Fundamentals of Algorithms

This unit covers computational thinking, abstraction and decomposition, flowcharts and pseudocode, trace tables, searching algorithms, sorting algorithms and comparing efficiency.

Learn to trace before you learn to write. A trace table worked through mechanically, one row per step, will answer questions that reasoning in your head will not, and it is the single most reliable technique in the unit. The four named algorithms — linear and binary search, bubble and merge sort — each need their method, their requirements and their trade-offs. Binary search requires a sorted list, and stating that earns marks. Students most often lose marks by skipping loop iterations when tracing, and by comparing algorithms on speed alone without considering memory or the cost of sorting first.