Combinatorial optimization methods in disordered systems

We give an overview of the applications of methods from combinatorial optim ization to problems in disordered systems. The optimization methods are eff icient, for example it is possible to find the ground stare of a random fie ld Ising magnet containing one million sites in a couple of minutes on a hi gh end workstation. Combinatorial algorithms for rigidity percolation and m inimal energy domain walls in random exchange magnets are even more efficie nt, (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.