Combinatorics and Complexity of Partition Functions

Focusing on computational techniques, the book delves into partition functions that play a crucial role in combinatorics and statistical physics. It explores efficient methods for approximating various partition functions, including permanents, hafnians, and higher-dimensional analogs, as well as graph and hypergraph matching polynomials. The text also covers the independence polynomial of graphs and partition functions that enumerate points in polyhedra, aiming to provide algorithmic solutions to complex and previously intractable problems.