In this online course we’ll implement (in Python) together efficient programs for a problem needed by delivery companies all over the world millions times per day — the travelling salesman problem. The goal in this problem is to visit all the given places as quickly as possible. How to find an optimal solution to this problem quickly? We still don’t have provably efficient algorithms for this difficult computational problem and this is the essence of the P versus NP problem, the most important open question in Computer Science. Still, we’ll implement several solutions for real world instances of the travelling salesman problem.
While designing these solutions, we will rely heavily on the material learned in the courses of the specialization: proof techniques, combinatorics, probability, graph theory. We’ll see several examples of using discrete mathematics ideas to get more and more efficient solutions.
Status: Algorithms
Algorithms
Status: Python Programming
Python Programming
Beginner·Course·13 hours
Featured reviews
5.0
·Reviewed Mar 21, 2021
This series is great. I am confident to tutor my son in CS now.Thanks UCSD and HSE
5.0
·Reviewed May 20, 2019
This course is to the point and challenges you with practical application.
5.0
·Reviewed Jul 6, 2018
Great way to end a really detailed and engaging specialization that introduces anyone with a minimum background in Python to Algorithms.
4.0
·Reviewed Mar 29, 2021
O curso é muito interessante, porém a explicação é um pouco confusa. Poderia ter uma explicação em vídeo da parte envolvendo programação, e não apenas deixar isso como tarefa
5.0
·Reviewed Dec 30, 2019
Very good course. If you are really good in python then go ahead with this course. Challenging questions to solve.
5.0
·Reviewed Dec 21, 2017
This is a nice way to end the course and, seaways nicely into studying algorithms in general.
5.0
·Reviewed Jun 18, 2018
perfect course! very easy and interesting to follow. Pseudo-Algorithms were very useful and helped a lot to understand the concepts.
5.0
·Reviewed Jul 24, 2018
This final course in 5 course specialization is relatively easy one, although the last problem takes little bit time to solve. Provides good introduction to difficult to learn Delivery problem.
5.0
·Reviewed Jun 27, 2020
Well structured introductory course into transportation problems. The code in examples is well written and clean. It was a pleasure to study this course.
5.0
·Reviewed Oct 30, 2020
VERY GOOD COURSE IT IS SO BENTIFITIAL TO THE PEOLPLE WHO ARE INTERTESTED TO DEVELOP THE MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
5.0
·Reviewed Nov 19, 2019
A fun conclusion to the specialization that brings all of the mathematics of combinatorics and graph theory together to show how it can be applied to some real world problems.
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 10, 2024
It's a great introductory course to these topics. I didn't particularly enjoy the puzzles and "treasure hunt" in Number Theory and Cryptography but it's just a matter of learning styles I guess.
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Showing: 20 of 55
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A
Aren
5.0
·Reviewed Nov 19, 2019
A fun conclusion to the specialization that brings all of the mathematics of combinatorics and graph theory together to show how it can be applied to some real world problems.
A
Albina
5.0
·Reviewed Jun 28, 2020
Well structured introductory course into transportation problems. The code in examples is well written and clean. It was a pleasure to study this course.
E
Ethan
5.0
·Reviewed Feb 23, 2021
Best course I've taken on Coursera. To be honest, I'm not sure it qualifies as a "capstone project"; it was more like a normal course with multiple, smaller programming challenges. Alex's teaching style shone in this practical problem-centered curriculum, and as a result, I was much more engaged than in the theory-heavy courses like Number Theory. I especially enjoyed the module on dynamic programming; it's good to see some more advanced content, even if it's optional. Please make future courses similar to this one!
J
Juliano
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 2, 2021
This one can be completed much faster than the others. It is only 3 weeks. It took me about 6 hours to go through everything. The lessons are well explained and the exercises very helpful.
You should have some understanding of Python (from the previous modules) and graph theory (module 3). This was a fun way to end the specialization!
I
Ishan
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 8, 2020
please make courses on how to code in different libraries, its highly necessary, because most of my friends wont even get the certificate even if they know how to solve problems just because they cant code
all in all 5 stars because im really exhausted
A
Arnab
5.0
·Reviewed May 4, 2020
A great course of course.. provides a perfect introduction to the problem and methods of solving the infamous Travelling Salesman Problem!! Go ahead with this course but you are required to have a good working knowledge of Python
D
David
5.0
·Reviewed Feb 18, 2019
Interesting little course on a fascinating problem. The material doesn't start off too hard but gets more difficult in the dynamic programming and 2-approximation algorithm sections. This course is a good introduction to the TSP.
L
Luis
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 11, 2024
It's a great introductory course to these topics. I didn't particularly enjoy the puzzles and "treasure hunt" in Number Theory and Cryptography but it's just a matter of learning styles I guess.
A
Ashish
5.0
·Reviewed Jul 25, 2018
This final course in 5 course specialization is relatively easy one, although the last problem takes little bit time to solve. Provides good introduction to difficult to learn Delivery problem.
A
Ayrton
5.0
·Reviewed Nov 26, 2020
Very good course, I learned concepts about TSP - Traveling Salesman Problem, Branch and Bound, Dynamic Programming, MST - Minimum Spanning Tree and 2-Approximation.
C
Christopher
5.0
·Reviewed Jun 4, 2020
I liked it! Interesting material and challenging assignments! I am going to miss these professors a lot. Thanks for everything you geniuses from HSE!
D
Deleted
5.0
·Reviewed Jun 26, 2020
My personal favourite of the 5 courses in this specialisation due to the programming problems. Was a semi-relaxing way to end the specialisation.
P
Pedro
5.0
·Reviewed Jul 7, 2018
Great way to end a really detailed and engaging specialization that introduces anyone with a minimum background in Python to Algorithms.
E
Ehsan
5.0
·Reviewed Jun 19, 2018
perfect course! very easy and interesting to follow. Pseudo-Algorithms were very useful and helped a lot to understand the concepts.
S
Satish
5.0
·Reviewed Dec 31, 2019
Very good course. If you are really good in python then go ahead with this course. Challenging questions to solve.
L
LANKA
5.0
·Reviewed Oct 31, 2020
VERY GOOD COURSE IT IS SO BENTIFITIAL TO THE PEOLPLE WHO ARE INTERTESTED TO DEVELOP THE MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
S
Steven
5.0
·Reviewed Dec 22, 2017
This is a nice way to end the course and, seaways nicely into studying algorithms in general.
N
Nguyen
5.0
·Reviewed Mar 22, 2021
This series is great. I am confident to tutor my son in CS now.
Thanks UCSD and HSE
D
Danielle
5.0
·Reviewed May 21, 2019
This course is to the point and challenges you with practical application.
D
Divyang
5.0
·Reviewed Sep 20, 2020
Amazing course with lots of intuitive examples and puzzles