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The P-NP problem is the most important open problem in computer science, if not all of mathematics. Simply stated, it asks whether every problem whose solution can be quickly checked by computer can also be quickly solved by computer. The Golden Ticket provides a nontechnical introduction to P-NP, its rich history, and its algorithmic implications for everything we do with computers and beyond. Lance Fortnow traces the history and development of P-NP, giving examples from a variety of disciplines, including economics, physics, and biology. He explores problems that capture the full difficulty of the P-NP dilemma, from discovering the shortest route through all the rides at Disney World to finding large groups of friends on Facebook. The Golden Ticket explores what we truly can and cannot achieve computationally, describing the benefits and unexpected challenges of this compelling problem.

Lance Fortnow is professor and chair of the School of Computer Science at Georgia Institute of Technology and the founder and coauthor of the Computational Complexity blog.



Table of Contents
Preface ix
Chapter 1 The Golden Ticket 1
Chapter 2 The Beautiful World 11
Chapter 3 P and NP 29
Chapter 4 The Hardest Problems in NP 51
Chapter 5 The Prehistory of P versus NP 71
Chapter 6 Dealing with Hardness 89
Chapter 7 Proving P ? NP 109
Chapter 8 Secrets 123
Chapter 9 Quantum 143
Chapter 10 The Future 155
Acknowledgments 163
Chapter Notes and Sources 165
Index 171