Cake-Cutting Algorithms FROM THE PUBLISHER
Since the famous Polish school of mathematicians (Steinhaus, Banach, and Knaster) introduced and described algorithms for the fair division problem in the 1940's, the concept has been widely popularized. This book finally gathers into one readable and inclusive source a comprehensive discussion of the state of the art in cake-cutting problems for both the novice and the professional. It offers a complete treatment of cake-cutting algorithms under all the considered definitions of "fair", and presents them in a coherent, reader-friendly manner. The first seven chapters of the book take a more leisurely and conversational look at the problem; written with the novice in mind, they show the problem's inherent beauty, unhindered by intensive mathematical formalism. Although the material in these chapters may be familiar, the authors believe that even an expert will discover a number of new ideas (or at least new takes on old problems) and will find them to be an excellent resource. The final four chapters are for the non-casual reader and contain technical details of proofs not suited for the first section. Robertson and Webb have brought this elegant problem to life for both the bright high school student and the professional researcher.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
Examines the many definitions of "fair division" that have been proposed throughout the years and what is known about cake-cutting algorithms as they apply to these definitions. The first seven chapters provide a leisurely survey of the problem, written with the novice in mind, without mathematical formalism. The final four chapters, for the non-casual reader, contain the technical details of proofs for the previous chapters. Exercises and projects are included in most of the chapters and the solutions for all of the exercises are included. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
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