Algorithms an Introduction

History This course was first taught in the late 1960s The main principals that maintained the area –Find algorithms that are fast for very large inputs –Assume a very simple model of a computer –There are very fast and useful algorithms out there for the finding.

Asymptotic Analysis We only care about the running time of our algorithm as the size of the input goes to infinity.

The RAM Computer Model The random-access-machine(RAM) –Single processor –Unit time addressable memory –Unit time multiplication and addition of numbers. ( log n bit numbers)

Amazing Algorithms Number Theory and cryptography – Primes in P Linear programming and Business Computational Geometry and Graphic Graph Algorithms and –Biology –Internet –Manufacturing

Skills Taught Proofs of Correctness Analysis of running times Decomposition of a larger problem –E.g. using data structures Classifying different algorithms Abstract algorithm problem Search the literature Demonstrate negative answers