This chapter presents the core design concepts of various algorithms. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of various techniques for designing algorithms. By understanding these concepts, you will learn how to design efficient algorithms.

This chapter starts by discussing the different choices available to you when designing algorithms. Then, it discusses the importance of characterizing the particular problem that we are trying to solve. Next, it uses the famous Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) as a use case and applies the different design techniques that we will be presenting. Then, it introduces linear programming and discusses its applications. Finally, it presents how linear programming can be used to solve a real-world problem.

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to understand the basic concepts of designing an efficient algorithm.

The following concepts are discussed in this chapter:

• The various approaches to designing an algorithm
• Understanding the trade-offs involved in choosing the correct design for an algorithm
• Best practices of formulating a real-world problem
• Solving a real-world optimization problem

Let's first look at the basic concepts of designing an algorithm.