Publisher's Synopsis
An algorithm is any well-defined computational procedure that takes some value, or set of values, as input and produces some value, or set of values as output. We use algorithms every day. For example, a recipe for baking a cake is an algorithm. Most programs, with the exception of some artificial intelligence applications, consist of algorithms. Inventing elegant algorithms - algorithms that are simple and require the fewest steps possible - is one of the principal challenges in programming. The book, Introduction to Algorithms, covers a broad range of algorithms in depth, yet makes their design and analysis accessible to all level of readers, enabling to analyze networks and discover how individuals are connected. In other words, algorithms are like road maps for accomplishing a given, well-defined task. So, a chunk of code that calculates the terms of the Fibonacci sequence is an implementation of a particular algorithm. Even a simple function for adding two numbers is an algorithm in a sense, albeit a simple one. Some algorithms, like those that compute the Fibonacci sequences, are intuitive and may be innately embedded into our logical thinking and problem solving skills. However, for most of us, complex algorithms are best studied so we can use them as building blocks for more efficient logical problem solving in the future. In fact, you may be surprised to learn just how many complex algorithms people use every day when they check their e-mail or listen to music on their computers. This book will introduce some basic ideas related to the analysis of algorithms, and then put these into practice with a few examples illustrating why it is important to know about algorithms.
