency (Algorithms and Combinatorics)', published 2004 under ISBN 9783540204565 and ISBN 3540204563.