Scribd
Upload
9 views1 page

Greedy Algorithms Overview

Greedy algorithms make locally optimal choices at each step to find a global optimum, differing from dynamic programming by not revisiting previous subproblems. They work well for problems with the greedy-choice property and optimal substructure, such as activity selection and Dijkstra's algorithm. While easier to implement and more efficient, they do not guarantee the best solution for all problems and require careful design to ensure effectiveness.

Uploaded by

dogan.jonat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
9 views1 page

Greedy Algorithms Overview

Greedy algorithms make locally optimal choices at each step to find a global optimum, differing from dynamic programming by not revisiting previous subproblems. They work well for problems with the greedy-choice property and optimal substructure, such as activity selection and Dijkstra's algorithm. While easier to implement and more efficient, they do not guarantee the best solution for all problems and require careful design to ensure effectiveness.

Uploaded by

dogan.jonat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Greedy algorithms are a class of algorithms that make the locally optimal choice at each step with

the hope of finding a global optimum. Unlike dynamic programming, greedy algorithms do not revisit

or store the results of previous subproblems.

The greedy approach works when a problem exhibits the greedy-choice property (a globally optimal

solution can be arrived at by choosing the local optimum at each step) and optimal substructure (an

optimal solution can be constructed from optimal solutions of its subproblems).

Greedy algorithms are typically easier to implement and more efficient than dynamic programming,

but they do not guarantee the best solution for all problems. They are suitable for problems like

activity selection, Huffman encoding, minimum spanning tree (Kruskal's and Prim's algorithms), and

Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm.

When designing a greedy algorithm, it's important to:

1. Prove the problem has the greedy-choice property.

2. Justify that choosing local optima leads to the global optimum.

3. Ensure the algorithm covers all edge cases and constraints.

Despite their simplicity, greedy algorithms are powerful and effective when used in the right context.

You might also like