Questions that arose from linear programming and combinatorial optimization have been a driving force for modern polytope theory, such as the diameter questions motivated by the desire to understand the complexity of the simplex algorithm, or the need to study facets for use in cutting plane procedures. In addition, algorithms now provide the means to computationally study polytopes, to compute their parameters such as flag vectors, graphs and volumes, and to construct examples of large complexity. The papers of this volume thus display a wide panorama of connections of polytope theory with other fields. Areas such as discrete and computational geometry, linear and combinatorial optimization, and scientific computing have contributed a combination of questions, ideas, results, algorithms and, finally, computer programs.

Autorentext
Günter M. Ziegler, 1963 in München geboren, studierte in München und am MIT Mathematik und wurde mit 31 der jüngste Professor an der TU Berlin. Ausgezeichnet mit dem Leibniz-Preis, dem höchsten deutschen Forschungspreis, sowie dem Communicator-Preis, begann er als Präsident der Mathematiker-Vereinigung und "Jahr der Mathematik"-Initiator eine große Charme-Offensive für sein Fach. Und die setzt er jetzt von der FU Berlin aus fort.

Inhalt
Lectures on 0/l-Polytopes.- polymake: A Framework for Analyzing Convex Polytopes.- Flag Numbers and FLAGTOOL.- A Census of Flag-vectors of 4-Polytopes.- Extremal Properties of 0/1-Polytopes of Dimension 5.- Exact Volume Computation for Polytopes: A Practical Study.- Reconstructing a Simple Polytope from its Graph.- Reconstructing a Non-simple Polytope from its Graph.- A Revised Implementation of the Reverse Search Vertex Enumeration Algorithm.- The Complexity of Yamnitsky and Levin's Simplices Method.