The Role of Algorithms in Computing

The Role of Algorithms in Computing

1. What is an algorimth?

   • a sequence of computational steps that transform the input into the output.
     • A tool for solving a computer problem
       • The algorithm describes a specific computational proce- dure for achieving that input/output relationship.
       • Example: sorting problem:
       • We say that a correct algorithm solves the given computational problem.
     • An imput secuence is called an Instance of the problem

2. What kinds of problems are solved by algorithms?

   • The Human Genome Project
   • Internet
   • Electronic Comerce
   • Data structures
   • Technique
   • Hard problems
     • efficient algorithms NP-complete
   • Parallelism

3. Algorithms as a Technology

   • Efficiency
     • Different algorithms devised to solve the same problem often differ dramatically in their efficiency.
       • Example: Insertion sort: cn² vs merge sort cn log n