Flashcards on Sorting and searching algorithms
Sorting and Searching Algorithms: A Student's Guide
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Algorithms and Time Complexity
20 cards
Card 1
Question: What is an algorithm?
Answer: An algorithm is a finite set of well-defined, unambiguous instructions to solve a problem or perform a computation. It is a step-by-step procedure tha
Card 2
Question: What are the key characteristics of an algorithm?
Answer: Key characteristics of an algorithm include its definiteness, effectiveness, finiteness, and input/output.
Card 3
Question: What does 'definiteness' mean for an algorithm?
Answer: Definiteness means each step of the algorithm is precisely defined.
Card 4
Question: What does 'effectiveness' mean for an algorithm?
Answer: Effectiveness means each step of the algorithm can be carried out.
Card 5
Question: What does 'finiteness' mean for an algorithm?
Answer: Finiteness means an algorithm must terminate after a finite number of steps.
Card 6
Question: What does 'input/output' mean for an algorithm?
Answer: Input/output means an algorithm takes zero or more inputs and produces one or more outputs.
Card 7
Question: What is time complexity in the context of algorithms?
Answer: Time complexity is a measure of the amount of time an algorithm takes to run as a function of the length of its input. It describes how the number of
Card 8
Question: Why is Big O notation used in computer science?
Answer: Big O notation is used to classify algorithms according to how their running time or space requirements grow as the input size grows. It provides an u
Card 9
Question: What does O(1) time complexity mean?
Answer: O(1) or Constant Time means the algorithm takes the same amount of time regardless of the input size.
Card 10
Question: Give an example of an algorithm with O(1) time complexity.
Answer: Accessing an element in an array by its index is an example of O(1) time complexity.