Why Study Algorithms?

Notes

• If we do it right, this semester we will study
  • Sorting and Searching Again
  • Some applications of sorting and searching
  • Greedy Algorithms - a method of algorithm Design
  • Graph Algorithms
    • Basic Graph Algorithms
    • Minimal Spanning Tree Algorithms
    • Shortest Path Algorithms
  • Distributed Algorithms
  • Plus many others.
• Why?
  • Why do you read books and articles in English classes?
    • To understand what others have done.
    • To use these techniques, so we don't reinvent the wheel.
    • To apply these techniques in other areas or novel applications.
    • But also to use the techniques/ideas when we encounter something different
  • We will discuss a bit of how to design new algorithms.
    • Greedy Techniques
    • Divide and Conquer
    • Algorithm reuse.
  • But also, it gives us motivation to study algorithm performance
    • This is a huge theoretical topic in CS.
  • We will learn about some problems that are genuinely "hard"
    • And some that we are not sure of.
    • So we know that finding an ideal solution might be very hard, or even impossible.
    • So we don't waste time not solving a problem.
  • And we learn new ways to "win" at the programming contest.
    • And at the coding interview
    • As a CS major, you are EXPECTED to know about these algorithms.