Re: To which field does this belong?

In article <1158936781.323889.76850@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
<sol.hari@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Which field of mathematics would describe an algorithm to solve the
problem below? What keywords should I use to point me in the right
direction?

Problem:
I have a set of n distinct elements T = {e_1, e_2, ..., e_n}, and m
subsets of T, S_1, S2, ... S_m, that can overlap.
I need to find the minimum number of subsets whose union equals T.

Sounds like combinatorics and/or discrete math to me...

--
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"It's not denial. I'm just very selective about
what I accept as reality."
--- Calvin ("Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson)
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Arturo Magidin
magidin-at-member-ams-org

.

Relevant Pages

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