Divide and Conquer, Sorting and Searching, and Randomized Algorithms

The primary topics in this part of the specialization are: asymptotic ("Big-oh") notation, sorting and searching, divide and conquer (master method, integer and matrix multiplication, closest pair), and randomized algorithms (QuickSort, contraction algorithm for min cuts).

• Week 1
• Introduction; "big-oh" notation and asymptotic analysis.
• Week 2
• Divide-and-conquer basics; the master method for analyzing divide and conquer algorithms.
• Week 3
• The QuickSort algorithm and its analysis; probability review.
• Week 4
• Linear-time selection; graphs, cuts, and the contraction algorithm.