The writing of this textbook was a mammoth task for which a lot of help was required from many people. Fortunately, I have had the fine support of my family, friends, and fellow members of the teaching staff at the Institute of Information Technology and Management (IITM). My special thanks would always go to my father Mr Janak Raj Thareja and mother Mrs Usha Thareja, my brother Pallav and sisters Kimi and Rashi who were a source of abiding inspiration and divine blessings for me. I am especially thankful to my son Goransh who has been very patient and cooperative in letting me realize my dreams. My sincere thanks go to my uncle Mr B.L. Thareja for his inspiration and guidance in writing this book.
I would also like to thank my students and colleagues at IITM who had always been there to extend help while designing and testing the algorithms. Finally, I would like to thank the editorial team at Oxford University Press for their help and support.
Comments and suggestions for the improvement of the book are welcome. Please send them to me at reemathareja@gmail.com
Book Author = Reema Thareja