Introduction to the Course
1. Program Outcomes (POs):
- Broad outcomes expected from students completing the program.
- Typically include technical expertise, problem-solving skills, communication, teamwork, ethics,
and lifelong learning.
2. Course Outcomes (COs):
- Specific skills and knowledge students will gain from the course.
- Example: Apply algorithmic techniques to solve computational problems.
3. Lesson Plan:
- A schedule detailing weekly or topic-wise coverage.
- Helps plan learning and preparation.
4. Teaching Methodology:
- Strategies used to teach, such as lectures, assignments, projects, and discussions.
5. Evaluation Strategy:
- Methods of assessment, including quizzes, exams, projects, or continuous evaluation.
Course Overview with OBE Awareness
1. Outcome-Based Education (OBE):
- Focuses on achieving specific learning outcomes.
- Encourages student-centric learning.
Week 1: Introduction to Algorithm Design
1. Importance of Problem-Solving Using Algorithms:
- Algorithms form the backbone of computational problem-solving.
- They ensure solutions are correct, efficient, and scalable.
2. Characteristic Features of an Algorithm:
- Input: Clearly defined inputs.
- Output: Clearly defined outputs.
- Finiteness: The algorithm must terminate after a finite number of steps.
- Definiteness: Every step is clearly and unambiguously defined.
- Effectiveness: Every step can be carried out in a finite amount of time.
- Correctness and Efficiency: Ensures the algorithm solves the problem accurately and quickly.
3. Expressing Algorithms:
- Pseudocode: A high-level, language-agnostic way to represent algorithms.
- Basic Aspects: Correctness, design, and analysis.
Week 2: Computational Tractability and Asymptotic Notations
1. Computational Tractability:
- Efficiency: Algorithms are efficient if they run in polynomial time (O(n^k)).
- Brute-Force Search: A straightforward approach that explores all possibilities.
2. Asymptotic Notations:
- Big-O: Represents the worst-case growth rate.
- Big-Omega: Represents the best-case growth rate.
- Big-Theta: Tight bound on growth rate (both upper and lower bounds).
Week 3: Recurrences
1. Methods to Solve Recurrences:
- Iterative Method: Expand the recurrence step-by-step.
- Recursive Tree Method: Visualize the recurrence as a tree and sum costs at each level.
- Substitution Method: Assume a solution form and verify.
- Master Method: A shortcut for divide-and-conquer recurrences of the form:
T(n) = aT(n/b) + O(n^d), where the method applies based on a, b, and d.
References
1. Textbooks:
- (T1) Algorithm Design by Jon Kleinberg and Eva Tardos.
- (T2) Problem Solving in Data Structures & Algorithms Using Java by Hemant Jain.
2. Reference Books:
- (R1) The Algorithm Design Manual by Steven Skiena.
- (R2) Introduction to Algorithms by CLRS.