Improved Greedy Algorithm for Computing Approximate Median Strings

 Ferenc Kruzslicz 1

  Acta Cybernetica 14 (1999) 331-339.

Abstract:

 The distance of a string from a set of strings is defined by the sum of distances to the strings of the given set. A string that is closest to the set is called the median of the set. To find a median string is an NP-Hard problem in general, so it is useful to develop fast heuristic algorithms that give a good approximation of the median string. These methods significally depend on the type of distance used to measure the dissimilarity between strings. The present algorithm is based on edit distance of strings, and constructing the approximate median in a letter by letter manner.

Footnotes

  1  Department of Business Informatics, Janus Pannonius University, Rákóczi út 80, 7622 Pécs, Hungary. Email: kruzslic@ktk.jpte.hu