Randomization and approximation techniques in computer science

the long version

This volume contains the papers presented at the 6th International Workshop on Randomization and Approximation Techniques in Computer Science (RAN- DOM 2002), which took place at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, from September 13–15, 2002. RANDOM 2002 was concerned with applications of randomness to computational and combinatorial problems, and was the sixth workshop in the series following Bologna, Barcelona, Berkeley, Geneva, and B- keley again. The volume contains 21 contributed papers, selected by the program c- mittee from 48 submissions received in response to the call for papers. We thank all of the authors who submitted papers, our invited speakers, the members of the program committee: Dimitris Achlioptas, Microsoft Research Martin Dyer, U. of Leeds Uriel Feige, Weizmann Institute Russell Impagliazzo, UC San Diego Sampath Kannan, U. of Pennsylvania David Karger, MIT Nati Linial, Hebrew U. Rafail Ostrovsky, Telcordia Technologies Paul Spirakis, U. of Patras and CTI Angelika Steger, TU Munich R¨udiger Urbanke, Swiss Federal Inst. of Tech. Salil Vadhan, Harvard U., chair, and the external reviewers: N. Alon, R. Alur, A. Ambainis, T. Batu, J. Feig- baum, S. Gerke, Y. Gertner, A. Goerdt, L. Goldberg, J. Hastad, C. Iliopoulos, Y. Ishai, V. Kabanets, S. Khot, L. Kirousis, S. Kontogiannis, M. Krivelevich, M. Mavronicolas, A. McGregor, F. McSherry, D. van Melkebeek, M. Molloy, E. Mossel, S. Nikoletseas, R. Raz, D. Ron, P. Tetali, L. Trevisan, E. Vigoda, J. Watrous, and P. Winkler.