List of Mathematics Topics for programming Competitions -

1. Basic Geometry/Euclidean Geometry/Coordinate Geometry/ [3-D variants of everything].

2. Computational Geometry.
a. Graham Scan algorithm for Convex Hull O(n * log(n)).
b. Online construction of 3-D convex hull in O(n^2).
c. Bentley Ottmann algorithm to list all intersection points of n line segments in O((n + I) * logn).
■ Suggested Reading -
1. http://softsurfer.com/Archive/algorithm_0108/algorithm_0108.htm
d. Rotating Calipers Technique.
■ Suggested Reading - http://cgm.cs.mcgill.ca/~orm/rotcal.html
■ Problems - Refer the article for a list of problems which can be solved using Rotating Calipers
technique.
e. Line Sweep/Plane Sweep algorithms -
■ Area/Perimeter of Union of Rectangles.
■ Closest pair of points.
■ Suggested Reading -
1. http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=Static&d1=tutorials&d2=lineSweep
■ Problems - Follow the tutorial for list of problems.
f. Area of Union of Circles.
g. Delayunay Triangulation of n points in O(n * logn).
h. Voronoi Diagrams of n points in O(n * logn) using Fortunes algorithm.
i. Point in a polygon problem -
■ O(n) solution without preprocessing.
■ O(logn) algorithm with O(n * logn) preprocessing for convex polygons.
j. Problems on computational geometry -
■ BSHEEP, BULK, SEGVIS, CONDUIT, RUNAWAY, DIRVS, RAIN1, SHAMAN, TCUTTER, LITEPIPE, RHOMBS, FSHEEP,
FLBRKLIN, CERC07P, BAC, ALTARS, CERC07C, NECKLACE, CH3D, RECTANGL, POLYSSQ, FOREST2, KPPOLY, RAIN2,
SEGMENTS, ARCHPLG, BALLOON, CIRCLES, COMPASS, EOWAMRT, ICERINK on SPOJ.
■ CultureGrowth, PolygonCover on Topcoder.
k. Suggested Reading -
■ Computational Geometry: Algorithms and applications. Mark De Burg.
3. Number Theory.
a. Modulus arithmetic - basic postulates [Including modular linear equations , Continued fraction and Pell's
equation]
■ Suggested Reading -
1. Chapter 1 from Number Theory for Computing by SY Yan [ Recommended ]
2. 31.1, 31.3 and 31.4 from Cormen
3. www.topcoder.com/tc?module=Static&d1=tutorials&d2=primeNumbers
■ Problems
1. http://projecteuler.net/index.php?section=problems&id=64
2. http://projecteuler.net/index.php?section=problems&id=65
3. http://projecteuler.net/index.php?section=problems&id=66
4. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=6408&rd=9826
5. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=2342
b. Fermat's theorem, Euler Totient theorem ( totient function, order , primitive roots )
■ Suggested Reading
1. 1.6, 2.2 from Number Theory by SY Yan
2. 31.6 , 31.7 from Cormen
■ Problems
1. http://projecteuler.net/index.php?section=problems&id=70
2. http://www.spoj.pl/problems/NDIVPHI/
c. Chinese remainder theorem
■ Suggested Reading
1. 31.5 from Cormen
2. 1.6 from Number Theory by SY Yan
■ Problems
1. Project Euler 271
2. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=10551&rd=13903
d. Primality tests -
■ Deterministic O(sqrt(n) ) approach
■ Probabilistic primality tests - Fermat primality test, Miller-Rabin Primality test
1. Suggested Reading -
a. http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=Static&d1=tutorials&d2=primalityTesting
b. Cormen 31.8
c. 2.2 from Number Theory by SY Yan
2. Problems -
a. PON, PRIC, SOLSTRAS on SPOJ
b. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=4515
e. Prime generation techniques - Sieve of Erastothenes
■ Suggested Problems - PRIME1 on SPOJ
f. GCD using euclidean method
■ Suggested Reading
1. 31.2 Cormen
■ Problems -
1. GCD on SPOJ
2. http://uva.onlinejudge.org/external/114/11424.html
g. Logarithmic Exponentiation
■ Suggested Reading -
1. http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=Static&d1=tutorials&d2=primalityTesting
h. Integer Factorization
■ Naive O(sqrt(n)) method
■ Pollard Rho factorization
■ Suggested Reading
1. 2.3 from Number Theory SY Yan 2. 31.9 Cormen
■ Problems -
1. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=2986&rd=5862
2. http://www.spoj.pl/problems/DIVSUM2/
3. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=4481&rd=6538
 i. Stirling numbers
j. Wilson theorem
■ nCr % p in O(p) preprocess and O(log n ) query
k. Lucas Theorem
l. Suggested Reading for Number Theory -
■ Number theory for computing by Song Y Yan [ Simple book describing concepts in details ]
■ Concepts are also superficially covered in Chapter 31 of Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen
■ http://www.codechef.com/wiki/tutorial-number-theory
■ http://www.algorithmist.com/index.php/Category:Number_Theory
m. Problems on Number Theory -
■ http://www.algorithmist.com/index.php/Category:Number_Theory
■ http://problemclassifier.appspot.com/index.jsp?search=number&usr=
4. Math (Probability, Counting, Game Theory, Group Theory, Generating functions, Permutation Cycles,
Linear Algebra)
a. Probability.
