Probability Theory and Combinatorial Optimization

This monograph provides an introduction to the state of the art of the probability theory that is most directly applicable to combinatorial optimization. The questions that receive the most attention are those that deal with discrete optimization problems for points in Euclidean space, such as the minimum spanning tree, the traveling-salesman tour, and minimal-length matchings. Still, there are several nongeometric optimization problems that receive full treatment, and these include the problems of the longest common subsequence and the longest increasing subsequence. The philosophy that guides the exposition is that analysis of concrete problems is the most effective way to explain even the most general methods or abstract principles. There are three fundamental probabilistic themes that are examined through our concrete investigations. First, there is a systematic exploitation of martingales. The second theme that is explored is the systematic use of subadditivity of several flavors, ranging from the naïve subadditivity of real sequences to the subtler subadditivity of stochastic processes. The third and deepest theme developed here concerns the application of Talagrand's isoperimetric theory of concentration inequalities.