CS107 - Lab 3

Due Monday 09/29 at the beginning of class.

Overview:

Given an algorithm that solves a problem, how do we measure its efficiency? How do we know that one algorithm is more efficient than another? This lab helps us to understand the measurement of algorithm efficiency and its importance. You will access the data-cleanup and sort simulator that come with the course software and play with them to better understand the algorithms. The readings and problems for this assignment are in Chapter 3 of your text.

Course software

Following the same steps that you used for Assignment 2, double-click the icon csci107 - Invitation (OSX) that you copied to the desktop. The following menu should appear:

The buttons Data Cleanup Animator and Sort Animator will be useful for this assignment. When you select either of these, you will be able to animate the behavior of several different algorithms in Chapter 3.

For example, select Algorithm -> Shuffle Left in the Data Cleanup Animator and then select the Run button. You may Reset and Rerun this exercise several times to get a feeling for how the shuffle left algorithm works. Its behavior should be familiar from our discussions in class.

Now select Algorithm -> Converging Pointers, and then select Run again. Note the behavior of this new algorithm for each of several different sets of data values (using Reset and Run several times).

These animators will be useful for answering some of the questions below.

Algorithmic Problem Solving

Complete exercises 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 on pages 109-110 of your textbook.

Be sure to justify your answers! You may do this work either by hand or with a word processor (e.g. MS Word). Also, you may choose to do this assignment either by yourself or in a group. However, solutions should be written up individually and handed in on Monday, at the beginning of class.

To submit a file electronically, you should first rename it so that you are identified as the author (e.g., give it a name like lab1-ltoma). Then drag the file to the csci107 -> Drop Box folder. Be careful not to drag an entire folder into the Drop Box; only a single file at a time can be submitted.