Week 2

Algorithms tend to abstract away the method for storing data that is needed to actually run the algorithm. In order to run the algorithm on a computer, we need a way to transform our algorithm into a form that a computer can recognize. Luckily, most of the steps in the algorithm are usually easily transferrable, but the implementation of data structures is not specified in the algorithm and so is left up to the programmer to determine. The problem with this is that the efficiency of the data structure in terms of space and the way it is manipulated by the algorithm can severely hinder the runtime complexity of the algorithm. Thus, we must be careful in determining which data structures will suit the algorithm best.