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John Quoran Lecture 4

Fourth lecture

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8 views3 pages

John Quoran Lecture 4

Fourth lecture

Uploaded by

essasito56
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction to Algorithms

James Quoran
June 19, 2024

Abstract
This document provides an introduction to algorithms, including their
design, analysis, and implementation. It covers basic concepts, sorting
and searching algorithms, graph algorithms, and dynamic programming.

1 Introduction
An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing
some end. Algorithms are the foundation of computer science, enabling the
processing of data and the automation of tasks.

2 Design of Algorithms
Designing algorithms involves creating a method that can solve a problem within
certain constraints. This includes understanding the problem, designing a solu-
tion, and evaluating its efficiency.

2.1 Algorithmic Paradigms


Common algorithmic paradigms include divide and conquer, greedy algorithms,
and dynamic programming.

2.1.1 Divide and Conquer


Divide and conquer algorithms break a problem into smaller subproblems, solve
each subproblem, and combine the solutions to solve the original problem.

2.1.2 Greedy Algorithms


Greedy algorithms make a series of choices, each of which looks best at the
moment, to find a globally optimal solution.

2.1.3 Dynamic Programming


Dynamic programming solves problems by combining solutions to subproblems,
typically using a recursive approach with memoization.

1
3 Analysis of Algorithms
The analysis of algorithms focuses on the time complexity and space complexity
of an algorithm. Big O notation is commonly used to describe the performance
of an algorithm.
T (n) = O(f (n)) (1)

3.1 Time Complexity


Time complexity measures the amount of time an algorithm takes to complete
as a function of the input size.

3.2 Space Complexity


Space complexity measures the amount of memory an algorithm uses as a func-
tion of the input size.

4 Sorting Algorithms
Sorting algorithms are used to arrange data in a specific order. Common sorting
algorithms include quicksort, mergesort, and heapsort.

4.1 Quicksort
Quicksort is a divide and conquer algorithm that selects a pivot element and
partitions the array around the pivot.
def q u i c k s o r t ( a r r ) :
i f len ( a r r ) <= 1 :
return a r r
p i v o t = a r r [ len ( a r r ) // 2 ]
l e f t = [ x f o r x in a r r i f x < p i v o t ]
middle = [ x f o r x in a r r i f x == p i v o t ]
r i g h t = [ x f o r x in a r r i f x > p i v o t ]
return q u i c k s o r t ( l e f t ) + middle + q u i c k s o r t ( r i g h t )

4.2 Mergesort
Mergesort is a divide and conquer algorithm that divides the array into two
halves, sorts each half, and merges the sorted halves.

5 Graph Algorithms
Graph algorithms are used to solve problems related to graph theory, such as
finding the shortest path or detecting cycles.

2
5.1 Dijkstra’s Algorithm
Dijkstra’s algorithm finds the shortest path from a source vertex to all other
vertices in a weighted graph.

6 Dynamic Programming
Dynamic programming is a method for solving complex problems by breaking
them down into simpler subproblems. It is particularly useful for optimization
problems.

6.1 Fibonacci Sequence


The Fibonacci sequence is a classic example of a problem that can be solved
using dynamic programming.

F (n) = F (n − 1) + F (n − 2) (2)

def f i b o n a c c i ( n ) :
fib = [0 , 1]
f o r i in range ( 2 , n +1):
f i b . append ( f i b [ i −1] + f i b [ i −2])
return f i b [ n ]

7 Conclusion
Understanding algorithms is fundamental to computer science as it helps in solv-
ing complex problems efficiently. The study of algorithms continues to evolve
with new techniques and applications, impacting various fields of technology
and science.

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