CS747 - Randomized Methods in Computational Complexity (Sem I, 2023-24)

 

SYLLABUS


topics (tentative).

- Algorithms, circuits
- Polynomial identity testing, hitting-sets
- Hardness of parity, clique
- Expanders
- Undirected connectivity in logspace
- Pseudorandom generators
- Error correcting codes
- Hardness vs randomness

Advanced topic ideas.

- MIP equals NEXP
- QIP equals PSPACE
- NQP not in ACC0
- Ramanujan graph constructions
- XOR Lemmas
- Extractors
- PCP
- Erdös-Rado, Cap-set Conjectures & matrix multiplication

Schedule.


[06Nov'23 week] List decoding. Johnson bound. Local List decoding the concatenated codes. Hardness amplification (worst- to average-case).  [video25] [video26]  

[30Oct'23 week]
Encoding RS, WH, and their concatenated codes. Decoding them.  [video23] [video24]     [slide11

[16Oct'23 week]
Hardness amplification. Introduction to Error-correction.   [video21] [video22]     [slide10

[09Oct'23 week] Prg. Hardness=>Derandomization. Partial derandomization applications.   [video19] [video20]     [slide09]  

[02Oct'23 week] Pseudo-random generators (prg).  [video17] [video18]    [slide08]

[25Sep'23 week]
Analyzing the zig-zag product in two ways. Transform any graph into an expander.  [video15] [video16]

[18Sep'23 week] ** Mid-Sem **

[11Sep'23 week] Error-reduction using expanders. Graph products for explicit expanders.  [video13] [video14]    [slide07]

[04Sep'23 week]
Random walk works. Algebraic/combinatorial expansion. Error-reduction.    [video11] [video12]  

[28Aug'23 week]
Monotone circuits. Graph spectra, random walk, and expansion.      [video09] [video10]    [slide06]

[21Aug'23 week]
Monotone circuit lower bounds.      [video07]
[video08]    [slide05]

[14Aug'23 week]
PIT => lower bounds. AC0, ACC0 lower bounds.      [video05] [video06]   
[slide04]


[07Aug'23 week] Circuits. PIT. Derandomization vs circuit lower bounds.      [video03] [video04]    [slide02] [slide03]

[31Jul'23 week]
Outline. Complexity classes.     [video01] [video02]   
[slide01]