About This Course

This course introduces various algorithmic and heuristic techniques that can be employed to solve a wide variety of problems using a computer. Students learn both the advantages and the pitfalls of translating a real-world problem into a formal specification, and consider the subsequent steps of choosing one or more paradigms, analyzing the algorithms, and implementing them. Specific paradigms taught include exhaustive search, divide and conquer, greedy, and dynamic programming approaches. Students who successfully complete the course can use these approaches to design and develop efficient programs for a wide variety of applications.