ITR/SY+IM+AP: Center for Applied Algorithms

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Algorithms are the basic procedures by which computers solve problems. With the explosion in the use and connectivity of computers, and in the sizes of the data sets being used, the performance of algorithms is becoming increasingly important. Being able to solve a problem ten times faster, for example, could mean designing a drug next year instead of several years later, or reducing the cost of developing a new space structure by allowing faster and more extensive computer simulations. Over the past 30 years there have been significant advances in the basic theory of algorithms. These advances have led to a "core knowledge" concerning algorithms and algorithmic techniques that has now been applied across an amazing diversity of fields and applications---surely more broadly than calculus is now applied. The problem, however, is that there is a large gap between ongoing theoretical research, and the current use of algorithms in applications. It often takes more than ten years for the core ideas in a new algorithm to make it into an application, and ongoing theoretical research often does not properly address the needs of the applications. The purpose of the Center is to bridge this gap so that efficient and effective algorithms can be deployed more rapidly. This will be achieved through (1) a set of Problem Oriented Explorations (PROBEs), (2) developing an extensive set of web resources on algorithms, and (3) educational activities including holding workshops for educating teachers. The PROBEs will bring together algorithm designers and domain experts to rapidly deploy new algorithmic ideas within a specific domain.