Random Structures, Analytic and Probabilistic Approaches

We wish to gather in this school Palestinian students interested in the study of Random Structures. Since the seventies this is a topic considered both in Theoretical Computer Science and in Probability. In particular, the analysis of the mean behaviour of algorithms and structures used in computer software and hardware rests on both approaches; as examples, the mean behaviour of trees or sort algorithms can be analyzed by these methods. The field of science named "Analytic Combinatorics" by Flajolet develops extensively these methods, using combinatorics of structures, generating functions and analysis in the complex plane. In general, analytic approaches provide fast exact and asymptotic computations of moments of random variables and can also provide limit laws; however the probabilistic approach disposes of powerful convergence methods such as martingales and there are cases that can be solved by continuous approaches while discrete ones fail.

We are scheduling 8 courses of 6 hours, within an overall duration of 10 days for the school. There will be a free day with an excursion in the midst of the school, and two afternoons will be left for free discussions.

The courses will be given at An Najah University, Nablus during a period of vacation of the Palestinian secondary schools.

The number of students will be around 30; there will be 8 main lecturers and 1 assistant. The students who do not live in Nablus will be accomodated in a hotel. This hotel will also accomodate the lecturers and the assistants. All the participants to the school, lecturers, assistants and students will take together their lunch and dinner at the restaurant of the University.

A call for application of Palestinian students will be adressed to all the Palestinian Universities four months before the schools. The selected students will be advised three months before the beginning of the school.

There will be no fees for participation of the students.