This advanced textbook presents a broad and up-to-date view of the computational complexity theory of boolean circuits. It combines the algorithmic and the automata-theoretic approaches, and includes extensive discussion of the literature to facilitate further study. It begins with efficient boolean circuits for problems with high practical relevance, then compares the computational model of boolean circuits with other models such as Turing machines and parallel machines. Examination of the complexity of specific problems leads to the definition of complexity classes. The theory of circuit complexity classes is then thoroughly developed, including the theory of lower bounds and advanced topics such as algebraic complexity and connections to finite model theory.

Presents a broad view of the field covering all the fundamentals needed to study current research papers Introduces methods and results out of all main subareas. Extensive discussion of the literature at the end of each chapter Contains new material that has never before appeared in a textbook.

Klappentext

An advanced textbook giving a broad, modern view of the computational complexity theory of boolean circuits, with extensive references, for theoretical computer scientists and mathematicians.

Inhalt

1. Complexity Measures and Reductions.- 2. Relations to Other Computation Models.- 3. Lower Bounds.- 4. The NC Hierarchy.- 5. Arithmetic Circuits.- 6. Polynomial Time and Beyond.- Appendix: Mathematical Preliminaries.- A1 Alphabets, Words, Languages.- A2 Binary Encoding.- A3 Asymptotic Behavior of Functions.- A4 Turing Machines.- A5 Logic.- A6 Graphs.- A7 Numbers and Functions.- A8 Algebraic Structures.- A9 Linear Algebra.- List of Figures.- Author Index.