Lev Levitin's lectures on Information Theory 2008

(part of the IMPRS-CBSC program
and the Bioinformatics Master course of FU Berlin (Schwerpunkte B,C))

• First lecture: Monday, July 14, 2008
• Prof. Levitin from Boston University is visiting the MPI for Molecular Genetics and will give ten 120 minutes lectures from Monday, July 14 to Thursday, August 14, 2008.

1. Basic concepts of Information theory. Entropy bounds on data compression. Optimal source coding.
2. Connection between source coding and decision trees.
3. Information-theoretical design of efficient decision trees. Generalized optimal testing algorithm (GOTA).
4. Information-theoretical analysis of sorting algorithms.
5. Information-theoretical analysis and design of search algorithms. Group testing problems.
6. GOTA for incomplete test data.
7. GOTA for general optimality criteria.
8. Information in evolutionary process.

Grading

Credit points are awarded after an oral exam with Prof. Levitin.
Alternatively, students will earn their credits by performing a mini-project with Prof. Levitin.

Literature