Chapter 1. Foundations of Algorithm Engineering

Introduction

Efficient algorithms are central components of almost every computer application. Thus, they become increasingly important in all fields of economy, technology, science, and everyday life. Most prominent examples of fields where efficient algorithms play a decisive role are bioinformatics, information retrieval, communication networks, cryptography, geographic information systems, image processing, logistics, just to name a few.

Algorithmics—the systematic development of efficient algorithms—is therefore a key technology for all kinds of ambitious and innovative computer applications. Unfortunately, over the last decades there has been a growing gap between algorithm theory on one side and practical needs on the other. As a consequence, only a small fraction of the research done in Algorithmics is actually used. To understand the reasons for this gap, let us briefly explain how research in Algorithmics has been done traditionally.