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Random generation of combinatorial structures: Boltzmann samplers and beyond

The Boltzmann model for the random generation of "decomposable" combinatorial structures is a set of techniques that allows for efficient random sampling algorithms for a large class of families of discrete objects. The usual requirement of sampling uniformly from the set of objects of a given size is somehow relaxed, though uniformity among objects of each size is still ensured. Generating functions, rather than the enumeration sequences they are based on, are the crucial ingredient. We give a brief description of the general theory, as well as a number of newer developments.