index.md (1070B)
1 +++ 2 title = 'Algorithms' 3 +++ 4 # Algorithms 5 ## What is an algorithm? 6 7 An effective method, finite n of steps or instructions, to solve a problem or accomplish a task 8 9 always works 10 11  12 13 ## Solution strategies 14 15 - Guess and check 16 - “try something" 17 - Try all possibilities 18 - suitable with small possibilities 19 - Divide the problem into steps 20 - reduces complexity 21 - simplifies the problem 22 - Use formulas/equations 23 - better overview 24 - Discover a structure or pattern 25 - sometimes it’s necessary to extend the problem 26 - Make a model 27 - simpler problem or situation 28 - e.g. diagram or picture 29 - Brute force 30 - relies on computing power, uses computer 31 - example: bubble sort, linear search 32 - Divide and conquer 33 - three steps: 34 35 1. Divide problem of size *n* into number of subproblems of same type and about same size 36 37 2. Conquer: recursively solve sub-problems 38 3. Combine: appropriately combine solutions 39 40 - examples: binary search, merge sort, quick sort