Optimization and Approximation

In Rome, during 1976, we had several visitors. Among them, Zvi Galil (Fig. 8.1) had an important role in the development of our research work. At that time Zvi had just recently received his PhD from Cornell University but his visit to Rome had various consequences. First of all, it started a deep relationship that later, when Zvi became a full professor at Columbia, allowed some of the graduates from our university to visit his department and carry on their study there. Second, he pointed out to us the growing interest in a research field that was emerging: the complexity of approximate solution of combinatorial optimization problems.