Communication Complexity

Surveys the mathematical theory and applications such as computer networks, VLSI circuits, and data structures.

Eyal Kushilevitz (Author), Noam Nisan (Author)

9780521029834, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 November 2006

208 pages, 21 b/w illus.
25.4 x 17.8 x 1.3 cm, 0.366 kg

'I strongly recommend this book to everybody interested in this topic.' Computing Reviews

Many aspects of the internal and external workings of computers can be viewed as a series of communication processes. Communication complexity is the mathematical theory of such communication processes. It is also often used as an abstract model of other aspects of computation. This book surveys this mathematical theory, concentrating on the question of how much communication is necessary for any particular process. The first part of the book is devoted to the simple two-party model introduced by Yao in 1979, which is still the most widely studied model. The second part treats newer models developed to deal with more complicated communication processes. Finally, applications of these models, including computer networks, VLSI circuits, and data structures, are treated in the third part of the book. This is an essential resource for graduate students and researchers in theoretical computer science, circuits, networks and information theory.

Preface
Part I. Two-Party Communication Complexity: 1. Basics
2. More on covers
3. Randomization
4. Advanced topics
Part II. Other Models of Communication: 5. The communication complexity of relations
6. Multiparty communication complexity
7. Variable partition models
Part III. Applications: 8. Networks, communication, and VLSI
9. Decision trees and data structures
10. Boolean circuit depth
11. More boolean circuit lower bounds
12. Time and space
13. Randomness
14. Further topics
Index of notation
Appendix. Mathematical background
Answers to selected problems
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Computer networking & communications [UT], Algorithms & data structures [UMB]