Syllabus
■ Basic probability and Conditional probability
1. Suggested problems
a. http://www.spoj.pl/problems/CT16E/
b. http://www.spoj.pl/problems/CHICAGO/
■ Random variables, probability generating functions
■ Mathematical expectation + Linearity of expectation
1. Suggested problems
a. http://www.spoj.pl/problems/FAVDICE/
b. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=10744
■ Special discrete and continuous probability distributions
1. Bernoulli, Binomial, Poisson, normal distribution
2. Suggested Problem
a. http://acm.sgu.ru/problem.php?contest=0&problem=498
■ Suggested Readings
1. Cormen appendix C (very basic)
2. Topcoder probabilty tutorial
http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=Static&d1=tutorials&d2=probabilities
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_variable
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expected_value
5. William Feller, An introduction to probability theory and its applications
b. Counting
Syllabus
■ Basic principles - Pigeon hole principle, addition, multiplication rules
1. Suggested problems
a. http://acm.timus.ru/problem.aspx?space=1&num=1690
b. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=10805
3. Suggested readings
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combinatorial_principles
b. http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=Static&d1=tutorials&d2=combinatorics
c. http://www.maa.org/editorial/knot/pigeonhole.html
■ Inclusion-exclusion
1. Suggested readings
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusion–exclusion_principle
2. Suggested problems
a. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=4463&rd=6536
b. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=10238
■ Special numbers
1. Suggested reading - Stirling, eurlerian, harmonic, bernoulli, fibonnacci numbers
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_number
b. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eulerian_numbers
c. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(mathematics)
d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernoulli_number
e. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonnaci_numbers
f. Concrete mathematics by Knuth
2. Suggested problems
a. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=1643
b. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=8202&rd=11125
c. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=8725
d. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=2292&rd=10709
■ Advanced counting techniques - Polya counting, burnsides lemma
1. Suggested reading
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnside's_lemma
b. http://petr-mitrichev.blogspot.com/2008/11/burnsides-lemma.html
2. Suggested Problems
a. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=9975
b. http://www.spoj.pl/problems/TRANSP/
c. Game theory
Syllabus
■ Basic principles and Nim game
1. Sprague grundy theorem, grundy numbers
2. Suggested readings
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprague%E2%80%93Grundy_theorem
b. http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=Static&d1=tutorials&d2=algorithmGames
c. http://www.ams.org/samplings/feature-column/fcarc-games1
d. http://www.codechef.com/wiki/tutorial-game-theory
3. Suggested problems
a. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=3491&rd=6517
b. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=3491&rd=6517
 ■ Hackenbush
1. Suggested readings
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackenbush
b. http://www.ams.org/samplings/feature-column/fcarc-partizan1
2. Suggested problems
a. http://www.cs.caltech.edu/ipsc/problems/g.html
b. http://www.spoj.pl/problems/PT07A/
d. Linear Algebra
Syllabus
■ Matrix Operations
1. Addition and subtraction of matrices
a. Suggested Reading
i. Cormen 28.1
2. Multiplication ( Strassen's algorithm ), logarithmic exponentiation
a. Suggested reading
i. Cormen 28.2
ii.Linear Algebra by Kenneth Hoffman Section 1.6
b. Problems
i. http://uva.onlinejudge.org/external/111/11149.html
3. Matrix transformations [ Transpose, Rotation of Matrix, Representing Linear transformations
using matrix ]
a. Suggested Reading
i. Linear Algebra By Kenneth Hoffman Section 3.1,3.2,3.4,3.7
b. Problems
i. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=6877
ii.JPIX on Spoj
4. Determinant , Rank and Inverse of Matrix [ Gaussean Elimination , Gauss Jordan Elimination]
a. Suggested Reading
i. 28.4 Cormen
ii.Linear Algebra by Kenneth Chapter 1
b. Problems
i. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=8174
ii.http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=6407&rd=9986
iii. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=8587
iv.HIGH on Spoj
5. Solving system of linear equations
a. Suggested Reading
i. 28.3 Cormen
ii.Linear Algebra by Kenneth Chapter 1
b. Problems -
i. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=3942&rd=6520
6. Using matrix exponentiation to solve recurrences
a. Suggested Reading
i. http://www.topcoder.com/tc?module=Static&d1=features&d2=010408
b. Problems
i. REC, RABBIT1 , PLHOP on spoj
ii.http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=6386 ,
http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=7262,
http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=6877
7. Eigen values and Eigen vectors
a. Problems
i. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=2423&rd=4780
■ Polynomials
1. Roots of a polynomial [ Prime factorization of a polynomial, Integer roots of a polynomial,
All real roots of a polynomial ]
a. Problems
i. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=8273&rd=10798
ii.POLYEQ , ROOTCIPH on Spoj
2. Lagrange Interpolation
a. Problems
i. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=10239
ii.http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=8725
e. Permutation cycles
■ Suggested Reading
1. Art of Computer Programming by Knuth Vol. 3
■ Problems
1. ShuffleMethod, Permutation and WordGame on topcoder.
f. Group Theory
■ Bernside Lemma, Polias theorem
1. Suggested Reading
a. Hernstein's topics in algebra
b. http://petr-mitrichev.blogspot.com/2008/11/burnsides-lemma.html
2. Problems
a. TRANSP on spoj
b. http://www.topcoder.com/stat?c=problem_statement&pm=9975
b. Generating functions
■ Suggested Reading
1. Herbert Wilf's generating functionology
2. Robert Sedgewick and Flajoulet's Combinatorial analysis
Resource https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_dc3Ifg7Gg1LxhiqMMmE9UbTsXpdRiYh4pKILYG2eA4/edit